A Book Fair

One of my dream jobs since I was younger is probably a little cliche, common, what book lover hasn’t said it, but by no means less true, is owning my own bookshop. Shopping for books, receiving pre-released books, reading, and being surrounded by books just sounds good. I do understand it wouldn’t be without its struggles - enter a nod from every bookshop owner now - but that doesn’t really deter me. 

It also hasn’t happened yet. I decided to make something happen and share my love for reading with others. The idea of a book fair came to me when I began thinking about my son’s school. I learned they have never had a book fair before and they loved the idea. The school is a special needs school with varying ages, grade levels, and reading levels. I wanted to curate this book fair for the students and make it free for them to attend and pick out at least two books each if they were interested. 

With the help of the teachers and administrators, I received a list of reading levels and topics of interest. Once that list was started, I was set and ready to go. My excitement grew each time a new item was added to the list. 

Where did I get the books? I knew from the beginning that not all the books would be brand new and I did share that up front with the administrators. Of course they would be in good condition even if they were used. I began at book sales, thrift stores, and local used book shops to gather what I could find that matched the list. Some popular topics were picture books of various Disney or superhero characters, chapter books with kid characters, and sensory books. 

How did I purchase or receive the books? A lot of the books came directly from me, whether I donated them from my collection or purchased them for the book fair.  I shopped at local book sales and book shops for any books that would fit the needs. I also received donated books that I was able to look through and choose the ones that matched the reading levels and topics. The biggest surprise was a grant received for $250 to purchase books and items for the book fair - how amazing! That helped make the purchasing process easier. I was able to shop online for a variety of sensory books. By sensory books, I mean touch/texture books, books with movement, and books with sound or a combination of any of these items. Along with sensory books, there were some specific topics like sports or books about animals (non fiction). 

The list also asked if a student would prefer a puzzle over a book, maybe they are not interested in books or they are not able to read on their own but would enjoy a puzzle instead. A handful of students were listed as preferring a puzzle which was another fun item to find that matched topics of interest and piece count. Those that selected a puzzle, could definitely also bring home a book. I read to my son all the time and he enjoys sensory books so there is something for everyone. 

I also included the teachers and staff in the book fair. I brought books and a few puzzles for them to choose from. I wanted it to be for everyone, if they wanted to participate, at no cost to them. I didn’t want cost to be a barrier or worry for anyone. This book fair was such a huge success. The students and teachers were so amazing and excited to have an event like this where they can take the books home to keep or use at school too. This was a blessing to me. I was surrounded by books, able to shop and curate books for some very wonderful children and teachers, and help them pick out books. It was a memorable experience for me! I may not have the bookshop, but I am definitely able to help bring books to more people. We were even able to donate some books to the school library and we are planning to host another book fair before the end of the school year so the students have some new options over the summer. 

Below are some steps to help you start planning a book fair for your community.

Do you have a place in mind that would love to have a book fair? Maybe a school, after school program, or shelter? It was easy for me to decide, I wanted to offer an opportunity to my son’s school that hasn’t ever been offered before. The first look of joy on the students’ faces was well worth the hours of planning! 

1. Get the right people on board! I needed to have permission from the school to make this book fair possible. I am lucky to have my son surrounded by such a great team, who care and want to give more opportunities to their students. 

Once I had the permission, it was time to set a date and find out what books to gather. I wanted to host the book fair before the fall or winter break, so that the students could have something to read or a puzzle to complete while they were on break. I also wanted to make sure I was gathering the right type of books. With the help of the administration, a form was created and sent to the teachers asking for reading levels and topics of interest for each of their students. This was so very helpful! I highly recommend curating a list as much as possible. Reading level and topics were helpful to gather the right books. Maybe it is a sensory book with music or a favorite character that I can find, but it makes it that much more meaningful to the student too.

2. Find a date and time. Now try to gather a list of topics, reading levels, favorite characters, popular books, classics, and even a few puzzles. Decide how many books you expect each student to be able to choose.

Once the list started being created, I was out the door and ready to shop! I decided that I wanted each student to be able to choose two books or maybe a puzzle and a book if they would like. This was the second most fun part of this event, at least for me. The best part of course was the actual event. Shopping for books was a joy for me and the thrill of the hunt to find the right character or the right reading level with a beloved character was just the challenge I needed. Surprisingly, it wasn’t difficult. 

I searched through my stash of books for all ages and interests. I was able to collect quite a few that way. I have books that I pick up at thrift stores or garage sales that I keep for our Trick or Treaters. I put out our table and place a bowl of candy (I definitely include candy!) and a tub of books for younger kids and a handful of chapter books. This was the first place I started selecting books. Next was book stores and thrift shops. 

Once I had a plan in place, I also shared with family and friends about the event. This led to some books being donated. I was able to look through the books and select what would match the interests and reading levels of the students. It’s a team effort! The most surprising source of help came through a grant of $250. Thrivent funds donated the amount so I could purchase more books and further curate to the students. This was a huge help with finding sensory books, books in bulk, and newer books of popular characters and interests like animals and sports.

3. Start gathering books, ask for help and donations. Find a grant or ask for monetary donations to purchase books.

Now the real fun begins and the day of the event is here! A quick note before the event. I printed out my list from the teachers and organized the books by categories into boxes to make the day of the book fair easier. This also gave me a chance to inventory what I had and make sure I had a good amount for the book fair. I was expecting at least 30 students and about 25 teachers and staff. 

Before the book fair, I decided two books (or a book and a puzzle) and one holiday/seasonal book would be available for each student. The holiday books were a mix of Fall, Halloween, Winter, or Christmas/Santa books. Students could leave with 3 items if they wanted. I also gathered books from my own collection and what I found at used books shops for the teachers. Along with a few puzzles, I added a section for the teachers and staff. This was a huge hit and a surprise. 

The day of the book fair arrived…finally! I was so excited for this event. Definitely in my element! My husband and I set up the books. The staff set up six tables for us before we arrived. I added simple table clothes, a few items for displays, signage, and of course the books and puzzles. Each section was labeled. Not everyone attending is reading, so I also included visual cues about the topics and picking out books. Of course they could see the books on display, but added visuals make it nice for everyone! I created and printed the signs from home, nothing fancy! I also had some wood crates for display and organizers to use for book displays. You can purchase these, gather what you have, or ask others to donate or borrow from someone for the day of the event.

4. Set up the books. Make sure you have enough tables, some display pieces, and signage. Setting up the books is up to you. I had some raised and others in organizers the students could pull from to look at. The puzzles I placed on a separate table. Everything was easy to grab and accessible. 

We hosted the book fair for three hours. The classrooms came in about 15 minute increments with a little time in between where I could rearrange books, put things in order, or just sit down for a moment. In all we had around 40 students and about 20 staff. I didn’t do an exact count, but close. If you need an exact count, you can always count before everyone leaves or have a list to check off names or classrooms. For the students that were not at school that day, the teachers selected books they thought the student would enjoy. I didn’t want anyone left out. For a few students, the event may have been too overstimulating or out of their norm, so teachers also gathered some choices for those students. This may be unique to our event, but it is important to adapt and allow everyone to participate in the best way possible.

We gathered the books that were not selected and boxed them up to take home. We did donate some books to the school library and plan to donate more as needed. The books that have been left are being saved for the next event! I’m planning for another book fair before the end of the school year to give the students an opportunity to pick more books before the summer break. I’ll also gather more books before this event to make sure I have enough. I took notes on some of the more popular topics and an approximate number of students and teachers. The feedback I received was all positive. I will bring more sensory friendly books to the next book fair because those were more popular than originally indicated on the list, but overall we had more than enough books for everyone. This was such a joy for me. It truly made my heart happy to be able to share something I love with others. 

5. Clean up, send those thank yous, and start planning the next event! Do an easy after action review. How did it go, what do you think went well, any opportunities for improvement, what was the feedback received? Would you do this again?

I hope you are inspired to do something you love and share it with others. This is something I care about and it is so fulfilling to be able to, in my own way, have that sense of a bookshop where I can share books with others.