MAPLETON, Maine — Bess the Book Bus visited the Mapleton Elementary School on Wednesday, September 5, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Bess is a book mobile that travels the many corners of the United States making numerous stops at schools, community centers, shelters, Head Start facilities and CITGO fueling locations to donate books, read aloud to children and help spread a love for reading. Founder Jennifer Francis owns the bus. Thanks to a network of volunteers and support from CITGO and other corporate sponsors, Bess the Book Bus has visited 48 states and donated thousands and thousands of books to children.
Jennifer began the outing by reading age appropriate books to students before escorting the eager readers by class to the bus. The whimsical inside is filled with shelves of hard and soft cover books for all ages. Each child is allowed to pick one book and receives a backpack to keep, all of which is free. There is no cost to the school or to the students for Bess’ visit.
Daigle Oil Company is a CITGO marketer and has been involved with Bess the Book Bus for the past eight years. According to DOC’s Brand Manager, Sonya Dechene LeBoeuf, “Jennifer visits many of our DOC’s Place CITGO locations donating books to children in the community.”
Bess has visited locations throughout Aroostook County. DOC staff have delivered donated books to the Madawaska Elementary School and the Hilltop Elementary School in Caribou. In Houlton, Bess has also been a regular attraction at the Aid for Kids Educational Fair.
People can find information about Bess the Book Bus on Facebook and at bessthebookbus.org.
