About The Dragon Wagon
The Dragon Wagon was created by me, Tracey West, author of the Dragon Masters series, and my husband (and bus wrangler), Bill Hancock.
Bill and I have lived in the western Catskills since 2018. I write children’s books for a living, and one day I had a conversation with a librarian that set this idea in motion. She was sad knowing that in a big place like Delaware County, most kids live an hour or more away from a bookstore. Bill and I thought it might be cool to open a brick-and-mortar store, but we knew that would take up too much of our time.
Then we realized that the perfect solution was sitting behind our garage. We had inherited a small school bus from our dear friend, John Voegeli. He’d torn out the back seats and used it for bass fishing. The bus sat with us, getting rustier and rustier, because we didn’t know quite what to do with it. Then it hit us: it would be the perfect bookmobile! And we could call it a Dragon Wagon! And every kid who came to the bus would get a free book!
First, though, we had to transform the bus from a run-down fishing vehicle that didn’t run into a bookmobile. If you’re curious to see how we did it, check out the BUILDING A DRAGON WAGON page.
Please check our EVENTS page to find out when the Dragon Wagon will be operating near you. Questions? Check our FAQ page. To learn more about Tracey West and the Dragon Masters series, click here.
Our Mission
In rural areas, many young people live far away from bookstores. The Dragon Wagon Book Bus, based in Delaware County, New York, makes it possible for young readers to discover brand new books and get excited about literacy!
As a social-impact business, we want to bring the experience of shopping in a bookstore and discovering new books to kids in these areas.
Our mission is to inspire a love of reading in young people - through senior year of high school - regardless of their background or financial situation.
We believe that every person deserves the opportunity to explore the world through books, and we are committed to making that happen.
On our shelves, you’ll find a wide variety of books including fantasy; nonfiction; books about farm life; books that tell the truth about kids’ lives today; books about Black history; books about the LGBTQIA+ community; books about dragons (of course!); and books that intersect with cultures and communities from around the world.
You’ll find board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, and graphic novels. We are proud to feature a section of Teen books curated by the staff of High Five Books in Florence, MA.
We believe that books can open a world of possibilities for young people, teaching them about different cultures, perspectives, and ways of thinking. Readers also become passionate about reading when they see characters like themselves in literature.
Reading is an essential part of growing up, and we are committed to making sure that as many young people in Delaware County have access to as many new books as possible – making reading fun and accessible for all!
A Sneak Peek at Our Books
Mark Seeley, Ryan Hallett, and Whitney Creighton of Otto & Friends: Media Relations, Social Media, and Branding
