The New York Public Library is granting amnesty to thousands of young readers who have overdue books and have been barred from checking out any more material.
The Daily News reports that 143,000 kids owe $15 or more in fines.
"Kids might be afraid or ashamed because they are delinquent with the library," NYPL official Jack Martin told the News. "The idea of this program is to bring them back in."
Ten-year-old Rafiyu Afnan Mahmood is among those who has accumulated some fines. He read 250 books last summer, but owes $18 in late fees.
He lives with his mother in a nearby shelter. Her hours working at a drugstore have made it difficult to get books in on time, they told the paper.
Mahmood said he loves reading.
"In my mind, it's like a movie, it's fun," the boy said.
