Literacy Champion Spotlight: Adalee’s Library

Last year, KDL asked patrons to nominate individuals and organizations for KDL's Literacy Champion Award. The submissions were so inspiring! Let's learn more about one nominee.

Sometimes, the simplest gifts make the biggest difference.

For children receiving treatment at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, a new book can provide a welcome escape from doctor's appointments, treatments and long days away from home. Through Adalee's Library, one West Michigan family is helping bring comfort, imagination and joy to young patients — one book at a time.

Adalee's Library was founded by Ashley and her family in honor of their daughter, Adalee, who was born with a neuroblastoma tumor on her right adrenal gland. Their experience navigating childhood cancer inspired them to create something that would brighten the lives of other children facing similar challenges.

Since launching in 2023, Adalee's Library has donated more than 3,500 brand-new books to patients at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Children receiving care on the hospital's ninth floor and in the hematology-oncology clinic are invited to choose a book from the library carts to keep, giving them something comforting to enjoy during their stay and long after they return home.

The response has been overwhelming. The library shelves are incredibly popular, offering children and families a moment of normalcy, adventure and hope during an extraordinarily difficult time.

Thanks to generous community support, Adalee's Library recently expanded by adding a second fully stocked library cart, allowing even more young readers to discover the healing power of stories. Every donated book represents more than just pages and pictures — it offers distraction during treatment, encouragement during recovery and a reminder that someone is thinking of them.

Literacy comes in many forms, and Adalee's Library demonstrates that reading can be both educational and deeply therapeutic. By placing books directly into the hands of children who need comfort most, the organization is fostering a lifelong love of reading while creating moments of joy in one of life's hardest circumstances.