A Report from the Book Fair

As I write this, two boys are looking at the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records and two girls are looking at novels which feature cupcakes on their pink covers. This moment is repeated many times during the day. It’s book fair week which is always a good time to see what’s capturing the attention of 2nd graders (snakes and dogs) and 5th graders (cupcakes and record breakers).

This is a “new” book fair for Inly. We are working with Book Fairs by Book Ends, a company which offers an “alternative” to the more commercially-driven Scholastic. Our students and parents are happy to try something new. The books are not based on TV programs, and happily, there is not one Twilight novel. In fact, now that I think about it, vampires appear only in the Halloween books.

Okay – this really happened. I was just interrupted from posting this because a student wanted to pay for her books. Here’s what she bought: It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder and Katie and the Cupcake Cure by Coco Simon. Guess what I’m craving right now…

I’ve started my own pile (supporting the library!) and here’s what’s in it – so far:

Composed by Rosanne Cash (yes, they have books for adults too – and I am a big fan of Roseanne Cash)

Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez (a story about a family in Vermont who hires illegal Mexican farm workers. The reviews made me think this could be a good book for some of my middle school students to read.)

China: Land of Dragons and Emperors by Adeline Yen Mah (so much about China I don’t know – and feel like I should. I loved Mah’s book, Chinese Cinderella and didn’t know about this one until I saw it in the fair)

One Big Rain: Poems for Rainy Days compiled by Rita Gray (very excited about this. I don’t like rain, but love poems about rain)

Here’s a poem about fall – from Gray’s book:

The Mist and All by Dixie Wilson

I like the fall.

The mist and all.

I like the night owl’s

Lonely call.

And wailing sound

Of wind around.

I like the gray.

November day.

And bare, dead boughs

That coldly sway

Against my pane.

I like the rain.

I like to sit

And laugh at it-

And tend

My cozy fire a bit.

I like the fall –

The mist and all.