
Readers can pinpoint those few people who instilled and fostered their love of reading from an early age. I was fortunate to have that person from birth. My mawmaw (aka grandmother) was Miss Mattie Rials, a local legendary librarian in Southwest Mississippi, whose influence and kindness has reached well beyond state lines in the 70 years that she worked.
My mawmaw passed away last week at the incredible age of 91. The week before, she was still living in the home she’d lived in since the 1950s, living on her own, driving around town, and delivering story hours to the children in her area.

I could use this space to tell you her incredible life story, to try to explain how many young lives she impacted other than my own. But really, I’d need a whole book for that. Miss Mattie was a kindergarten teacher first, the creator of Scooter Mouse (who ran a newspaper and radio show for kids) second, and a legendary Children’s librarian and story-teller third. She ran a group called The Wednesday Friends, for adults with down syndrome and neurodivergent adults – the longest running group of its kind that brought so much joy and friendship. She impacted her community in the most positive way since the 1950s.

My mawmaw loved dogs and sweet tea and visiting with her friends. She loved making ‘little happies’ for people with her old pal Scooter Mouse’s help – little happies like dried beans with a face drawn on it for being a ‘good human bean’ or special painted rocks with her signature sunflower, or in my husband’s case – a tiny lightbulb with a face drawn on him because my husband is tall enough to be excellent at changing the lightbulbs in her house.
Mawmaw had so much love and joy in her heart, and she couldn’t help herself but to share that love and joy with anyone she came across. I am incredibly honored, blessed, grateful that I was her granddaughter. I grew up experiencing her story hours, spent my teenage summers assisting her story hours, and my adult years trying to emulate her in every way that I can. She surrounded me with story, with jokes, and of course – a library full of books.

In case you hadn’t noticed, Mawmaw also loved mice. So much that people often gifted her mice figurines until she had a whole glass cabinet full of them. One of her favourite children’s books was The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo. We read it together one summer, and both of us just absolutely fell in love. DiCamillo has remained one of our favourite children’s authors, and in her honor, I have made up a list of recommended Mouse Reading (recommended by Miss Mattie and Scooter Mouse).
I have lots more that I could say. She inspired me to share joy in any way I can, and the best way I know is continuing to share her love of reading. She never got to visit me in England, but she loved receiving news of Mr B’s Emporium. Since she never had the chance to directly impact any lives in the UK, I wanted to make her part of the news of Mr B’s – to honor her in any way I can.

As an afternote, the town she lived in her entire life has shown an astonishing show of love and honor to the legendary figure Miss Mattie. From beautiful tributes on social media, to heartfelt newspaper articles, the town is mourning almost as much as our family is. But the greatest tribute the town has made: the Pike-Amite-Walthall County Public Library has now officially been renamed the Miss Mattie Rials Public Library. She would never allow them to do this when she was alive, but the vote was unanimous.
If you want to learn any more about Miss Mattie Rials, here are a few articles:
https://www.enterprise-journal.com/friend-all-miss-mattie-dies-91