“Books are food for the mind”
Reading stories to young children from an early age is healthy, genuine nourishment. The stories we tell create a sense of enchantment that bonds reader and listener together. Reading aloud reassures children of an adult’s affection—an essential foundation for strengthening the adults of tomorrow.
It is important to create a welcoming environment around the child where reading and the presence of books become a habit. At school, the library can serve as a place for teachers to reflect on the child’s communicative and linguistic universe, while concurrently becoming a space where children can experiment, expand their vocabulary and conversations with peers and adults, and where teachers and children experience a different way of relating to one another. At home, the playful, enjoyable effect of reading can be discovered and stimulated, encouraging parents to carve out dedicated time for their children. This fosters educational continuity and communication between the school and the family.
The Library/Playroom project for the Lazzarino Kindergarten in Novara was born to meet the need for a well-equipped space where children can experience all of these things. The Lucrezia Tangorra Onlus Foundation is working to bring this project to life, starting with furniture and accessories and building up to the most important element: the books.
In the coming weeks, we hope to inaugurate the space; in the meantime, you can take a look at what we have accomplished so far.
The following people contributed to the realization of this project: Lorenzo Mauri, without whom everything would have been much more complicated; Francesco Canetta, for his help and tremendous availability; Carlo Bergamaschi, for believing in this idea and making it possible; Claudia Lorena, for putting up with our President’s fiery character; Roberto Giordano, for the wonderful graphic concept; Lucia Zanolli, for the beautiful murals; Antonella Susca, for her perseverance in cataloging the books; Vittorio Zerlia from Tobograf, for the corner cabinet stickers; Fulvio Alberganti and Massimo De Paoli from Press Grafica, for the book labels; and Stefano Salmini from Omni Consumer Products, for the shopping bags.
Additionally, we would like to thank Cristina Foschini from Gruppo Editoriale Mauri Spagnol, Alessia Gillardi from De Agostini Editore, Carlo Robiglio from Interlinea Edizioni, Lucia Piani from Edizioni Piemme, and Alessandra Perotti from Edizioni Astragalo for the fantastic books they donated to us, and finally Marco Mattioli and Nicola Tosato for their great support.
Thank you to everyone — without your help, we would not have been able to achieve what we did.
On Wednesday, April 9, 2013, we officially inaugurated the first Lucrezia Tangorra Library. The structure is very simple and designed specifically for the children who will use it: it is white with colorful accents and filled with children’s books (over 700), while also offering spaces to store toys. The shelves and bookcases are supported by colorful balloons painted on the wall, inviting imagination even before picking up, opening, and leafing through a book. In attendance were Andrea Ballarè, Mayor of Novara; Margherita Patti, City Councilor for Education and Vocational Training; Carlo Bergamaschi, Principal of the Duca D’Aosta Comprehensive School; the teaching staff; parent representatives; and many friends of the Lucrezia Tangorra Foundation.
It was a wonderful afternoon that brought together around a hundred people united by a single common denominator: a commitment to others.
In September 2025, we enriched the library with 500 new books, replacing those that had been lost or damaged.
