Plot Twist Used Books, a Jefferson Park bookstore, has launched a bookmobile to combat its summer slump. Owner Penny Holland spent months refurbishing a brightly colored bus, which will be used to take books to street fests, local schools, and other events.

Bringing Books to the Community

Holland, who opened Plot Twist Used Books in 2024, wanted to find a way to draw more visitors to her shop. The bookmobile will be stocked with around 300 books and will be taken to various events in the area, including the Portage Park Farmers Market.

The idea for the bookmobile was inspired by library bookmobiles that Holland used to visit as a child in Joliet. She found a bus in Ohio that had been used for a mobile gift-wrapping business and drove it back to Chicago, where she rehabbed it with the help of friends and book club members.

The bookmobile will return to the Portage Park Farmer’s Market on Sunday, and it will also be at a community fundraiser on June 26. Information about upcoming events can be found on the shop’s Instagram, and neighbors and businesses interested in working with the bookmobile can email Holland at [email protected].

Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.