Bess the Book Bus

06/18/2026

Week 6 of the Summer Book Party Road Trip brought something extra special and we're still smiling about it.

We teamed up with our incredible friends at VSP Vision Care for a 2-day book party like no other at Harms Elementary in Detroit, Michigan. We hosted 452 book party visits AND VSP provided 167 FREE eye exams with free glasses for every child who needed them.

Here's the thing: we can put the most magical book in a child's hands, but if they can't see the page clearly, the story stays out of reach. A child cannot fall in love with reading if they cannot read the words in front of them. That's why moments like this matter so much and why who we show up WITH matters just as much as showing up at all.

This is what happens when communities come together. This is what possible looks like.

06/16/2026

Thank you for being our partners in making Book Joy accessible to Tampa Bay’s youngest readers and learners, United Way Suncoast

06/12/2026

We are deeply grateful to Rotary Club of New Tampa for their generous support of Bess the Book Bus at this morning’s Annual Rotary Gives Back breakfast at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club.

Surrounded by passionate nonprofit leaders, we were reminded of the incredible impact that a community committed to philanthropy and volunteerism can make. Thank you for including us in such a meaningful celebration.

We look forward to what we hope will be a long, impactful partnership — one that puts more books in the hands of children across our community.

06/11/2026

Joy of Reading Summer Book Party with our friends at United Way Suncoast !

06/04/2026

We are so proud and honored to work with Community Foundation Tampa Bay to help address the needs in our community.

Community Foundation Tampa Bay announced it has awarded a record-breaking $2,520,473 through its 2026 Annual Competitive Grants cycle, which also saw a record number of nonprofit applications across Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties.

📖 Read more at 🔗https://loom.ly/NkFBfO4

05/31/2026

Thank you for bringing the gift of healthy sight and book joy to Harms Elementary School Detroit, Michigan, VSP Vision Care! We are so grateful for your support and for your commitment to making sure students, educators and families have access to healthy sight!
And thank you for inviting us back, Harms Elem! We love visiting you all!

05/31/2026

When this young lady found the book by Sharon Creech she has in her hands, she gasped and yelled. “It’s perfect”. This is the book they have been reading in class. It is moments like these that make the countless hours of hard work behind the scenes worthwhile. Our team will continue to do everything in our power to bring Book Joy to students and teachers across the USA! Thank you to all of you who volunteer, donate, and offer support to make these moments possible.
We could not do this without you. 

05/30/2026

This young lady was so excited to find the book Love That Dog. They are reading it in class. She picked it up, gasped and yelled “It’s PERFECT!”