‘Magic Book Bus’ expands reading culture

Climb on the Magic Book Bus!

San Jacinto College North Campus English professors Dr. Courtnee Fenner and Nikkol Baker took a cue from the popular 90s-era book and TV series to create an out-of-this-world literary experience for their students.

In the “Magic School Bus,” Ms. Frizzle and her students take field trips across time and space to dive into science. In Fenner and Baker’s reimagining, 32 San Jac students from English 1301 classes boarded their own “magic” charter bus Oct. 15 for a day-long adventure to literary and cultural spaces throughout Houston. The trip was funded through a San Jacinto College Foundation Student Success Initiative grant.

Students explored the Institute of Hispanic Culture, Brazos Bookstore, and Contemporary Art Museum. Along the way, they collected books to start their own home libraries.

What does it take to turn non-readers into bookworms? With declining literacy rates across Texas and the U.S., Fenner and Baker decided to take students beyond northeast Houston, which has few bookstores or literary institutions.

“Getting exposed to the reading culture of San Jac and Houston can be the first step in establishing new literary and intellectual practices for students,” Fenner said.

Beyond the field trip, the project included semester-long activities — with students touring the North Campus library, learning about San Jac’s literary magazine “Accents,” participating in “Power of the Pen” writing events, and signing up for a public library card.