11-year-old donates 2,600 books to Maui libraries after wildfires

News admin August 26, 2026 0 Comments

11-year-old donates 2,600 books to Maui libraries after wildfires

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – An 11-year-old California girl has donated 2,600 books over the last three years to support Maui libraries following the devastating wildfires that destroyed Lahaina’s public library.

Maddie Ellner, a self-proclaimed bookworm entering the sixth grade, collects the books in her hometown and delivers them to the Maui Friends of the Library during her family’s annual vacation to the Valley Isle.

During her most recent trip, Ellner delivered 500 books, matching her donation from last year. Her largest shipment came during her first year, when she brought 1,600 books.

Supporting Lahaina’s temporary library efforts

Ellner’s book-donation mission began one year after the Maui wildfires destroyed Lahaina’s public library. Her goal was to ensure both children and adults maintained access to reading materials, and to provide inventory for Maui Friends of the Library to sell to support local libraries.

“I love seeing people happy,” Ellner said. “That is amazing to me, how one change that I make can make someone’s entire day, heck, someone’s entire week.”

While the state works to rebuild the permanent public library, Maui Friends of the Library is preparing to use a shipping container as a temporary book distribution site in Lahaina.

Free books for local teachers

Annie Wilson of Maui Friends of the Library said that many of Ellner’s donated children’s books will be housed in the temporary container.

“The keiki books will definitely be in that container,” Wilson said. “Any teacher that wants books can give us a call and they can get a box full of books for free.”

Ellner said she plans to continue collecting books from her home community for future trips to Maui to help rebuild the island’s literary resources.