![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8222-1024x768.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nThis month, Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County representatives have been stopping at \u201cSummer Book Bus\u201d locations across the community with one goal in mind: to provide children with two free books.<\/p>\n
A collaboration with Pinellas County Schools, over 10,000 books were purchased for this year\u2019s effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
JWB team members will visit 85 different locations, including summer camps, public libraries, early learning centers, apartment complexes and recreation centers. The tour includes stops in St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Pinellas Park and other areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The books are being distributed to all ages, from infants to teenagers. JWB acquired the assets through a variety of discount warehouses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSummer is a critical time because many kids lose important literacy and reading skills when they\u2019re out of school,\u201d said JWB community collaborations coordinator Brianna Ray. \u201cWith this project, what we\u2019re doing is bringing books to them, we\u2019re encouraging reading and we\u2019re helping to prevent that summer learning loss while making reading something that is fun and also attainable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The recipients get to keep the books and build their own personal libraries, she explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Children have been able to select from a wide range of genres. These include graphic novels and books about outer space, animals and princesses. \u201cOur goal is that kids are excited about the books they have,\u201d Ray added, \u201cand are excited to read.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said that \u201creading just 20 minutes a day every day makes a huge difference when kids go back to school in August.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A selection of the books on the bus. Photo by Michael Connor.<\/p>\n
Additionally, representatives from the MyON street team <\/a>have been participating in the initiative. Developed by Renaissance Learning, MyON is digital reading platform that offers more than 8,000 books. Through a partnership between JWB, Pinellas County Schools and United Way Suncoast, Pinellas County children from birth through 5th grade can access the platform free of charge.<\/p>\n Food has also been provided at some of the Summer Book Bus stops through the Pinellas Childhood Hunger Collaborative<\/a>. According to JWB\u2019s website, the initiative was designed to encourage collaboration among partners, increase access, align resources and fill gaps in food security.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2025, JWB introduced the Meal Mobile. A JWB-funded pop-up food pantry, the items are stocked by the St. Pete Free Clinic. During last year\u2019s Summer Book Bus program, approximately 4,000 boxes of shelf-stable food were distributed.\u00a0<\/p>\n This marks the ninth year of the Summer Book Bus Program. Ray said that the effort is part of the Early Readers, Future Leaders: Pinellas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading<\/a>, which was launched by JWB and a group of partners.<\/p>\n The initiative focuses on five key factors that impact proficiency: school readiness, school attendance, summer learning, parent and family engagement and healthy readers. Over 10,700 books were given to children during last year\u2019s Summer Book Bus program.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur vision is that all kids are reading on grade level by 3rd grade,\u201d she explained. \u201cWe\u2019re looking at that specific indicator because it\u2019s our earliest and best predictor of high school graduation and future success.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n