Road to reading: Bookmobile, Zee Bus begin summer schedules

Mitchell Boatman, The Holland Sentinel
·3 min read

OTTAWA COUNTY — Summer has arrived, as have several initiatives to keep area children reading over the break.

Kids activities, including story time from Herrick District Library, are returning to the Holland Farmers Market. Last held in 2019, the free weekly event offers a story and activity for kids each Wednesday, starting June 15.

Story time will be held at 9:30 a.m. outside the Civic Center, followed by an activity led by a local nonprofit or business from 10-11:30.

A student attends a summer reading event in Holland during summer break 2021.
A student attends a summer reading event in Holland during summer break 2021.

A pair of mobile libraries — West Ottawa’s Bookmobile and Zeeland’s Zee Bus — both hit the road the week of Jun 13 and will bring books to children in their communities through mid-August.

Bookmobile

The Bookmobile will operate Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from June 13 through Aug. 10. It will not run the week of July 4.

Monday stops are Sand Castle & Sandy Run (10-10:20 a.m.), Harderwyk Church (10:30-11 a.m.), Lakeshore Elementary (11:10-11:40 a.m.), Sheldon Woods Elementary (11:50 a.m.-12:15 p.m.), West Olive Estates playground (12:30-1 p.m.) and Waverly Shores Clubhouse (1:10-1:30 p.m.).

On Tuesdays, Bookmobile will visit Great Lakes Elementary (9:30-11 a.m.), Pine Creek Elementary (11:10-11:30 a.m.), Leisure Estates (11:40 a.m.-12:05 p.m.), Silver Fir Drive and Peachtree Court (12:15-12:35 p.m.), Rose Park Reformed Church (12:40-1 p.m.) and West Ottawa Virtual Academy (1:10-1:30 p.m.).

Students hug their teachers as they say goodbye during the last day of school for West Ottawa Great Lakes Elementary Friday, June 10, 2022, in Holland. Great Lakes will be one of the stops for the West Ottawa Bookmobile each Tuesday this summer.
Students hug their teachers as they say goodbye during the last day of school for West Ottawa Great Lakes Elementary Friday, June 10, 2022, in Holland. Great Lakes will be one of the stops for the West Ottawa Bookmobile each Tuesday this summer.

Wednesdays will have six stops — West Ottawa High School South (10-11 a.m.), Lakeridge Drive and Windrift Way (11:10-11:30 a.m.), Cheyenne Avenue and Arapahoe Road (11:40 a.m.-12 p.m.), Wild Stem and Red Stem (12:10-12:30 p.m.), Stoney Lake Drive and Sundance Court (12:40-1 p.m.) and Dunton Park (1:10-1:30 p.m.).

Zee Bus

The Zee Bus runs each weekday from June 13 through Aug. 12, also taking a pause the week of July 4. Monday stops are Borculo Christian Reformed Church (9:30-10:15 a.m.), Helder Park (10:30-11:45 a.m.) and Logan Estates (12-1 p.m.).

There is one stop scheduled for Tuesday, Drenth Grove from 9:30-11:30 a.m. On Wednesday’s Zee Bus will visit Timber Town (9:30-11:30 a.m.), Ottogan MHC (12-1 p.m.) and Maple View MHC (1:15-2 p.m.).

The Zee Bus will bring books to students throughout the Zeeland Public Schools district all summer, leading up to an end of summer celebration Aug. 12.
The Zee Bus will bring books to students throughout the Zeeland Public Schools district all summer, leading up to an end of summer celebration Aug. 12.

Thursday stops are Roosevelt Elementary (9:30-10:15 a.m.) and Upper Macatawa Park (10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.). Zee Bus will visit Lawrence Street Park from 9:30-11:30 a.m. each Friday.

There will be story times with various guest readers at each location, nature activities with Ottawa County Parks at Upper Macatawa Park, free ice cream at Timber Town and free lunch offered at Ottogan MHC.

An end of summer celebration will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 12, at Lawrence Street Park featuring free lunch, free books and a giant water slide.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch. 

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Bookmobile, Zee Bus helping kids read all summer long