We will be spending this coming Friday at Robbi’s alma mater, HH Garnet Elementary School We'll be giving two assemblies and doing an all-school book giveaway (made possible by a generous donation from the Friends of the Kent County Public Library). We’ll be hosted by...
Meet Lauren Castaldo of Cape View Elementary in Cape Canaveral, Florida
In early December of 2022, we’ll be visiting the Rockets of Cape View Elementary in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Our host is the wonderful Lauren Castaldo, a media specialist of 16 years, and a dedicated champion of literacy. She took a few minutes to tell us about her...
Meet K.D. Jones of Radley Elementary in East Helena, Montana.
K.D. Jones has been a school library media specialist for 17 years now, and will host our visit to Radley Elementary in May of 2023! She kindly took a few minutes to answer a few questions about her work, her colleagues, and the students of Radley Elementary. WHAT DO...
Meet Jessica O’Donel of McKinley Elementary in Beaverton, Oregon
We’re pleased to introduce you to Jessica O’Donel. Jessica is an ESL teacher of 14 years at McKinley Elementary in Beaverton, OR. She’ll be our host when the bus rolls through Beaverton in May of 2023. We asked her to tell us a bit about herself, her school, and her...
Meet Melinda Harris and Emily Prater
Meet dyslexia therapist Melinda Harris and media specialist Emily Prater. They will be our hosts at Maynard Elementary School when the bus rolls through Maynard, Arkansas, in January 2023. Melinda and Emily took a few minutes to tell us about themselves, their school,...
Meet Lisa Marks of Ludlow Elementary in Ludlow, Vermont
Meet Lisa Marks. She's a fourth grade teacher of 22 years and our host at Ludlow Elementary School in Ludlow, Vermont—one of the first stops on the Busload of Books Tour. Lisa was kind enough to tell us a bit more about herself and the Ludlow community. WHAT GETS YOU...
Meet Rene Bridgewater from Maysville Elementary in Maysville, Georgia
Meet Rene Bridgewater, an 18-year veteran Media Specialist at Maysville Elementary. She’ll be our host when we swing through Georgia in late February 2023. Rene kindly told us a bit about herself and Eagles of Maysville. WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING? My...
Meet Carly Imhoff from the Ashford School in Ashford, Connecticut
Meet Dr. Carly Imhoff, a science teacher of 11 years and devoted lover of books. She’ll be our host this September at Ashford School of Ashford, CT—one of the first schools we’ll be visiting on the Busload of Books Tour. Carly took a few minutes to tell us a bit about...
Meet Tracey King of Milan Village School in Milan, New Hampshire
Meet Tracey King Title I Reading Coordinator and Librarian for grades K-6 at Milan Village School. Tracey will be our host as the Busload of Books Tour loops through Milan, New Hampshire next September. Shewas kind enough to take a few minutes to tell us about...
Meet Beckie Nieman of North Pike Elementary in Summit, Mississippi
We’d like to introduce you to Beckie Nieman, a teacher and librarian of more than 25 years. She’ll be hosting us this coming December when the Busload of Books Tour makes a stop at North Pike Elementary in Summit, Mississippi. Beckie was kind enough to share a bit...
Meet Megan Mann of Jefferson Elementary in Hammond, Indiana
We're delighted to introduce you to Megan Mann. Megan is a media tech specialist who has spent the past five years connecting kids with books at Jefferson Elementary in Hammond, Indiana. She’ll be our host when the bus stops by Jefferson next October. Megan was kind...
The Busload of Books Tour is a year-long project to promote literacy and raise awareness of the challenges facing our nation’s public schools.

Author/illustrator duo Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr (that’s us) and our four kids will spend the 2022-2023 school year traveling the country in a school bus/tiny home, visiting Title I schools in all 50 states (plus DC), and giving away 25,000 hardcover books to students and teachers from underserved communities.
