Our Story
Books are beneficial in many ways. They promote brain development, improve language and listening skills, and help children develop empathy and patience. Stories transport children to places that they have never experienced, enhancing their understanding of the world. Reading empowers children to dream bigger.
I have worked for 21 years to help kids develop the critical literacy skills they need to be successful in school, both as an academic coach and a teacher in private and public schools. At every level – elementary, middle, and high school – I have seen how a love of reading lays the foundation to support lifelong learning.
It is especially important that children read during the summer. Research shows that students who do not read over the summer lose academic skills. In fact, one study published in the American Educational Research Journal showed a 39 percent loss in academic skills amongst students who did not read during their summer break.
However, in some homes, books are scarce. While the average U.S. family owns 13 books for each child, there are neighborhoods where there is only one book per 300 children. The schools in those neighborhoods lack funding and space for their own libraries. Public libraries face funding cuts, and the families who live nearby may not have reliable transportation.
I decided to try to tackle this problem and decided that if the kids can’t get to the books, then I will bring the books to the kids.
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In 2020, I got a trailer and transformed it into the Beloved Books Bookmobile. I filled the shelves with a carefully curated selection of books. In the summer of 2020, I began driving to Dunaire Elementary School and, with the permission of the school’s leadership, welcomed aboard their students. Since then, more than 2,000 books have been checked out.