Imagination Awaits

By: Mayeline Hairo

Everyone loves a book fair. As the air fills with enthusiastic chatter, students prepare to browse and purchase books and trinkets to their liking. As students build up this excitement, they create wish lists of books they would like to purchase. 

Elementary students reading at the book fair.

This is Elizabeth Barnhill’s 27th year in coordinating the book fair. For elementary and middle school students, Barnhill said they gravitate towards graphic novels like Dog Man and The Babysitter’s Club, adding that the other half of the students wander towards the charms and novelties, such as scented erasers or soft-covered journals.                                                                          

“The book fair allows children to gain a new understanding of the value of money,” said Barnhill. “A little girl came up once with a lot of books that rang up to $26, but she only had $1.25, so I taught her how much each one costs.” Barnhill added that she “loves” to see them excited about books. 

Barnhill’s favorite book that she’s seen at the Book Fair has to be Library Mouse. A book about a mouse becoming an author in a library where children and staff seek out the one behind the tiny books written by the mouse appearing in the aisles. The mouse sets up a ‘meet the author’ stand with a mirror, making it so that whoever looks into it sees themselves. “Anyone can be an author,” the librarian adds. 

Elementary students enjoying the book fair.

Book fairs are fun, but also a lot of work, said Barnhill. She has to make sure she has enough volunteers to help children set up their wishlists and have parents to encourage their children to buy a book. While running the book fair, she has to keep up with what needs to be restocked before it runs out. The money raised from the book fair goes back to the school. “It specifically goes back to the kids,” she notes.