Book Fair Season

Schools all over the county generally have a spring and a fall Scholastic book fair. These fairs afford kids many lessons not only in literature, but math and budgeting. Many kids excel in spending right down to their last penny while others get what they want and bring home change. Either way, they're getting excited about books!

Scholastic Books was founded by Maurice R. "Robbie" Robinson in 1920. The company published several youth magazines and operated under the name Scholastic Magazines, Inc. through the 1970's. In 1926, Scholastic published it's first book called "Saplings". This was after WWII when paperback books became less expensive. "Saplings" was a compilation of student writings by the winners of the Scholastic Writing Awards which they still hold today. In 1948, Scholastic began their book club business with the Teen Age Book Club. Around 1957, Scholastic began to publish paperback books under Scholastic Book Services. Students could buy books through classroom catalogs. Scholastic now has offices worldwide and has acquired many publishing companies. In 1997, Scholastic bought the publication rights to the first Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", and in 2012 New Video Group became a distributor for Scholastic's home entertainment business which just recently acquired the home entertainment rights to the 2002 movie adaptation of "Stellaluna". Scholastic has also stepped out of the classroom and has made it's library available online. Just recently they have also added ebooks.

I have loved Scholastic book fairs since I was in elementary school. There is a large variety of genres and skill levels and the books are very modestly priced. Book fairs are small book stores in the schools where the kids can take control and make their own choices. The opportunity to choose what they want encourages them to read. In such an overwhelming technological world, reading exercises creative and imaginative parts of the brain which can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Moms and dads can find some good reads too! Summer is on it's way and books travel well. They require no power source or wi-fi connection. Hop to a book fair near you and stock up!

PS - Scholastic book fairs help your school too! Schools receive a portion of the book profits to buy books that stock the library shelves which makes good and current books available for everyone to read!