Nationwide — Ms. Maze, known on social media as Storybook Maze, left her full-time librarian job to bring free books directly to children in Baltimore neighborhoods where access to reading materials is limited. What started with reading sessions outside her home has grown into a mobile library housed in a green-and-gold trolley that draws dozens of children and families each day.
The idea began in 2024 when she started reading to her nieces on her Baltimore stoop. Before long, neighborhood children soon gathered around to listen, turning an ordinary reading session into a growing community activity. When she encouraged the young readers to continue reading at home, they told her they did not have any books. That response made her realize how many young readers lacked access to books outside school or public libraries.
That experience inspired her to focus on so-called “book deserts,” communities where residents have limited access to books. She had also noticed that the children who visited the libraries where she worked were often different from those who gathered outside her home. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she left her full-time position and began working directly with children in their neighborhoods. At first, she carried books in her car and spent weekends reading aloud and sharing stories with local families.
As the project grew, she wanted to make reading more engaging and accessible, especially for children who might see it as a boring school activity. She came up with the idea of turning a trolley into a traveling library where young readers could explore books in a fun setting. After testing a holiday-themed version inspired by The Polar Express last year, she officially launched the mobile library this summer. The trolley now visits parks, football practices, festivals, back-to-school events, and neighborhood streets. On some days, it attracts between 50 and 130 readers, giving children a chance to hear stories and take home free books.
Although the collection focuses mainly on children, teenagers and adults have also shown interest. She is expanding the selection to include genres such as graphic novels and horror to reach readers with different tastes. She also raises money through a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the project’s needs when book supplies run low. It has so far raised over $200,000. Her future plans include adding another book vending machine, renovating the trolley and bringing more vehicles into the program to reach additional neighborhoods.
“Kids want to read so much, and you would think that they don’t, especially competing with screens and iPads,” she told TODAY. “But when we come through, and we present it in the way that we do on a trolley, I feel like it’s the hottest thing on the block.”