NJ Sixth Grader Opens Children’s Library At Newark Airport

People often buy a book at the airport to read on the plane. However, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has a new way for people to read and share books with each other for free during their travels.

On Friday, April 25, EWR unveiled its Children’s Lending Library: the brainchild of Sia Malhotra, a 12-year-old who lives in Livingston with her parents, Chetan and Nishu Malhotra. 

Sia was inspired to create the Children’s Lending Library during her summer vacation to Alaska in 2021. While she and her parents navigated the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Sia spotted a free library and thought her airport in New Jersey should have one, too. 

“I just wanted every child to have the chance to read,” said Sia. 

With her idea still swirling in her head, Sia and her family soon contacted the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. They fell in love with her proposal for a free airport library; the rest was history.

“Once we heard from Sia… right away our team that is focused on this said, ‘Yes, we want to do it, and we want to make it happen.’ And… her vision came to life in the most beautiful way,” said Jonathan Gooda, Vice President of United Airlines Newark Hub.

Sia and her family also founded the nonprofit organization Let’s Read Today, which keeps the bookshelves stocked in the Children’s Lending Libraries. The selection of books at these libraries is limited to pre-teen stories, ensuring a family-friendly environment that Sia hopes will encourage more kids and adults to read.

“Every child needs a book to read because it’s much better than just being on a screen,” Sia stated.

Located at Gate C104 of Terminal C, Sia’s new lending library is a small, scenic area with a shelf featuring donated books that people can take and read free of charge. This beautifully designed space even has her name painted on its wall.

“It’s such a small and simple idea. Leave a book, take a book, read a book, and it comes from such a brilliant young mind…” said Cyrus Sarkari, the United Airlines Customer Service Manager who selected the library’s location in Terminal C.

Terminal C’s lending library is one of two locations created by Sia and her team at EWR. The first one was opened in Terminal A in February 2024, following a three-year development process that began in 2021. While the first library took some time to open, the momentum for Sia’s cause quickly grew, with United fast-tracking the development of the second library soon afterwards.

Let’s Read Today has also crossed international borders, as Sia has established a library in India and has been discussing setting up another in Australia.

Sia appeared in person at Gate C104 with her parents to cut the ribbon for her new library. At the ceremony, United Airlines employees who were also published authors came to show their support for Sia and their love for reading. 

These New Jersey writers include Djenane Sauls, author of Beaten: The Monster Who Loved Me?, and Charles Lehman, author of Dancing with the Divine and the Darkness. Since April is National Poetry Month, Sauls even wrote a poem honoring Sia and her inspiring achievements, which she recited to everyone at the ceremony.

“Reading is such a very fundamental and important thing,” said Sauls, “and the fact that [Sia’s] bringing it to the airport, where you have hours to wait, and you can actually pick a book and read it.”

Following the opening of Terminal C’s library, Sia intends to open more Children’s Lending Libraries at other United Airlines hubs, and hopefully in Terminal B. Since United hubs are located in major cities like Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Houston, Sia may soon have many more libraries with her name on them in airports across the country.

“I hope that children who don’t have a chance to read at home, or if they’re stuck with homework, school, extracurriculars, that stuff, they will get to grab a book and just take a break,” said Sia.