KENMORE, NY- This week's "Great Kid" is a kindergartner from Kenmore who's bringing her love of books and her own little library to her neighborhood.
5-year-old Berlyn Rodenhaus is starting kindergarten this week at Hoover Elementary School in the Ken-Ton district. She's going in not yet knowing how to read, but she does have a pretty good idea of how to be a librarian.
With the help of her parents, Tabitha and Mark Rodenhaus, they debuted Berlyn's Little Free Library at the Shepard Avenue block party a few weeks ago. They made it out of an old fire extinguisher locker.
"My father is a welder so he cut out the window and put the plexiglass inside. I painted it. We bought the half a barrel from Home Depot and filled it with concrete and flowers. My husband installed the posts and the roof," said Tabitha.
And Berlyn added her own special touch for her 4-legged friends.
"When dogs are thirsty we have a bowl out there to keep them hydrated," Berlyn said. "And we have treats out there too to take them home to their doggies."
As for the books, folks can take a book or leave a book or do both. And Berlyn puts a special stamp with the name of the library and address on each and every one.
"So if it goes anywhere else they know where it came from and they can share and spread it around," said Tabitha.
What gets Berlyn most excited though is sharing the books with her little sister, Kaia. She's differently-abled and was born with congenital CMV which affects her eyes, her ears and her brain. It's difficult for her family to bring Kaia to the library, so Berlyn hopes to bring the library to Kaya.
"It warms my heart. It gives me hope for the future that Kaia and Berlyn will have a special bond," said Tabitha.
Find out more about Berlyn's Little Free Library by checking out the Facebook Page.
To nominate a Great Kid to be featured on Channel 2, email Melissa.Holmes@wgrz.com or call 716-849-2216.