Apple Valley Author Jen Teschendorf Pens ‘The Free Book Buggie’ | Apple Valley

Debbie Beck, of Eagan, co-founded The Free Book Buggie four years ago. The nonprofit provides free books to children ages infant to high school.

Debbie Beck, co-founder of The Free Book Buggie shows off the inside of the nonprofit’s new “buggie.” The former shuttle bus is used to bring books to children at various events around the Twin Cities metro.

A child studies a book provided by The Free Book Buggie during a University of Minnesota bike safety event on Aug. 24.

Debbie Beck, of Eagan, co-founded The Free Book Buggie four years ago. The nonprofit provides free books to children ages infant to high school.

Debbie Beck says when she got the idea to help provide books to children with a “buggie,” she wanted it to be “the ice cream truck of books.”

“I wanted children to know that, I was coming, that we were coming to their community, to their events and be excited,” she said.

Beck, a former Apple Valley resident and current Eagan resident, co-founded the nonprofit The Free Book Buggie four years ago with her friend, Sue Fredericks, of Burnsville. The mission, according to its website, is to “provide books to children and ignite a passion for reading that empowers each child to explore a world of opportunity.”

The operation started with a Toyota Sienna minivan as its “buggie” to transport books to various events around the Twin Cities. It recently transitioned to using a former shuttle bus that’s been retrofitted to provide free books for children, from infant to high school.

The nonprofit also has a space at Burnsville High School to store the donated books it receives from schools, cities, distribution centers, businesses, publishers, and authors, Beck said.

Another milestone has come for the organization – a new children’s book which tells the story of the Buggie and Beck. The book titled, “The Free Book Buggie” is available for presale online through The Free Book Buggie nonprofit and all proceeds will support the organization. People who order books during the presale can pick them up during The Greatest Story Gala on Oct. 27 at Burnsville High School. Other pickup times and locations will follow, according to a news release.

Beck said a book being written has been beyond what her expectations were when she started the nonprofit.

“I do have children now that see us, have seen us come and they come and run and say, ‘The Free Book Buggie is here,’ ” she said. “That just makes me so happy.”

The book is being done through a partnership with Hadleigh House Publishing. It’s being authored by Apple Valley resident Jen Teschendorf and is illustrated by Kevin Cannon. It will be printed in a dyslexic-inclusive font.

“There’s something about this organization, I experienced it myself and that’s why I’m sitting here today, that just lights you on fire and lights people on fire and they want to help,” said Allison Mann, chief executive officer of Hadleigh House and a member of The Free Book Buggie’s board. “They want to give their time. They want to give their energy and their talents and their connections and everything.”

Mann said the idea for the book came after a conversation with Beck about ways for authors and publishing houses to partner with The Free Book Buggie. Work on the book began earlier this year.

“I just said ... ‘Why doesn’t The Free Book Buggie have a book about the Buggie?’ And we started talking about that and kind of came to life,” she said, adding that Teschendorf interviewed Beck for the book and came up with the story in children’s form.

According to a news release from The Free Book Buggie, the new book will help “spread awareness of the role of books in the home in relation to childhood literacy.”

“Additionally, children who read the book can see themselves in the pages and develop their own dream that can grow into something great in the future,” the release states. “The Free Book Buggie book will feature familiar locations, community organizations, and of course, the star of our show, The Buggie.”

The gala, which begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 27 at BHS, will celebrate the nonprofit’s growth in 2022. The event will feature guest speakers, tours of the nonprofit’s space at the school, food and the new Buggie. A meet-and-greet with Teschendorf and Cannon is planned with a chance to purchase the new book or make a donation toward copies that will be given to children at upcoming events, according to a release.

The evening will also include a raffle with book-themed gifts and centerpieces. Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/3raYjCT.

“It’s going to be a family-friendly event,” Mann said. “Come as you are.”

A child studies a book provided by The Free Book Buggie during a University of Minnesota bike safety event on Aug. 24.

Mann said they’re hoping to make the gala an annual event. After the event, the new book will be available for sale at independent book stores in the metro.

When asked about nonprofit’s future plans, Beck said that the board still has to work on its strategic planning. The organization is working out details with the school district in Rochester to have a satellite office there for expanding its reach beyond the Twin Cities metro. “I get event requests, sometimes three, four, five times a day,” Beck said. “We are building out and we are growing.”

Learn more about The Free Book Buggie and the new book at thefreebookbuggie.org.

Patty Dexter can be reached at patty.dexter@apgecm.com.

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