Free Little Library Honors Local Lifetime Educator, Author

In the heart of Ellwood City, a new little free library is quietly turning a small space into a big tribute.

This isn’t just a repository for books — it is a living memorial to LuAnn Santillo, beloved teacher, literacy advocate, and founder of Half-Pint Kids, Inc. The little library, built in her honor, marries her lifelong devotion to children and reading with the spirit of community that she nurtured for decades.

This free, take-a-book, leave-a-book library is located at Franklin Community Park on Walnut Street, Ellwood City and is open to everyone.

“Rico and Amie Lucy along with their children donated the little free library to create a beautiful memory of our mom,” said Megan Moore, LuAnn’s daughter. “They knew that she had a passion for teaching, and we couldn’t think of a better gift. Our mom was known for her kindness, patience, and the joy she found in sharing stories. She believed that books could open doors to imagination, friendship, and endless possibilities.”

LuAnn’s husband, Raymond Santillo said he feels the free library is the perfect way to honor LuAnn, a woman dedicated to literacy. “You can donate books and take books, and the door is always open during summer, winter, and all four seasons.”

A Life of Teaching and Inspiration

Born March 9, 1954, in New Brighton, LuAnn Seibel (later Santillo) displayed from early on a commitment to learning and children. After graduating from New Brighton High School in 1972, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education at Edinboro University, then advanced her studies with graduate work in Early Childhood Education at the University of Pittsburgh. She also received intensive training in the Orton-Gillingham multisensory approach—especially geared toward supporting struggling or dyslexic readers.

“She became an example of how to teach reading,” Raymond said.

LuAnn taught kindergarten and pre-K in the Riverside School District for 38 years, molding young minds, nurturing early readers, and leaving an impression on families across the region. In 1977, she took the bold step of founding her own early education enterprise by opening the Chippewa Early Learning Center, eventually launching the Riverside Early Learning Center in North Sewickley Township—among the region’s first preschools. Her dedication to excellence in teaching was recognized in 2006 when she was named a finalist for the Western Pennsylvania Teacher Excellence Award.

But LuAnn’s ambitions extended beyond the classroom. In 2001, she founded Half-Pint Kids, Inc., and developed a series of Half-Pint Readers—easy-to-decode phonics-based books and literacy resources tailored to beginning readers. Her work emphasized not just reading mechanics, but cultivating confidence, joy, and accessibility for children learning to read. Through Half-Pint Kids, she supplied hundreds of lesson plans, digital and print resources, and decodable texts designed to align with evidence-based literacy instruction.

“As a teacher and the author of Half Pint Kids reading series, LuAnn devoted her life to helping children discover the joy of reading,” Moore said. “LuAnn spent her career teaching Kindergarten and Pre K at Riverside Beaver County Area School District, and now her love of books will continue to inspire readers of all ages.”

LuAnn was also known for her warmth and care. She loved organizing, decorating, cooking (especially pepperoni bread and lasagna), and creating special family memories at the lakehouse on Lake Latonka. She and her husband Raymond (a retired elementary principal) made Ellwood City their home, raising four children—Megan, Jenna, Michael, and Katie—and delighting in time spent with grandchildren.

On May 30, 2025, after a brief but brave battle with cancer, LuAnn passed away, surrounded by her loving family. Her impact, however, continues—not just in the lives of students and educators who use her materials, but in the community that remembers her passion.

Following her death, a former colleague Jodi Boots Borroni, assistant superintendent at Blackhawk School District, nominated her to the Beaver County Educational Hall of Fame. LuAnn was a mentor of Borroni’s. In her nomination, Borroni praised LuAnn.

“LuAnn took her love of children and her gift of teaching and created a resource that educators will use for years to come,” Borroni said. “LuAnn Santillo taught hundreds of children to read during her 38-year-career at Riverside. Through Half-Pint Kids, she will continue to teach thousands more. That kind of impact deserves recognition-a Beaver County educator changing the world”

Borroni cited LuAnn as steering her career as an educator.

“I would have told her that she was one of the most important mentors in my life. Her generosity in sharing her classroom with me is something I will never forget. I only hope that I inspire young educators the say that she inspired me.”

Half-Pint Kids: A Legacy of Literacy

Half-Pint Kids was more than a publishing endeavor—it was LuAnn’s mission to make reading accessible, joyful, and confidence-building for early learners. The program includes more than 100 decodable readers (divided into levels A, B, C), along with teaching guides, printable worksheets, activity games, and digital resources.

“She started off with a few little books and ended up with 108 books all together,” Raymond said. “At first the PTO was making copies of the books. They got popular, so LuAnn ended up hiring an illustrator to assist in the work as she continued teaching and raising her four children. How many people can say their books are all over the world.”

The guiding educational philosophy is to follow the “Science of Reading”—explicit, systematic, cumulative instruction—rather than expecting children to infer phonics rules on their own. Many educators and parents have praised how the stories are real, meaningful, and engaging—so that children don’t feel they are merely working drills or contrived sentences. The site continues to host free resources and printables, ensuring that LuAnn’s dedication to access remains alive.

Even in retirement, she stayed active in writing blog lessons, developing materials, and mentoring teachers. Her presence was felt in classrooms far beyond Ellwood City: the Half-Pint Readers are used by educators across the country and beyond. In many ways, LuAnn’s work rewrote the narrative of what it means to support early readers: not just with rigor, but with compassion, clarity, and a belief that every child can succeed.

A Little Library with a Big Impact

The idea is elegant in its simplicity: a little library where local children, caregivers, and families can encounter books free of cost, celebrate the joy of reading, and connect with one another. In many ways, the little library carries forward what LuAnn built through Half-Pint Kids: a bridge between children and stories, grounded in communities, rooted in generosity. As young readers stop by to trade books, linger in front of colorful covers, or rediscover the delight of turning pages, they will be touched—whether knowingly or not—by the echo of her life’s work.

In a world of grand monuments, it’s fitting that her memorial is modest. For in that little free library, the next generation of readers may find not just stories, but a reminder of a teacher who believed in their potential, and a community that believed in her.

“This special library is dedicated to her legacy, offering children and families a place to discover new adventures, just as she inspired her students to do each day in her classroom. Through every book borrowed and every story shared, her spirit will continue to guide young readers. The love of reading will keep her memory alive.”