Fall book fair 2014

We just finished our week-long fall book fair and per my right arm of the week/the PTSA secretary's guestimate, the fair may have been a little more successful than the past two. Jeff Kinney is putting out another edition of the very popular and hilarious Diary of a Wimpy Kid series in a few weeks, and The Long Haul, the newest edition's title, was available for pre-order. I picked up a copy of Cabin Fever a couple of years ago just to see what all the fuss was about, and why I probably get more demands for Wimpy Kid books than all the other titles in the library put together. I read the first ten pages and quickly understood the hype, as Greg Heffley mused about how he hoped Santa Claus wasn't really watching him all the time because he did not want Santa to see him in his underwear. We'll see what The Long Haul brings. This fair brought some spooky titles, which was convenient for a fair beginning two weeks out of Halloween. Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, for which illustrator Peter Brown received the Caldecott Honor, is a great story about favorite treats coming back to haunt a kid...even if the kid is a rabbit and his favorite treats are vegetables. The pencil illustrations well-warranted the award. I book-talked Eerie Elementary #1: The School is Alive by Jack Chabert on the school's morning news broadcast, in front of several fifth graders who are also safety patrol members. I asked them if their job seemed easier now that they knew that at least, on their worst day, they would not be eaten by quicksand. They laughed. And the book sold out. David Shannon's books, especially A Bad Case of Stripes and the No! David series, always circulate well, and the book Bugs in My Hair drew interest as much for the connection with Shannon, whom students recognized in the author video, as for the subject matter, although it's great to see a book that helps dispel any shame around lice outbreaks. Rick Riordan's book on the Greek gods, reviewed here by "Iron Guy Carl" from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, was also available in hardback and given the popularity of the Percy Jackson series, I am considering adding it to the library's collection. We closed down the book fair Friday afternoon and put the library back in "normal" (such as it is) order again but online purchasing is still available for another week; as someone who is trying to ensure that the library is relevant to 21st century learners and convenient to parents who are like I am and prefer online purchasing, I love having the online option. And I have told students that they can easily remember how long the online link will be active because, hey, Halloween at midnight is a spooky deadline. The book fair coach turns into a pumpkin again.