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Alvan and Buford's Mission and Rationale:

• Mission: The mission of Alvan, the Little Book Bus, and his big brother Buford is to encourage and increase summer reading by providing new, high-interest books to students who have limited access to reading materials during the summer.

• Rationale: Research has shown that reading just five books can protect students from a drop in reading levels known as the "summer slide", which disproportionately affects lower-income students (Alexander, Entwisle, & Olson, 2007; Kim, 2004).
• Summer Slide: The effects of the summer slide are cumulative, and can have serious consequences. As much as 85% of the reading achievement gap between lower-income students and their middle- and upper-income peers can be attributed to the summer slide (Allington & McGill-Frasen, 2009). 
• Year Round Reading: By creating the opportunity for children to receive high-interest books of their own, the Book Bus program strives to prevent the summer slide and encourage reading year round.