The Highlander Reading Express is rolling down the street

HOWELL — The Highlander Reading Express will chug along the streets of Howell once again this summer.

The summer reading program is designed to boost excitement among young students for reading while maintaining achievement levels and reducing the instances of summer reading loss.

The bus will “run” for eight weeks this summer, starting on its initial route Tuesday, June 11, and ending Thursday, Aug. 8. It will not run the week of July 1.

The Reading Express is a retired school bus transformed into a mobile library in 2018 by students at Howell High School. It was designed with a comic book theme.

The route it takes varies each week, but includes events, libraries and parks. An average of 10-30 residents, usually parents and students, attend each stop, according to Howell Schools Director of Communications Tom Gould.

The Reading Express is staffed by teachers, support staff and administrators who volunteer their time over the summer to drive and help students select books.

“At this point, I've lost track of how many books are on the Highlander Reading Express, as we are always adding more,” Gould said. “Last summer, we checked out just over 1,000 books.”

At each stop, children are invited to browse and check out books. There's also an awning on the bus and chairs to relax and read in. Any child can participate, even those outside the Howell School District. There are no due dates or late fees, and many families return books at the end of the summer.

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“We understand that families may be taking vacations, which can make it hard to return a book on time,” Gould said.

Learn more at howellschools.com/readingexpress.

— M. Alan Scott is a freelance writer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: The Highlander Reading Express is rolling down the street