Thunder's Rolling Book Bus Brings free books, literacy support to Tulsa youth

The reigning NBA champions rolled into Tulsa Tuesday morning, not to play ball, but to pass out books. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Rolling Thunder Book Bus made a stop at YouthWorks’ Thunder Court to hand out free books and encourage reading among students in their 10-week Summer Dream Camp.

📚 What Is the Rolling Thunder Book Bus?

This isn’t just a library on wheels; it’s a Thunder-branded mobile literacy hub, launched in early 2009 under the Thunder’s Read‑to‑Achieve initiative in partnership with American Fidelity Assurance and the Junior League of OKC. 

The Rolling Thunder Book Bus includes books for all ages, a Thunder-themed interior, and even interactive video elements to promote literacy. During each visit, kids board the bus, browse titles, and choose a book to take home — completely free.

📈 Why It’s Necessary

Literacy in Oklahoma lags behind, only 88% of third graders are not reading at grade level. In Tulsa, the situation is worse: 58% of kids in North Tulsa could potentially drop out by the 4th grade. And two-thirds of students not reading on grade level by the fourth grade most likely will spend time in incarceration. Local nonprofits like YouthWorks say early reading challenges contribute to high drop-out rates and feed into state projections for prison populations based on literacy data.

🌟 What They’ve Done So Far

Since debuting in 2009, the bus has distributed almost 250,000 books in roughly 3,120 appearances, partnering with YouthWorks multiple times, including today’s stop in North Tulsa. Visits sometimes include appearances from players like Ajay Mitchell and Nikola Topic, who personally hand out books. YouthWorks adds a 10‑week summer camp where students engage in daily reading rotations, boosting their reading by an average of 1.48-grade levels.

🗺️ Where They’re Going Next

The Rolling Thunder Book Bus continues its summer tour across Oklahoma. You can find the full upcoming schedule—and bring the bus to your community—via the Thunder’s official Book Bus page:

👉 See upcoming stops here