The Book Bus

didn't really begin until around 2008  but it has been a resounding success. 
So, what's the Book Bus? You can find it here: 
 

The Book Bus charity, helping children in Africa, Asia and South America

Volunteer projects reading with children in Africa, Asia and South America.

http://www.thebookbus.org/index.html#sthash.jzsirPer
 

And here, at     http://jen-campbell.blogspot.com/

 you can find the amazing Jen Campbell who wants to try and raise more money for their efforts by writing 100 poems over 48 hours.

The Book Bus is a project which means a lot to me. The Library Canoe and the Llama Library also mean a lot to me, as do a lot of other small libraries that operate in unexpected ways. 
Yes, there is a library which operates out of a canoe  in Africa - more than one actually. It is "just a canoe with some books in it". It  goes up and down one  of the rivers and  it allows children to access a few precious  books. They are the only books most of these children see.  The Llama Library works in much the same way in the  High Andes - in countries like Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. 
No, they aren't libraries with thousands of books but they are still libraries. They let people, especially children, access things to read.
Some of these things started as tiny, one off projects for International Literacy Year. In that mad, crazy, whirl of a year people talked to me about many things. "Can we...?" "Shall we...?"
"What if we...?" "How about we...?" and so it went on. Most of the time I couldn't help but they went ahead anyway. Sometimes there were people who could  be put in touch with people.
Some of the projects did not get off the ground. Others did. Some ceased operating because of lack of funds. Others no longer exist because others things took their place. Most of them though are still going. There are tiny huts in the most unexpected places with the word "library" on them. There are carts and canoes, bicycles, boats, buses, and more - all with small libraries 
It takes a lot of planning, time and effort to set up and run something like the Book Bus project. It takes money to keep it going. 
If  you are  interested then Jen would appreciate your support - and so will those  who use the Book Bus.