Opening the cover of a book is like pulling out of the driveway for a vacation, except there is no need for a car or a suitcase, no need for a passport, visa or even money.

A glass of ice water and a comfortable place to sit are nice, but even those are not required for a reader's travel to Florida, Rome or Mars or to be given the thoughts inside people's minds within the pages of a book.

The Pea Ridge Book Bus provides free travel, uh, correction, books most Tuesdays this summer and throws in free popsicles to sweeten the trip.

This is the third summer for the Book Bus, and its first outing, June 6, featured a brilliantly blue, cloudless sky. Kindergarten teacher Ashley Clark, second grade teacher Michelle Scholtes and Primary School principal Tracy Hager met at 8:45 a.m. and quickly attached banners and plopped dry ice into a cooler bag holding a rainbow of popsicles. Clark and Hagar co-founded the Pea Ridge Book Bus in 2015, and Scholtes was along to help Clark and because she "(loves) to be involved and get out and see the kids."

While the majority of the books are for toddlers up to about middle school age, a small selection of novels is also available for young adults and grownups.

Clark said she wants everyone to know they are wanted and welcomed to the Book Bus, including adults. She said, "We want this to be easy and relaxed, low key and low stress."

The Book Bus has some similarity to the old-fashioned Bookmobiles, but it is more akin to Little Free Libraries because the books available are somewhat random dependent on donations and what Clark can afford to purchase, and there is no check out process or time limit on how long a book may be kept. Both the Book Bus and Little Free Libraries, which are freestanding cupboards installed in neighborhoods and public places, have one goal, to encourage people to read. However, the Book Bus has something Little Free Libraries don't -- it delivers books into the neighborhoods of readers, and it can hold a lot more books than a cupboard.

Clark said the first year "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series by Rick Riordan was popular. Scholtes said this year's popular book may turn out to be "The Land of Stories" series by Chris Colfer.

Clark said she "grew up in the library" and was surrounded by books there and at home. She said she began to feel guilty about how many books she had around her growing up after she noticed that youngsters nowadays don't seem to have that luxury. She said she had "a little worry" about it, and the Book Bus has helped her feel like she is taking positive action.

Scholtes said that reading builds confidence.

Clark agreed and added, "It's independence. Once you learn to read, it changes your mind, and no one can take it from you. When people transition from non-readers to readers, it changes their lives. It levels the playing field."

Clark said another reason she loves to do this is because it "allows teachers and students to see each other in a whole new light. Sitting and eating popsicles and laughing is so much fun."