For decades, young readers have eagerly anticipated the Scholastic Book Fair’s appearance at their elementary school.
Many scoured catalogs to circle their most-wanted picks and begged for pocket money to cover their favorite series’ latest installment or trinkets like bookmarks, multicolor retractable pens or fun-shaped erasers.
Kansas City readers got the chance to relive that classic school event on Thursday at an all-ages book fair hosted by Rainy Day Books and Lead to Read KC, a local nonprofit aimed at improving literacy by connecting students with reading mentors and distributing thousands of children’s books.
Tucked into the old Westport Middle School's auditorium at Park 39, dozens of attendees browsed tables of curated books that spanned age groups and genres.
Rhea LeGrande, executive director of Lead to Read KC, said they also made some changes from childhood fairs to appeal to a range of ages, like adding a DJ to play music while attendees grabbed food and drinks from local businesses Nour’s and Made in KC.
“We're hoping to spark nostalgia for folks at the book fair, but also elevate it a little bit because now you're a grown-up and you can buy as many books as you want,” LeGrande said.
Those "nostalgic feels” are what drew Frankie Chilcutt to bring her friend Vini Stephens to Thursday’s book fair after seeing it posted online. The two are avid readers and said they're constantly talking about the different books that they’re reading.
Chilcutt said she loved when the book fair would take over her school’s library and bring in stacks of books that weren’t usually in stock. But she was mostly interested in buying as many fun toys or pens as possible
As a kid, Stephens said she would frustrate her mother when she came home without a book from her school’s fair.
“But as an adult, oh my gosh. This is like a candy store,” Stephens said. “I wouldn't pick up anything but a book.”
But she said the book fair’s decorations, trinkets and toys eventually got kids interested in books, as well.
Organizers hoped that the sales from Thursday’s fair will help support Kansas City’s next generation of readers.
LeGrande said Rainy Day Books has long donated books to Lead to Read, but the book fair came from both organizations wanting to increase their impact. The inaugural KC Book Fair drew about 300 readers last year.
All proceeds from this year’s ticket sales will go to Lead to Read KC, and the book fair’s proceeds will help Rainy Day Books hold a free book fair at Academy for Integrated Arts, an elementary charter school in Kansas City.
Lisa Ball, education director at Rainy Day Books, said there will always be a kid who can't afford to buy a book at a book fair. The bookstore is trying to change that with its Books for All program.
“We believe that every kid should be able to get a book at a book fair, and experience the magic of a book fair,” Ball said.
Marissa Denmon brought her first-grade daughter to Thursday’s event because her school doesn’t hold a book fair. Denmon and her daughter both love to read, and she wanted her daughter to get that experience.
Denmon said she loved reading Junie B. Jones, Goosebumps and Captain Underpants growing up. Her daughter has her own favorites, including Grumpy Monkey. She said fostering that love of reading affects their lives beyond the page.
“It really just builds their confidence so that they can articulate themselves well,” Denmon said. “(There) is two things you do every day for the rest of your life, and that's reading and math.”
If people didn’t have a kid in their life to buy a book for at Thursday’s event, they were encouraged to buy one for the students served by Lead to Read KC. LeGrande said they tagged books that students ask for the most.
“We're hoping that people enjoy a good book for themselves, the kids in their lives, and also some of your gifts because we want Kansas City to be a city of readers,” LeGrande said.
Stephens said she and Chilcott were glad to pick up an extra book and contribute to expanding literacy for local kids, especially as many young people struggle to read. Chilcott said reading as a kid helped expand her worldview.
“Empathy, sympathy — I think that's what I've learned a lot from books, is different people's backgrounds and how that comes to play and how you can empathize better, converse better with other people,” Chilcott said.
