Busload of Books provides free books and creative programming for kids in underserved communities across the United States—direct from author / illustrator duo Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr.

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The Need

Beyond firing the imagination and sparking possibility, access to books has been shown to positively impact reading ability, academic performance, and language development.

Yet, books are often scarcest for the kids who need them most. The ratio of children-to-books in our nation’s low-income communities is 300-1.

The Beginning

Since 2018, children’s book creators Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr have been offering free author / illustrator visits and all-school book giveaways in Title I elementary schools—energizing kids and communities to read and create. The overwhelmingly positive impact of these visits demanded a wider effort.

Inside of bus showing bench seats and kitchenette

The Busload of Books Tour

Robbi and Matthew (and their four kids and two dogs) spent the 2022-2023 school year traveling the country in a tiny home school bus, logging 34,000 miles, visiting one underserved elementary school in each state, and providing free books and assemblies to 25,000 students and teachers.

What We Do

Now a 501c3, Busload of Books offers in-person and virtual programming that promotes literacy and creative expression in all underserved communities—across the country and in our own hometown.

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Our Bus

Equipped with a galley kitchen and a roof-top pop-up sleeping compartment, our 23-foot rolling literacy hub has traveled 40,000 miles and has been visited by more than 30,000 children. Its most notable feature is a hand-painted, book-themed, wrap-around mural.

Our Bus

Equipped with a galley kitchen and a roof-top pop-up sleeping compartment, our 23-foot rolling literacy hub has traveled 40,000 miles and has been visited by more than 30,000 children. Its most notable feature is a hand-painted, book-themed, wrap-around mural.

Our Crew

Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr (that’s us!) are the author and illustrator of celebrated and award-winning picture books and illustrated middle grade novels. When not advocating for educational equity, giving talks on creativity, or running a summer salmon fishing operation on the Alaskan tundra, we live with our four kids and two dogs in the hayloft of an old barn on the Eastern Shore of Maryland

But we can’t do this work alone. Learn about our incredible partners and meet our amazing board.

Our Partners

Our Board

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So far, the Busload of books has distributed more than 160,000 free books and inspired tens of thousands of kids to read, create, and imagine broader possibilities. (Our research team has the data to back it up!)

Our continued work depends on your support. We’re grateful for one-time or monthly donations. (This work is unending!) Thank you for helping us keep the bus rolling!

All contributions are tax-deductible.

Credit card, Google Pay, Paypal, Venmo, CashApp, DAF and ACH transfer accepted (with gratitude!).

Check with your employer to see if they offer matching funds. (Many do!)

Note that the processing fee and the tip are both ENTIRELY OPTIONAL—but can be adjusted or removed (really!) during checkout.

Note that the processing fee and the tip are both ENTIRELY OPTIONAL —but can be adjusted or removed (really!) during checkout. Sorry for the extra clicks!