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Scholastic Book Fairs have long been an enjoyable part of school experiences for children. Circle your selections on glossy flyers as children explore authors and illustrators they may have never come across at home; yet for students in lower-income schools these fairs often represent sources of inequality.
Many schools have attempted to address this problem in various ways. Some offer All for Books programs, where shoppers round up their change and donate it directly to schools to cover books for students who either don’t bring money with them or fall short at checkout. Other schools stock this fund months in advance by holding coin drives at carnival games or other events where parents and other family members donate pennies, dimes, quarters and dollars towards this cause.
Other schools have implemented book swaps, where students bring in books they no longer wish to keep and exchange it for one they do want – in hopes this will compensate for any money they might not bring to a fair. Some independent book stores-such as Towne Book Center in Collegeville, Pennsylvania-work with school districts to host these fundraising efforts; typically receiving 35 percent back as books plus an additional 25 percent should certain sales goals be reached.
Many schools have explored various book fair providers with an aim of selecting those which can more closely reflect the values and traditions of their school communities. Some Catholic schools, for instance, now partner with Eureka Book Fairs which only sells products that do not clash with Catholic faith and tradition.
