In my last post, I mentioned that I spent much of my summer pedaling around Cville with an awesome organization called Books on Bikes. Have you heard of it? If not, grab your helmets and get ready to be inspired, because I’m taking you on a spin – BoB style!

You might be wondering… who is Books on Bikes, anyway? Books on Bikes is an organization run by teachers and librarians from across the Charlottesville City Schools distric. You might recognize these faces from around town (especially the one on the far right – hi guys!) – we are the core Books on Bikes team, and the people that you’ll see at most Books on Bikes rides and events.

So what does Books on Bikes do? Books on Bikes works to provide literature to students while their school libraries are closed over extended periods of time, like holidays or summer break. There are many reasons to make sure that students have high quality and exciting reading materials to share – battling the “summer slide”, keeping students passionate about reading, helping them to practice to keep their stamina and skill growing – and we’re working towards all of them.

Over the summer, we get together two evenings a week to ride our bikes into different Charlottesville neighborhoods. Honking our horns and ringing our bells, we meet in neighborhood common areas and wait for the kids to arrive! We spend the evening in the neighborhoods handing out free books and popsicles, and sharing stories. Children are thrilled to learn that unlike the books that they get from their school libraries, the stories they choose from Books on Bikes are theirs to keep, to share, or to pass on to a friend when they are finished. With each visit, we get more books into students’ homes for them to read again and again.

Books on Bikes isn’t just about handing out books – it’s about making connections. It means the world to students to see their teachers rolling into their neighborhoods, taking time out of their summers to visit on students’ home turf. Students enter the school year already feeling loved, cared for, and noticed.

Every visit means more connections developed and nurtured with Charlottesville City Schools students. New celebrity riders join us every week, which makes each trip even more exciting!

We even get some four-legged guest riders!

This summer, Books on Bikes gave away thousands of books to hundreds of Charlottesville children. We also gave away a ton of popsicles – I have the sticky hands to prove it! From our kickoff at the Books on Bikes Bike Parade to our finale with Books on a Bus, it was a fantastic summer of making lasting, meaningful connections with students and their families.

Books on Bikes doesn’t ride during the school year, but that doesn’t mean we don’t stay busy! Stay up to date with all of the Books on Bikes action by following us on Facebook here, or check out the official website for even more info.

See you next summer!