Book Fair
I have such a love for books! It started when I was a child and my parents read to me before I fell asleep each night. I had lots of favorite picture books, but as I got older my love of reading turned towards education. I read A LOT. But I cannot say I read a lot of different books. If it is not education or leadership related, its Nicholas Sparks (enough said!).
Each year when the book fair comes to school I get super excited. I love the smell of new books, and shopping for something new is always exciting. I love to fill out my teacher wish list and see if any students are kind enough to donate to our classroom library. I also enjoy watching students scramble together all their change to purchase a new book for themselves. They dive right into it during recess, as if nothing else matters. I wish books always had that effect on kids. These days, if it isn’t digital, they aren’t interested.
Our book fair this year was super successful. Our PTA decided they would donate ALL proceeds back to teachers’ classrooms. So, for every book purchased, another book entered a teacher’s classroom. Stacking my library with my students’ favorites (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Captain Underpants, and Magic Tree House) was the highlight of my day. I did not tell the kids, rather I just filled out my name and the book’s reading level and placed it on the shelf. The next day while students were selecting their independent reading books, to their surprise there was more of a selection! Plus, they were brand-spankin new! I had boys picking up books with princesses and girls picking up books with dragons. I was SHOCKED! But, books were new, had awesome graphics and were written by their favorite authors….so they went for it! Awesome 🙂
I hope my students’ love of books only grows. Independent reading time seems to come and go as the years progress, but it is so important to fall in love with a book. Picture books are a great way to get started, but utilizing your own imagination to picture the story events in a chapter book make the book and journey memorable. Students love to watch the book turn into a movie! This makes for a great compare/contrast activity. High engagement, of course!
Now that the book fair is over I will have to wait until the Spring (or worse, next Fall). Each month I send home the scholastic magazine pamphlet showcasing books to purchase. My class last year ordered each month. This year, I do not see quite the same level of interest. (This is sad too because for each order we gained points towards free books for our classroom library). I won’t give up, though. I will continue to send them home in hopes someone orders!
Are your students in love with reading?
Is the book fair an exciting time for students and teachers at your school?
About the author, Gretchen
I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.