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In Which We Acquire Corn Socks, Meet the Mayor, and Make Five Hundred New Friends
On Monday, we visited L.B. Williams Elementary School in Mitchell, South Dakota.
Among all the schools in South Dakota, we chose L.B. Williams, in no small part because of the graciousness of our host, Deb Bartscher. At the end of a compelling essay about what our visit would mean to her community, she ended with this, “Thanks for providing this opportunity to whatever school is chosen in South Dakota.
”That generosity of spirit was clear throughout our visit. Deb was waiting with a group of kids and a huge banner to welcome us when we arrived.
Also there to greet us was Principal Becky Roth, who ushered us inside for a special treat: local mural artist (and L.B. Williams parent) Stan Sherwood had painted cafeteria columns to look like the spines of our books.
These are just small examples of how prepared they were. The students had read another book before we came—“The Energy Bus,” a bus-themed book about positivity. The community has been tracking our progress on a map. Bus-themed art lined the hallways.
Deb and Becky made the most of our visit, inviting education professors and education students from local Dakota Wesleyan University. A reporter from the local paper came to talk with us. And the district superintendent. And even…the mayor!
We could not have felt more welcome. The two students in charge of student government presented us with a basket of treasures: corn socks, corn balls, corn magnets, and personalized bookmarks made by Deb.
Upon learning Jasper would be joining her class for the day, his teacher made a desk for him—with his own name plate.
After our second assembly, one young man asked me for a hug, which I happily gave. Afterward, he gave me a smile and the best compliment I’ve ever received. “Somehow you inspired me.” I gave him another hug for good measure.
Eventually, we had to leave. It’s the worst part of these visits. But we’re glad to know part of us will remain. Not just on the cafeteria walls—but in the hearts and minds of the students and teachers.
A mom wrote us that night saying her reading-averse first grader had eagerly read to her from his copy of Everywhere, Wonder on the way home from school that day.
That’s why we’re doing this, friends. That, and the corn socks, of course.
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The Busload of Books Tour is a yearlong 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 are spending 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.
Along the way, we’ll be conducting a major research project, making a picture book about America, and inviting our followers to join us on a yearlong exploration of our country’s unsung wonders and off-the-beaten-path communities.
As we travel, we will be blogging, vlogging, and posting daily to social media. All content will be appropriate for elementary-aged students who want to join us for the ultimate road trip.
The latest on Instagram:
Here’s what’s next. A mere 2,134 miles remain between Squamish and Anchorage. In any other year, this would be the adventure and not an addendum.
We have pasta and firewood, a pound of salami and two cases of Coke. Our water and gas tanks are full.
Robbi did this drive as a kid, crammed in the back of a pickup with her sister and brother. Back then the roads weren’t paved and she spent the whole trip eating dust. Our drive will be luxurious in comparison.
So long for now—or not, depending on the whims of the rural Canadian Internet.
Anchorage or bust.
#busloadofbooks
Goodnight from Klahanie Campsite in Squamish, British Columbia. Today, we toured a copper mine and ate poutine (fries with cheese curds and gravy). We went shopping for the next stretch of travel, during which there won’t be many grocery stores and the campgrounds won’t have hookups.
We took a nap and handed wrenches to Daryl as he made a few improvements to the bus. It’s lucky to have relatives who understand how to fix things. We said goodbye to Daryl and Maiko then made popcorn and watched a few episodes of Friday Night Lights. Just now, we went outside to take one last look at Howe Sound before.
In the morning, we’ll fill up the water tank and roll out. Tomorrow’s drive is long—six hours at least. We have nine days to cover 2,134 miles across BC and the Yukon en route to Anchorage.
I’d remain camped by these waters forever, but it time to roll on.
#busloadofbooks
The Daily Minute: 6.4.23
In which Robbi’s back-up Coca Cola has a rather nice view.
#busloadofbooks
Last week’s visit to Columbia Elementary school in Wenatchee, Washington brought a swirl of emotions. It was our next-to-last school of the tour—and the only one where we had the fun of handing out the Build-A-Bear reading buddies in person.
We visited on a state testing day. Our host Roxana Vanatta and the admin team worked hard to fit everything in. We ended up having a free hour to eat potluck while chatting with teachers—each one a dedicated, hard-working hero.
The art teacher was fabulous. His students had done our drawing tutorials, and the walls were lined with wonderful bears and dogs, each bearing the unique personality of its creator.
We schemed with Roxana about how to stage the bear reveal for maximum excitement. We hid the boxes in the gym. At the end of our presentation, we thanked First Book and Build-A-Bear and announced every kid would be getting a reading buddy as the teachers handed them out. I wish you could have heard the gleeful shrieking.
As has been the case in every school we’ve visited, it was the first new stuffed animal some of the kids had ever owned. They immediately named and dressed and hugged their bears with no plans of ever letting go.
At the end of the day, we were out by the bus, not wanting the moment to end. It has been a privilege to stand in the middle of such joy—sharing our story and causing a purposeful stir.
A little girl came up to us and asked us to sign her bear’s shirt. We did, and it caused an avalanche. Parents arrived to pick up their kids and got swept up in the excitement, taking photos and requesting autographs. The dogs absorbed hundreds of delirious hugs.
It was hard to drive away, but every day must end. We prolonged the joy a bit by going out for ice cream with Roxana and her sons. We thanked her for her hard work and patience (19 months (!!) had passed since she’d learned Columbia was chosen for the tour).
Then we got back in the bus and kept driving, wondering what we’d left behind. Can a single day of books, bears, laughter, and love create a lasting difference? Will our bus keep on rolling in their memories? We saw the sparks. Where will they land?
#busloadofbooks