Starting next week, families across San Bernardino County can walk away with armfuls of free children's books as First 5 San Bernardino's Pop-Up Literacy Tour rolls through five cities, handing out roughly 1,000 books at each stop between October 19 and October 23. The events are free, though space is limited, and families are encouraged to register ahead of time to reserve a spot.
Each stop will give kids up to four free books to keep, a “Gift for a Friend” book to pass along, snacks, and a chance to snap a photo with Potter the Otter, the tour's mascot, according to a news release from First 5 San Bernardino. The tour kicks off Monday at the San Bernardino Child Care Resource Center at 1111 E. Mill St., Suite 100, from 4 to 6:30 p.m., then heads to The Mom & Dad Project in Big Bear Lake on Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday brings the tour to the Family & Community Engagement Center in Ontario, Thursday to the Victorville Child Care Resource Center, and the run wraps Friday at the Upland YMCA Preschool — all with the same 4 to 6:30 p.m. window except the Big Bear stop. Families can register at first5sanbernardino.org/reading.
A Program Now in Its Fourth Year
The tour is the latest rollout of First 5 San Bernardino's Gift a Kid a Book program, now in its fourth year, which the agency says provides reading resources, literacy activities, community events and free books to county families with children under age 5, per the news release reported by the San Bernardino Sun. The program encourages giving books as gifts rather than toys or treats, an idea that traces back to its 2022 launch as a holiday-season campaign, according to First 5 San Bernardino. Reading, the agency says, helps build strong brains, calm nervous systems, prepare children for school, and nurture family connections.
The tour's mascot, Potter the Otter, didn't originate in San Bernardino County at all — the character comes from a children's storybook series created by First 5 Santa Clara County and has inspired families across California, per Stanford Medicine. One of the tour's host partners, The Mom & Dad Project in Big Bear Lake, marked 25 years of providing family education and parenting support in the Big Bear Valley last month, First 5 San Bernardino noted.
A Trunk-or-Treat Preview Drew Hundreds
The upcoming tour follows a trunk-or-treat and Gift a Kid a Book event held October 8 in San Bernardino, a partnership between First 5 San Bernardino and the San Bernardino County Public Defender's Office Children United Through Empowerment social work program, per the Sun. That event drew hundreds of families and featured costumes, candy, and a mobile library handing out books, with every child in attendance set to receive a Halloween-themed book, according to a news release cited by the outlet. At that event, First 5 San Bernardino's Allie Duran gave a book to a child named Marcello Lopez, a moment captured by Anjali Sharif-Paul, who photographed the gathering for the Sun.
Closing a Literacy Gap
The push for early reading access comes against a backdrop of achievement gaps in county classrooms. During the 2024-25 academic year, just 38% of third-grade students in San Bernardino County met or exceeded California standards for English language arts and literacy, compared with 44% statewide, according to San Bernardino County Community Indicators. The same data shows children who are not proficient readers by the end of third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma.
First 5 San Bernardino draws its funding from Proposition 10, the 1998 state ballot measure that created a tobacco tax dedicated to early childhood health, education, and development programs for children ages zero to five. The agency's work is now overseen by Executive Director Cindy Faulkner, a 22-year agency veteran who was appointed to the role on September 1 after longtime director Karen Scott retired in March, per First 5 San Bernardino. The December holiday giveaway at the agency's main office, which distributed book bundles with five books, a backpack, and educational materials, shows the literacy push extends well beyond any single week.
More Low-Cost Books Available Year-Round
Families who miss the pop-up tour stops still have options closer to home. The Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library run ongoing sales at Feldheym Central Library, where children's titles go for 25 cents each or five for $1, according to the San Bernardino Public Library. For families across the Inland Empire looking to build a home library without breaking the bank, that sale offers a year-round complement to the limited-time literacy tour stops rolling through the county this month.
