TIVERTON — Like many people who were stuck at home when the lockdown began in mid-March to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Barbara Pelletier started cleaning out closets and bookshelves to get rid of things she no longer needed or used.

A pile of children’s books, purged from her bookshelves, were boxed with plans to donate them to the annual book sales that take place every summer, but COVID-19 resulted in the cancellation of those events.

The town’s two libraries were closed at the time, as were the schools. A relative suggested to Pelletier that the books could be put in children’s versions of roadside book stands.

Pelletier contacted the School Department to see if she could have a book stand placed at each of the three neighborhood elementary schools in town. When she got the OK from two of the principals (Fort Barton does not yet have a new principal) she ordered the boxes from a local woodworker.

She expects the children’s book houses to be installed by the middle of the week in the vicinity of the playgrounds at the schools.

While she has plenty of books to fill the stands, a sign will be put on each of the boxes that those who borrow a book can donate one or more for the stands. If they take a book and love it, they can keep it.

“Keep it, return it, exchange it or leave books,” Pelletier said. Inside the houses with the books will be a can of Lysol so people can spray a book they take or leave.

“It’s a win-win,” Pelletier said. “You get rid of old books and there are kids that can benefit from it.”

She hopes the book houses help inspire children to read more.

“The love of reading, the love of books stay with you forever,” Pelletier said.

She plans to check the boxes weekly.