The Next Chapter
As the founder of Butterfly Books, Lucia Noto has donated thousands of books and built a youth-led nonprofit rooted in literacy, service and hope.
By Silvia Cernea Clark
Lucia Noto ’29 has always believed in the power of a good book — not just to teach, but to comfort, distract and open up new worlds for children, especially those facing difficult circumstances. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Noto, then 13, decided to sell part of her sizeable book collection. As her profits began to add up, she started looking for a way to use the money to help others.
The result was Butterfly Books, a youth-led nonprofit that has reached more than 30,000 children by bringing books, handmade bookmarks, and notes of encouragement to children in hospitals and underserved communities.
“Making a difference does not have to wait until you are older,” Noto, the organization’s founder and CEO, says. “Change can start right now, no matter how old you are.”
Though Butterfly Books started small, it now works with 25 partner organizations in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region. Supported by a board and a junior advisory committee made up of high school students, the organization operates through three main initiatives: read-aloud events, book-bundle donations and the installation of Little Free Libraries. The organization has been recognized by Points of Light, the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated to volunteer service, for its achievements.
Many Butterfly Books events — which can range from gatherings of about 10 children to programs reaching thousands — take place in medical facilities, requiring extensive coordination and adherence to strict safety protocols. At events, children receive book bundles that typically include a new book, a handmade bookmark and what the organization calls a “letter of love,” a short note of encouragement meant to “remind [children] they’re not alone,” Noto says.
That message of hope is central to Butterfly Books, whose name reflects the way Noto thinks about the role of reading in children’s lives.
“The butterfly, to me, symbolizes hope and transformation,” Noto says. “I want children to know that reading opens the door to many opportunities, and that regardless of present hardship, they should always have hope for the future.”
At Rice, Noto continues to oversee Butterfly Books’ operations, communicating with the D.C.-area team almost daily. She is also building out the organization’s next phase in Houston.
After receiving approval to launch a Rice chapter of Butterfly Books at the end of her first semester, Noto recruited a student leadership team and the organization hosted its first two on-campus events this past spring. One focused on creating Letters of Love, while the other invited students to decorate flower-pressed bookmarks and tote bags to be included in the organization’s signature book bundles.
In April, Rice’s Butterfly Books chapter held its first off-campus event at The Rise School of Houston, which serves children with developmental delays and other disabilities. More than 20 volunteers facilitated an interactive read-aloud session for 100 students featuring puppets, music and songs before gifting each child with a book and craft activity to take home. Over the summer, the group also collaborated with Camp Kesem, donating 120 book bundles to youth campers coping with a parent’s cancer diagnosis.
As Butterfly Books has taken root at Rice, Noto found that growth comes with its own set of practical challenges. “As book donations began arriving, my dorm room quickly transformed into a miniature warehouse, with boxes of books stacked under my lofted bed and throughout McMurtry,” says Noto. “Transportation presented another hurdle, particularly when coordinating groups of volunteers for off-campus events. Luckily, the Rice community stepped up, and these challenges ultimately became opportunities to witness the generosity, creativity and dedication of the people who have embraced Butterfly Books’ mission.”
Noto participated in the Napier Rice Launch Challenge in April, taking home the Social Impact Award and a $1,500 prize. In Houston, she’s been hard at work planning fundraisers and building partnerships with local organizations and hospitals. Her longer-term goal is ambitious — to expand Butterfly Books to all 50 states before she graduates.
For Noto, it’s all part of a campus life packed with science, service and music.
She is majoring in biosciences with a concentration in cell biology and genetics and is on the premed track. She serves on the boards of six student organizations, most of them focused on medicine or science. A violinist since the age of 2, she also performs with Rice’s chapter of MusicMDs, an outreach group that brings live music into hospitals.
Beyond Rice, Noto serves as vice president of events for the Do Re Mi Project, an international nonprofit that provides free online music tutoring to children with limited access or exposure to music lessons. She also hosts the “Talk2Lucia: Medical Careers Podcast,” a project she began in high school to explore career paths in medicine through interviews with physicians and other practitioners.
Managing such a busy schedule requires planning. “I’m very organized,” Noto says. “I have many, many spreadsheets and planners and color-coded calendars. My favorite color is pink, so absolutely everything is color-coded in different shades of pink to help me stay on track.”
Rice’s proximity to the Texas Medical Center helped draw her to Houston, but she says the campus community was just as important. At Rice, Noto has found a place where her academic goals, her commitment to community and her work outside the classroom can develop side by side.
“The thing that mattered the most to me was having a strong sense of community, and I think Rice really does achieve that very well,” Noto says. “It’s the perfect school for me, and I’m so glad that I’m here.”
From the Fall 2026 issue of Rice Magazine