The Children's Living Library

Saturday September 18th was the grand opening of the new Children's Living Library.

                Kristen Kualavich, Sustainability officer for the city of Madison, organized the efforts surrounding the project and provided the following information.  

       The Children's Living Library at our Madison Public Library will be the first of its kind that we know of in Alabama. It will feature things like a life size Scrabble board, mini-amphitheater for story time, Madison County soil history and display, veggie garden, boat dock with ship, etc. The scenes in the garden will be tied in to the library with our take on storybook themes like Charlotte's Web and Where the Wild Things Are.

        The garden will be free to enter and open to everyone. Lessons in sustainability and the environment, gardening, art, and music are just a few of the topics that will be taught in the garden. We have a great team of partners that are helping to host these events. Some are the Madison County Beekeepers Association, the Huntsville Botanical Garden, the Madison Gardening Club, the Madison Beautification and Tree Board, and the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District. Professional landscape architect Lori Severin with 4Site, Inc donated the design of the garden.

    Our theme for the garden is "every child is a story yet to be told". Kristen views this garden as an opportunity for children to learn and explore, for us to help prepare them for their future...to help them tell their stories. Each young person is our next teacher, doctor, councilperson, pastor, nurse, president, engineer, etc. Their success will ultimately be our success as a community!!!

Well done, Madison!