Scholastic Book Fairs

There were two major book events that we looked forward to in elementary school. One we simply called RIF, named after the organization Reading is Fundamental, who would deliver free books of all kinds to the school for us to keep. Usually these were thin books with a lot of pictures, so everyone won. Those of us wanting to learn could learn and everyone else had something shiny and new to look at.

The other event was the school sponsored Scholastic Book Fair fund raising event, during which kid-book giant Scholastic would essentially bring all of their new books and their shiny, illustrated covers and put them up for sale in an attempt to have kids persuade their parents to give them book money. Of course, NOBODY bought books. Not the students, anyway. It may have been that they and their blue collar families couldn't afford the outrageous prices, but it was much more likely that they would have just blown the money on the TOYS, neon bookmarks, and pencils Scholastic always added to their shop each year and that the few who remembered money during their library classes where the fairs were held would buy. I highly doubt I was as cynical about corporate interests and greed infiltrating the youth reading movement as a 4h grader, but just know it's Scholastic I say "for shame" to, not the students buying the shiny pencils. They're kids.

So to conclude, RIF > Scholastic Book Fair