Big Red Reading Bus Launch Party

press release: Hundreds of children and their families throughout Dane County and beyond will experience a new level of literacy delight in the coming weeks as Madison Reading Project rolls out its exciting Big Red Reading Bus, beginning with a launch party on May 30.

A shiny red vehicle loaded with books will hit the road starting in June with scheduled stops at neighborhood centers, community gathering spots, hometown festivals, schools, libraries, and parks where children will be invited to browse hundreds of books and select a few to take home—at no charge.

Madison Reading Project staff and volunteers will also lead storytimes, book discussions, arts & crafts activities and more fun events at each site to stimulate a love for reading and building home libraries. 

“Last year, Madison Reading Project provided more than 100 multilingual literacy learning programs, with 30,000 companion free books, to underserved children throughout the area,” says Rowan Childs, executive director. “It’s our mission to reverse low literacy rates, build family libraries, and nurture literacy. Our new bus will greatly expand our reach.”

Entire households benefit. “We involve the whole family in literacy activities and offer coaching to parents and caregivers on sharing books and stories,” Childs adds. “And, with many of our bilingual books, parents can learn English along with their children and enabling the whole household to thrive.”

The Big Red Reading Bus takes its maiden voyage following a launch party on Thursday, May 30, 5 p.m. at the Madison Masonic Center, 301 Wisconsin Ave., downtown Madison. During the first hour guests can enjoy light refreshments and tour the bus. Speakers and a poetry jam will close out the celebration.

“We’re beyond delighted with the local support we’re getting for our bus and programming,” she adds. “Madison Community Foundation challenged us with a matching grant to purchase the vehicle and so many generous sponsors have come forward to help us retrofit the bus and buy new books.”

Says Tom Linfield of Madison Community Foundation: “This project is exactly what Madison Community Foundation looks for – a commitment to learning, innovative ideas for mobile service, and the vision to evolve a program that will serve thousands of young people and their families. We’re super excited to see the Big Red Reading Bus roll around Dane County, delighting kids as they select from a wide variety of free books, accessing them in their home community.”

Upcoming bus stops include public libraries in Cross Plains and Madison, Bayview Foundation community center, Boys and Girls Club, Lindbergh and Lapham elementary schools, plus several block parties and community celebrations.

Program: 

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Tour the bus/ light refreshments

6:00  pm - 6:15 pm: Speakers

6:15 pm - 7:00 pm: Poetry Jam

Madison Reading Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 and located at 8030 Excelsior Drive, Suite 306, Madison. Our mission is to deliver high quality literacy learning reinforcement programs to underserved children, engaging them in differentiated literacy activities designed to create not only a love of learning, but build and reinforce age-appropriate skills needed to develop the young reader. Key to mission success is involving the entire family in literacy activities.  We reinforce this learning by giving away free multilingual companion books, which encourages children, alongside their parents and siblings, to build family libraries, leading to literacy delight!