Scholastic Book Fair Comes To Town

By Larissa Lytwyn

Sandy Hook Elementary and Fraser Woods were among dozens of area grade schools that recently hosted a scholastic book fair.

Scholastic Books is an international children’s publishing company dedicated to, according to its mission statement, “instilling the love of reading and learning for lifelong pleasure in all children.”

Students and teachers create “wish lists” from Scholastic catalogs. Parents have the opportunity to buy list items, some of which are donated to the classroom.

Fraser Woods recently paired its scholastic book fair with its first annual Holiday Craft Show, drawing members of the community beyond Fraser Woods families to peruse children’s bestsellers, series and picture books, holiday-themed stories, and even adult-targeted parenting and cooking books.

Sandy Hook School held its fair during its recent parent-teacher conference week. In-between meetings, families had the opportunity to explore various genres, from children’s literature to craft-making how-to books. Classes were allowed to “preview” the books during part of the school day.

“I love to read!” gushed Sandy Hook School third grader Leah Wallace. “The selection is really great,” noted her mother, Susan Wallace. Leah said her “wish list” included selections from the popular Lizzie McGuire series.

Heidi Johnston laughed as she said how her daughter, Sandy Hook School second grader Sophie, had requested Johanna Spyri’s classic children’s novel, Heidi.

“A lot of the other books my children are interested in are craft-centered,” she said, gesturing to a table of how-to books on jewelry making and other subjects.

School PTAs or similar parent organizations generally coordinate fairs. For more information on Scholastic Books, visit www.scholastic.com.