From October 27th through the 31st, the annual Scholastic Book Fair will be held in the library. While most students know what a book fair is, very few know how it works, or why so many schools hold them. 

“[Preuss] has had book fairs since I’ve been here, and they were run before I got here,” said Ms. Nance. 

Ms. Nance, alongside Ms. Gonzalez, have been librarians at Preuss for nearly two decades, and are heavily involved in the book fair process. 

Yet for the vast majority of students, the appearance of a book fair is akin to a natural phenomenon, materializing yearly in schools before disappearing without a trace. 

“I don’t think students know much about [book fairs],” says Bianca Delgado Bernal (‘28), who is president of the book club, “They just go for the trinkets.”

Logistically, a book fair is a partnership between the school and the Scholastic Corporation, the largest publisher and distributor of children’s books. When Preuss orders a fair, Scholastic provides the books, supplies, and accessories, and the school sets it up. 

“Let’s say we earn $3,800 worth of merchandise and books. That qualifies us for 50% back. We’d get back around $1,900 in Scholastic Dollars. It’s not cash, but it allows us to buy anything [from] Scholastic that we would want,” explained Ms. Nance. 

While Scholastic offers the option to receive the money in cash, Scholastic Dollars specifically have higher purchasing power, and make it easier for schools to buy supplies and books. The downside is that it limits what the school purchases to their products. 

“We usually spend [Scholastic Dollars] on books, but sometimes we get little rugs or other items.” Ms. Nance also mentioned that classroom furniture, magazines, and educational supplies are featured on their website. 

Ultimately, this process is a mutually beneficial exchange for the school, students, and Scholastic. 

“Preuss benefits from this by getting supplies and being able to purchase books, and since [students] get access to a variety of books, they have a gateway to getting a good education and a good job, which is what Preuss is about.” 

Many students have attested to the correlation between book fairs and their enjoyment of reading. 

“I remember going to the book fair when I was in 6th grade,” Bianca Bernal (‘28) recalled. “My mom made me go and buy a book because I used to hate reading, and she wanted to encourage it. I remember there was a wide variety of books from different genres… I was like, whoa, reading can actually make me feel something.” 

Whenever a book fair appears, there is an exchange where Scholastic makes a profit, the school gets supplies, and students get books that benefit them educationally. Preuss has participated in this tradition for decades, and will likely continue to do so. Each year, the book fair is an opportunity to support the school and broaden reading horizons. 

“With a variety of books and cool school supplies, come to the book fair for the latest, and greatest,” Ms. Nance announced. The Preuss Book Fair will be open until SEA this Saturday.