A Howell Public Schools initiative that promotes literacy in the form of a traveling library will soon kick off its route through the district and local events.

The Howell Public Schools Highlander Reading Express, a custom mobile library, will is prepared to begin its efforts to encourage reading for the second consecutive summer. Starting on Tuesday, June 11th and running through Thursday, August 15th, the Highlander Reading Express will travel weekly route to various locations around the district. In addition to its weekly route, the bus will also be at special events like the Michigan Challenge Balloon Festival and the Howell Melon Festival.

Each week, different principals, teachers, and staff members will be on the Highlander Reading Express to help students check out books, and to read with students. Superintendent Erin MacGregor says they hope to combat the “summer slide”, which is the loss of academic skills over the summer months. He adds that more than 1,000 books were checked out from the Highlander Reading Express last summer and that the district saw an increase in the average reading level of the students who visited the bus on a consistent basis.

The Highlander Reading Express is funded entirely through grants and donations from community partners. The Howell Carnegie District Library has been a strong supporter of the initiative and for the second year in a row received a grant to purchase materials for the Highlander Reading Express.

More information about the Highlander Reading Express and its weekly routes can be found at the link below.