Imagine this: You’re 8-years-old and you’ve just been told you can make a ‘wish list? of the books you want from the school’s annual book fair. What would you pick?
If you’re a student at Bailey Lake Elementary and shopping at the book fair, the answer is simple: just about anything.
Students at BLE browsed books at the week-long ‘Read, White and Blue? book fair, sponsored by the PTA on Oct. 11-15.
Second grader Bobbi Su Price picked up some ‘Mary-Kate and Ashley? (Olsen) books, an exciting choice for her.
‘They’re my favorite actresses,? Price said.
All proceeds from the sale go straight back to the school’s media center. The PTA was hoping to generate $2,500 for the library.
‘It’s been running smoothly and been really productive,? said Kim Trombley, book fair chairperson.
Students ‘previewed? the sale the week before by visiting the large carts of books and creating ‘wish lists? or desired titles for their parents to approve. Once the OK was given and the check was slipped into the backpack, the students were brought back to shop the following week.
The wish lists were a new tool this year for PTA organizers to make the sale run smoother. Also new to this year’s fair was an option to purchase a book for different classrooms in the building as selected by the teachers.
‘It’s working out really well,? Trombley said. ‘We’re getting positive feedback from parents and positive feedback from the teachers.?
Positive feedback also came from another important group: BLE students.
‘You get to buy books,? said Brook Grow as she selected the latest ‘Junie B. Jones? title.
The event was staffed by parent volunteers who helped keep books tidy and finalized student purchases. Parents served an important role at home as the final say in which books were allowed to be purchased.
‘Some parents buy the whole list and some moms and dads only get three or four,? volunteer Karen Fallis said.
Current movies and favorite celebrities tended to dominate the choices of some students. Kevondre Brown made sure to pick up books featuring the ‘Incredible Hulk? and the movie ‘Shark Tales.?
‘I like the Hulk because he’s my favorite hero,? said Brown, a second grader.
Fellow classmate Nathan Tuckey picked a different topic to take home with him: monster trucks.
‘First I was looking at this book and I saw it and thought it looked really good,? Tuckey said. ‘So I bought it.?
Kids weren’t the only ones who could find new titles at the book fair. ‘Older? books, such as reference titles or how-to manuals, were available for parents.
Whether students chose a favorite book series or a picture book on animated sharks, the BLE book fair served as an important tool to get them excited about reading.
‘It’s all about reading,? Trombley said. ‘We’ve got just about anything you like.?