Bess the Book Bus made a pitstop in Joliet today, providing hundreds of YMCA campers with free, new books. Bess the Book Bus is a mobile outreach program committed to extending literacy across the United States. Stocked with an assortment of illustrated books and youth novels, Bess travels the country to pass out books to thousands of children each year.

Today, Bess the Book Bus set up shop at the Galowich and Smith Family YMCAs, where summer day camp is in full effect. Each camp participant hopped aboard Bess and picked one book that they could take home and keep.

Founded in 2002, Bess the Book Bus grew from a Tampa-based organization into a nationwide initiative with help from sponsors like CITGO. The program is currently on its 10th annual cross-country tour. Just days before landing in Joliet, Bess the Book Bus visited towns in Oregon, Montana and Wisconsin.

To learn more about Bess the Book Bus, visit www.bessthebookbus.org.