Library at the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
You already know that I believe libraries are magical places. The sense of awe and wonder I felt as a child has never left me, and entering any library—even one I’ve never been in before—feels like coming home.
Book fairs give me that same giddy feeling.
My daughter had her first book fair this week. Until I walked in and saw the stacks of books, I had forgotten all about book fairs. But the moment I entered the library at her school, it all came rushing back. The books—sleek, shiny, new. The covers calling out, “Pick me! Pick me!” The overwhelming desire to plop down on the floor and read forever.
Ahhhh…
I picked the books for my daughter this year—largely because she, like me, would want EVERY BOOK THERE. Next year I will let her pick her own. By then I hope to have taught her how to read the book jacket and the first page to see if she would really want it. This year, I told her to write down the books she was interested in, and we would get them out of the library to read.
Aside from the sheer magic of the book fair, all the money raised goes to support the school library. It is a major part of their budget, so when you buy a little magic, you enable the library to buy some more magic for their permanent shelves. Buy books to buy more books! It’s like a magic spell all of its own.
Libraries are magic.
Book fairs are magic.
Words are magic.
Go make some magic.
Also a book fair shows us that print books are still in demand. 🙂 There’s a good feeling about holding something in your hands and turning the pages as you read. When I went on my trip, I brought my tablet, thinking that I’d catch up on Kindle reading. Instead, I used the tablet for email and photos, and brought two print books with me, both of which I enjoyed. So I agree, book fairs have a lot of magic.
Thanks for a great post.
Barbara of the Balloons
I agree–especially with the young kids. They like to have something tangible, that they can show their friends and share amongst themselves. And the glossy covers are like eye candy!