Clearwater families have two more opportunities to grab free books this summer for their kids thanks to the Juvenile Welfare Board's Summer Book Bus.

The ninth annual program launched Monday, July 6 with 10,000 books loaded onto a converted school bus and is making 85 stops across Pinellas County through Thursday, July 23. The last Clearwater visit is Wednesday, July 22. Children at each stop can pick two free books to take home, and JWB's stated goal is 5,000 kids reached countywide before the program ends.

Inside, every seat has been replaced with shelves stocked with books across genres and reading levels.

"They've never seen something quite like this," Brianna Ray, JWB's Community Collaborations Coordinator, told Bay News 9 on July 7. "There are no seats, all books, and they're just really excited to be able to pick out their own books, to look and see different genres, different topics, and then take them home."

Remaining Clearwater stops

Thursday, July 16 (Bus A):

  • Happy Corner Academy, 9 a.m. (2201 Curtis Drive S.)
  • High Point NFC, 10 a.m. (5812 150th Ave. N.)
  • Autism Inspired Academy, 11 a.m. (11225 U.S. Highway 19 N.)
  • Mariner's Cove Mobile Home Park, noon (5796 Ulmerton Rd.) — includes Meal Mobile food distribution

Wednesday, July 22 (Bus A):

  • R Club (U.S. 19 and Ulmerton / R Club ELA 94th), 9 a.m. (13348 U.S. Highway 19 N.)
  • YMCA Camp Muskogee, 11:15 a.m. (2201 Soule Rd.)

No registration is required. The full 2026 schedule is available at JWBPinellas.org/read.

Meals and literacy resources

Many stops also feature a JWB-funded Meal Mobile, run in partnership with the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, handing out nutritious meals alongside the books. Kids receive bookmarks, reading tips, and literacy resources at each visit.

The program is part of JWB's "Early Readers, Future Leaders" campaign, a Pinellas-wide push for grade-level reading. Ray and Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick both spoke to Bay News 9 on July 7, the program's second day. Hendrick said practical, fun activities help students return to school at the level they left, noting that research shows kids can lose one to three months of learning progress over summer break.

The district's third-grade reading proficiency reached 70% for the first time in its history during the most recent school year, and Pinellas County Schools earned a third consecutive "A" rating from the state, according to district data cited by JWB.

Two buses run simultaneously on most days, covering locations from Clearwater to St. Petersburg. The program's final day, Thursday, July 23, has all remaining stops in St. Petersburg.