Bookmobile helps C-Falls kids keep reading all summer long

Summer is the time to sit back, relax, and if you’re a Columbia Falls youngster, perhaps read a book from the bookmobile.

As their fifth season comes to a close, Betsy Kohnstamm, a retired reading specialist, and Amy Hanson, a fifth-grade teacher at Ruder Elementary School, are celebrating another successful summer of bringing literature to the streets of Columbia Falls. The bookmobile, made possible by the generous vehicle donation of Joe’s Auto Sales’ owner Brad Peters, is piled high with brand-new books awaiting worthy owners. The books find themselves in the hands of children and adults alike throughout Columbia Falls and surrounding Canyon communities. The vehicle, equipped with music, snacks and smiles, mirrors the style of an ice cream truck, yet the gifts the bookmobile delivers are much longer lasting than an ice cream cone and they’re free of cost.

Hanson and Kohnstamm saw firsthand the damage such lengthy breaks from reading could inflict on students’ learning progress. They were determined to fill the gap between school years with fun and light-hearted literature. Initially, the two attempted reading intervention programs and scheduled teacher reading times, among other programs, but time after time they saw that the kids who most needed such resources were not in attendance. A conversation with Ruder Principal Brenda Krueger served as their inspiration. She had a mobile book truck growing up in Fort Peck that, instead of bringing the kids to the books, brought the books to the kids.

While students have access to learning resources during the school year, the summer months can create a challenge for many youngsters. In fact, two-thirds of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities, according to a 2007 Johns Hopkins University study. A large percentage of students have no means of transportation to get to a library or to socialize with other kids, especially those in more rural areas.

The bookmobile is an opportunity to not only promote reading, but also to distribute meals, check on students and maintain strong student-teacher relationships, despite the summer break. Along with reading material, the bookmobile distributes 75 bags of food each week, much of which is provided by the state and local food banks, but is also supplemented with fresh, organic produce thanks to the Farm Hands nonprofit group based in Whitefish.

This summer more than 1,000 kids were gifted new books, thanks to the donations of volunteers and local sponsors, including Soroptimist International of Whitefish, Town Pump, Donors Choose, the Rotary Club and the Columbia Falls Junior High Student Council. In addition to the long hours of Hanson and Kohnstamm, a group of 40 to 50 local teachers volunteer their time to interact with the students. It is an “unpaid labor of love,” Kohnstamm said.

The bookmobile has become a source of joy for the children in Columbia Falls, like Christmas, but in the summer and every week. Just like the ice cream truck that rolls down the street, the kids come running. They pick an interesting book or two and plop down in the shade, enchanted by the stories that await.

Inter Lake intern Katie Lessmeier may be reached at klessmeier@dailyinterlake.com.