The Book Fair
As a child, I always loved my school's annual book fair. Like many childhood experiences, it had a magical quality to it. Of all the school events nothing seemed to excite quite as much as the book fair. I'm not sure if those feelings were due to the anticipation of getting something new, or if something subconscious was happening with all the potential adventure sitting within the pages of the neatly arranged books on the roll-away shelving. Possibly, I was just a big nerd. Either way, I am now getting to re-live that excitement with my children.
My youngest child's book fair was this past week. The week before, she brought home that little paper pamphlet with all the books for sale in it. She sat down at the kitchen table and circled all the books she wanted with a purple marker. It reminded me of when I was a kid and the JCPenny, and other department store catalogs, would come in the mail before Christmas. I would sit on the floor with a marker and circle all the things I wanted. This often amounted to nearly the whole toy section, but that's a kid for you. This may sound curmudgeonly, but those were simpler, and arguably better, times.
Anyways, she circled five books in her pamphlet. After school, on the day of the book fair, the whole family loaded up in the car and went to peruse the shelves. We walked away with a fluffy pink journal that looks like an axolotl, because why not, and several books on Barbie, unicorn kittens, and mermaids.
Not my first choice as a librarian dad, but she was thrilled. So, I was happy. I'm sure my mother felt the same way about the car posters, crummy pens, and whatever book on dinosaurs I brought home from the book fair when I was a kid.
We had a good time. We toured her classroom, spoke to the school librarian, and met several school administrators. She got to see some friends and show off her book haul. Afterwards, we went home and read the book about the unicorn kitten before bed. I've read worse.
It was a good way to spend an evening. The whole experience got me thinking about the way books, and conversations about books, can bring about so much joy in our lives.
Speaking of joy, have you heard Reading Rainbow is back!? Spreader of "Library Joy" Mychal Threets will be taking over LeVar Burton's role as host. It's going to be awesome! There was a video on LinkedIn the other day of Mychal and Bukola singing the theme song. Memories man.
But I digress.
(The wheels kinda fell off my idea past this point. Continue reading at your own risk.)
The time I spent roaming the book fair with my family reminded me of a library conference I attended several years ago. One of the advertised activities was a book fair. It was a one night only event. The chatter around the conference was one of excitement. Everyone I talked to had fond memories of childhood book fairs. Us book nerds could not wait for the fair to open. I think we all wanted that little slice of nostalgia and the accompanying feeling of joy.
This was at the height of book banning attempts across the nation, especially here in Texas. There were protesters outside of the conference hall that year, each of them holding a sign accusing us librarians of some pretty awful things. So, the book fair was a looked forward to highlight of that year’s conference. I think we all wanted, maybe needed, that escape we experienced as kids.
Unfortunately, what we were presented with was a lone table of book-themed socks and another table of recent releases. I love a good pair of book-themed socks, but to call that a book fair should be a criminal offense. (Dramatic, I know). To say the whole thing was a letdown is an understatement. Where were the rolling shelves of books? The racks of posters? The crummy pens? The air of excitement went right out of the room as the crowd of disappointed librarians left in droves.
Other than living vicariously through our children (those of us that have them), how can we adults recapture that sense of book fair magic? I have a theory, but it may not be one size fits all. Try it on. If it doesn't fit, feel free to send me an email with an alternative idea.
Despite working in a library, and being around books all day, one of my favorite activities to do with my wife is hitting a good used bookstore. When we were in our early dating phase we always seemed to find our way to a used bookstore. Happily, after more than a decade together, that tradition remains. Often, it is a family affair. But sometimes just the two of us go. We buy an overpriced coffee and roam the stacks of a used bookstore. It is lovely.
In my opinion, the used bookstore is as close as an adult can get to recapturing the sense of magic we experienced at our childhood book fair. You never know what you may find on the shelves. It could be something you have been looking for for ages, or it could be a book you didn't know you needed to read until that very moment. I know I could just hop online and buy whatever I want to read, but if I can help it, I rarely buy new books. I think some of it is the thrill of the hunt as it were. The best days are when we are able to string together visits to several used bookstores in a single afternoon. We often leave empty handed, but we still have an enjoyable time together.
Books bring joy into people's lives. I witness it every day. I see it in the smiles on the toddlers faces as they come in for storytime. I see it again when the toddlers leave, often kicking and screaming that they don't want to leave the library. That may not sound like joy, but I view those toddler tantrums as praise of the excellent time they had in the youth services department. I see joy in the smiles of grandmas checking out the newest Danielle Steel. I see it in the grandpas with Zane Grey or C.J. Box. I see it in the smiles of normally apathetic tweens when they lay their hands on the newest Raina Telgemeier graphic novel. Yes, these are over simplified generalizations, but the point remains. People of all backgrounds find joy in books and it is awesome to be a part of that, especially with my own family.
6/100