Bringing the Book Fair Back (and Why It Mattered More Than I Expected)

With big plans for building out reading initiatives at the middle school, I knew one thing right away:

We needed a way to source books that wouldn’t get me in trouble with my hubby for spending all our savings. 😉

Enter the Scholastic Book Fair!

Our middle school hadn’t hosted a book fair since 2019, and while I had never led one before, I figured it would be worth the effort if we could raise money for books, get new books in students’ hands, and spark some excitement around reading.

What I Didn’t Expect

Candidly, I didn’t expect it would be quite so much work.

When I’d volunteered at my kids’ elementary school book fair in the past, there were lots of parents helping out. Not quite one year into my son’s first year of middle school, I’m quickly realizing that parent involvement definitely isn’t as high at this level.

Since I’m currently on sabbatical, I was able to be there for almost the entire week except for a four-hour stretch on Tuesday when I was teaching at Seattle U Law. Thankfully, my Mom kindly agreed to step in and run things while I was away. She came on Monday to learn the ropes and make sure she felt comfortable flying solo.

Thank you, Mom!

Six other parents helped with at least one shift during the course of the week. The smaller volunteer turnout definitely made me appreciate those who did show up all the more!

As for logistics, we kept the fair open before and after school, during both lunch periods, and throughout the day for ELA classes to sign up and come through. It was the best way to make sure all students had access, but it also meant the fair was essentially “open” all week long, resulting in five very long days in the library for me.

Small Touches That Made a Big Difference

One thing I quickly realized: environment matters.

For setup, I layered simple white tablecloths underneath the Scholastic-provided ones to make everything feel a little more elevated and cohesive.

I also created a “Teacher Wish Lists” board so shoppers could easily see which books teachers were hoping to add to their classrooms. Bonus: Almost all of the wish list items were purchased by the end of the week!

Prior to fair week, I emailed the ELA teachers asking if they had any student work we could highlight during the fair, especially during our Family event. One ELA teacher kindly shared these beautiful student-made postcards from their Where the Red Fern Grows unit, which we displayed during the fair.

Toward the end of the week, I also started experimenting with something new: I wrapped four books I’d previously purchased and planned to give away as our first “Mystery Books” in butcher paper and decorated them while sitting at the checkout table during slower periods.

Mystery book stack

They immediately became a huge source of interest.

Students kept asking if they were for sale—and seemed genuinely excited when I told them they’d actually be free giveaways in the coming weeks, and that all they’d need to do to enter was fill out a short book review for any book they’d previously enjoyed.

This student interest made me even more excited to roll out what would become the Mystery Book Drop program!

The Parts That Made It Worth It

✨ Over $4,000 in sales
📚 592 books sold
🎉 Over $2,000 earned in Scholastic Dollars to reinvest directly into books!

But the numbers only tell part of the story. The better parts?

Students carefully choosing books they were genuinely excited about.
Friends helping others cover costs when they were running a little short.
A surprisingly high percentage of students rounding up at checkout to “Share the Fair” with others.

One of my favorite moments: Four girls pooled their money to buy one item (down to one girl putting ~78 cents on her debit card), only for me to realize they were buying it as a gift for another girl who wasn’t there. That kind of generosity warms my heart!

Plus, watching students walk out with books they actually wanted to read? That’s the whole point.

More Than a Fundraiser

It wasn’t just a fundraiser.

It was a reminder that middle schoolers still love books—when we make them accessible, visible, and just a little bit fun.

And maybe most importantly, it created momentum.

As I wrapped up the fair, I was able to put some of the Scholastic Dollars we’d earned to use by purchasing boxes of new books for the school library, counselors, and student giveaways. Book sourcing success!

In sum, this wasn’t just about one week. It was about building a culture where books are visible, valued, and shared.

I’d call that a pretty great return on investment.

That said, I’m VERY excited for the daughter of my friend Traci (a fellow Crazy Book Lady and veteran at running elementary school book fairs) to transition to middle school next year. Traci – I need you! 🙂

And finally . . .

My sixth grader was a good sport helping me wrap up the last day of the fair . . .
until he realized he had been at school for nearly 12 hours . . . and then he was DONE. 😅 Thank you for supporting your book-loving mom!