Page 2 - Fall 2017 Elementary Guidebook

Introducing the fall 2017 theme
WILD WEST BOOK FAIR:
SADDLE UP AND READ!
Get professionally produced western-themed materials in our Book Fair Decoration Kit, available for purchase in the online Scholastic DollarsTM Catalog. See page 13 for details.
DIear Book Fair Chairperson,
am excited for you and your students as you prepare
for your fall Scholastic Book Fair. This fall’s theme, Wild West Book Fair: Saddle up and read!, is a really fun way to get kids excited about reading!
When I visit a Book Fair, I love chatting with students and teach- ers about their Book Fair memories. They love telling me about the moment they found that super-special book that got them excited about reading. When I hear stories like these, I’m remind- ed just how impactful a Book Fair can be. It does so much more than raise money for your school; it promotes a reading culture throughout the entire year. As a librarian and advocate for chil- dren, I can totally get behind that!
Throughout this Ideas Guidebook, you will find so many inspiring and awesome ideas that will help get kids excited about books and reading. You don’t have to do all of them — pick the ones that interest you and your students — and check out a few that I highly recommend:
A Book Fair Preview (pages 14-15) will give your teachers a chance to preview the Book Fair, fill out their Classroom Wish List, and take that excitement for books back to their classrooms. Idea Share (page 28) is a great way to learn from Book Fair experts, including me, and you can also submit your own ideas to share with a community of chairpeople just like you. Check
out easy ways to host a Family Event (pages 20-21), and don’t miss out on a simple All for BooksTM coin challenge (page 18- 19) that really gets the friendly competition going!
Letting children choose books that they love is essential and magical — if kids like it, they will read it. And the Book Fair is the best, and easiest, place to do that.
Happy reading!
John Schumacher
Ambassador for School Libraries, Scholastic Book Fairs®
P.S. I’d love to stay connected to you! Check out my video series Mr. Schu Goes to the Book Fair by visiting: scholastic. com/bookfairs/idea-share/john and subscribe to stay in the Book Fair know.