Books on the Bus: Polk kids can now read while they ride

LAKELAND, Fla. - Kids can get pretty antsy on their school bus, just waiting to get off. Now, thousands of kids in Polk County have an alternative to being bored or chatting with their neighbors.

On Monday, a new program called Erma’s Books on the Bus kicked off, thanks to April Taylor and her lovable pooch pal, Erma.

“I love reading, and I want every kid to love reading as much as I do,” Taylor told FOX 13.

Taylor has put a crate of books on 400 Polk County school buses, so kids can read while they commute.

The buses serve Title One schools, which have a high percentage of kids on free and reduced lunch.

Taylor says many of the kids come from homes where reading is not a priority.

“They don’t get a newspaper. They don’t have magazines around them. Their parents might not read books. A lot of kids don’t even get a book read to them every night before bedtime,” she said.

Each bus has a designated “librarian” who checks out the books to their fellow students, gets them back and encourages other kids to read.

“I think anytime kids can practice reading, it’s a great thing,” said Ron Kaufmann Jr., the assistant principal at Scott Lake Elementary, one of the schools involved in the program.

Erma’s Books on the Bus is just the latest project of the dynamic doggie duo. They frequently go to schools and day care centers so that little ones can snuggle up with Erma and casually read to her without any pressure if they make a mistake.

Now that Polk County has been checked off her list, April hopes to expand the program across the state and eventually nationwide.

“You can’t be successful if you don’t read,” she added.