Ride & Read Along

The KC Streetcar will host the first ever Ride and Read Along this Friday on board KC Streetcar 806, “Darrius’s Garden.”

Families, school groups, summer programs, libraries, and anyone with young readers, are invited to join in the first ever KC Streetcar Ride & Read Along with Lead to Read KC. Children’s Book Author Kristen Heath will be on board reading from her book “We’re All Weird.” All participants will receive a free book, a Patrick Mahomes bookmark, and some fun KC Streetcar swag.

The meet-up begins at 11:00 a.m. at the Union Station Streetcar stop. Participants can browse some books, receive a bookmark, and hop on KC Streetcar 806 for the best story time on tracks. On board groups will be limited to 30 so if you miss out on the first loop, we will be back in less than 30 minutes for the next group of readers.

“Lead to Read KC is pleased to partner with the KC Streetcar and Author Kristen Heath on Ride & Read because encouraging children to read wherever they are is an important part of helping children become strong readers,” said Pauly Hart, Lead to Read KC Executive Director. “And we’re excited to help share Kristen Heath’s book and its powerful message of inclusivity and kindness with our community.”

KC Streetcar is partnered with Lead to Read KC to encourage reading and the love of books through their “Reading is Everywhere” community book distribution initiative. This initiative gets books into the hands of young readers, making books more accessible to children outside of schools and libraries. Public transit is a perfect vehicle to distribute books.

Lead to Read KC is a children’s literacy nonprofit dedicated to supporting the social, emotional, and reading skills that are foundational to student success. It does this by mobilizing community volunteers, called Reading Mentors, to read one-to-one with students attending high-need elementary schools across Kansas City, as well as through its tutoring program, its “Reading Is Everywhere” community book distribution initiative, and its author visit program.

Only KC Streetcar 806 “Darrius’s Garden” will be the Ride & Read Along KC Streetcar with Kristen Heath and Lead to Read KC. You can track KC Streetcar 806 several ways by using the Transit App for smart phones, the KC Streetcar tracker, or the It’s a Bus tracker. “Darrius’s Garden” was created by local artist Devin Edwards as part of the annual Art in the Loop Program.