Reading Roos Mobile Library

The Weatherford Reading Roos bus sits outside Kangaroo Stadium before the Sept. 15 Homecoming game. The mobile library inside is available before …

Fall Friday nights in Texas involve one thing – football. 

In Weatherford, however, it also involves reading — at least at home games. 

Thanks to the vision of Director of Transportation Dr. Jason Dunkelberger, the Reading Roos Mobile Library is helping take reading into the stands and beyond. 

Young readers can board the bus, fitted with bookshelves and places to sit and look, and select a book or two from a selection of gently used and donated books without any cost nor need to return it. The bus is out from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. during home games. 

“Our children’s eyes light up as they enter the mobile library and begin a reading adventure,” Dunkelberger said in an email. “When they realize they can take their discovery home to enjoy, they are in disbelief.”

At the Roos Homecoming game on Sept. 15, Brittany McDaniel brought her 6-year-old daughter Macy to the game. As soon as she bounded onto the bus, she was eager to find something she wanted to read. 

“I have a reading log and if I read enough books, I get a prize at the end [of the school year],” the Mary Martin Elementary School student explained. 

Weatherford’s Macy McDaniel, a 6-year-old Mary Martin Elementary School student, searches books prior to the Homecoming football game Sept. 15 as …

Brittany said it was also something to keep her daughter entertained during the games when she wasn’t interested in the action on the field. 

“She can find any kind of book here and read it tonight or at home,” she said. “This is our second time and she was so excited to come.”

The bus is decorated with “Reading Roos” and pictures of animated children on the outside. Inside, there are still a few standard school bus seats but then it veers off into an open area with shelves lined with books on either side. There is also a small table outside and a couple of chairs. 

Sue O’Dell, a bus driver and CDL trainer for the district, said it’s fun to see the children coming inside and being excited about reading.

“The kids see me differently than when I am just driving the bus during the week and it’s a great way to connect with them on a different level,” she said. “We were also in the and got some exposure for the program.”

Dunkelberger got the idea from a previous district he worked in and brought it to Weatherford, where staff and others were encouraged to help and accepted the assignment willingly. 

In addition to Friday nights, the bus is also scheduled to visit Weatherford Independent School District’s seven elementary schools and two middle schools, and local community events around town. O’Dell said they already plan to be at April Pool’s Day. 

O’Dell said there are items for middle schoolers as well. She added that they hope to add better lighting on the bus for the time of year when it gets darker earlier. 

Book donations are accepted at the Support Services Building at 999 Sloan Street in Weatherford, but all items will be screened prior to being placed on the bus.