I'm the Scholastic Bookfair Chair.....

[Kristena]

and we set up our twice-yearly Bookfair tomorrow morning!  My K will be safely ensconced in my purse...

I feel a bit guilty but we always do a great business (well over 10K each time) and the kids love buying the books and we have a lot of fun selling them.


I have no fear that DTB will disappear any time soon!

 

[Bacardi Jim]

I have no fear that DTB will disappear any time soon!

 

Certainly not so long as a certain Scholastic author refuses to let her books be Kindlized.

[kim]

Oh don't feel guilty.  Even though many people who have a Kindle prefer not to read the DTBs, those DTBs still have their place.  Especially with kids.  I would never want to take a book away from a kid.  They so enjoy the pictures, and holding a new book, and hearing the spine crack the first time it's open. 

[Khabita]

Yes, and I'd rather hear that "crack" coming from a book spine than from a $350 Kindle! Kids are just too rough with stuff to give them Kindles -- at least, not until the price comes WAY down or they come with air bags! (the Kindles, not the kids)

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

Certainly not so long as a certain Scholastic author refuses to let her books be Kindlized.

She says she wants the kids to feel the thrill of holding a paper book in their hands.  Like parents are going to shell out $359 for a Kindle for their kids.  She's just way too possessive.

[Mikuto]

Oh! Memories! I remember the Scholastic Book Fairs! So many books that I wanted and couldn't afford, I remember getting the catalogues to order them too, made almost tissue-paper thin, and circle all the books with the fun covers that looked like I would like to read them.

I always got a book mark at the fair. Don't exactly need them now...

[Mom of 4]

Book fairs and DTB are definitely going strong with my oldest!  I don't even want to think about how many books he talked me into this year! 
It really killed me knowing how much less they are on Amazon too, but it's good for the school, right?

[Bacardi Jim]

She says she wants the kids to feel the thrill of holding a paper book in their hands.  Like parents are going to shell out $359 for a Kindle for their kids.  She's just way too possessive.

LR and I were discussing this before I went to work.  We came up with two theories:

1) It has to do with writing technique.  Rowling's friend Stephen King writes on a word processor.  And he was at the forefront of digitizing books.  Rowling writes longhand on legal pads.  She has an intimate relationship with ink and paper.

2) Much of her success came from kids seeing the actual books in other kids' hands or bookbags.  This kind of visual "word-of-mouth" helped spread her popularity like wildfire early in her career.  This certainly would not have been the case with e-readers. Thus, of course, DTB's are special to her.

[chobitz]

LR and I were discussing this before I went to work.  We came up with two theories:

1) It has to do with writing technique.  Rowling's friend Stephen King writes on a word processor.  And he was at the forefront of digitizing books.  Rowling writes longhand on legal pads.  She has an intimate relationship with ink and paper.

2) Much of her success came from kids seeing the actual books in other kids' hands or book bags.  This kind of visual "word-of-mouth" helped spread her popularity like wildfire early in her career.  This certainly would not have been the case with e-readers. Thus, of course, DTB's are special to her.

One problem with item 1 .. King is a notorious technophobe. His book Cell is actually about his fear of technology. He writes about it in his forward in Cell. He prefers books, he doesn't even like audio books! Yet he allows his books to be on kindle. I think JKR just has a bug in her bonnet over the rights to her books.

Funny though.. Stephenie Meyers , author of the Twilight series, is a royal prima donna about her books and pirating yet she allows her books to be digitized.

JKR is just being a meanie IMO

Oh and I remember scholastic book fairs also! I eventually bought all the Black Stallion books from scholastic when I was in school.

[kim]

2) Much of her success came from kids seeing the actual books in other kids' hands or bookbags.  This kind of visual "word-of-mouth" helped spread her popularity like wildfire early in her career.  This certainly would not have been the case with e-readers. Thus, of course, DTB's are special to her.

I especially like your second theory.  The visual is very important for the kids, I'm sure you are right about that helping with her success

[chynared21]

I think JKR just has a bug in her bonnet over the rights to her books.

LOL chobitz, I've never heard this phrase before. I have to remember this one 

I love the book fairs at school...it's such a tiring day but I love to see the excitement on the kids' faces :-)

[DawnOfChaos]

This is one of those situations where I would feel a little awkward bringing out a Kindle.  My kids had a blast picking out books at our recent bookfair.  But they know how I feel about them putting their little paws on 'Mommy's Magic Black Book"    When they're a little older maybe, but not at the current play-doh, marker, snot stage.

[Leslie]

LOL chobitz, I've never heard this phrase before. I have to remember this one 

I love the book fairs at school...it's such a tiring day but I love to see the excitement on the kids' faces :-)

I have always heard it as bee in her bonnet...but that may be a northeastern thing. I have been told repeatedly I am too much of a northeastern liberal for my own good. LOL.

L

[Bacardi Jim]

I have always heard it as bee in her bonnet...but that may be a northeastern thing. I have been told repeatedly I am too much of a northeastern liberal for my own good. LOL.

L

I'm from Kansas, and I always heard it as "bee" too.  *shrug*

[Leslie]

I'm from Kansas, and I always heard it as "bee" too.  *shrug*

But I think you have northeastern liberal sensibilities, from what I have read.

L

[Bacardi Jim]

But I think you have northeastern liberal sensibilities, from what I have read.

L

You are a Mistress of Understatement.

[Angela]

She says she wants the kids to feel the thrill of holding a paper book in their hands.  Like parents are going to shell out $359 for a Kindle for their kids.  She's just way too possessive.

I believe I have seen more adults with her books in their hands than kids. I may never get to read them, because now that I know here stance on ebooks, I won't buy them at all if she remains.... ummmm.... hard headed. 

AND, I loved the bookfairs as a kid... I was given a price limit every year and I would try to get as many books as I could with what my mom gave me to spend!

[Vampyre]

Funny though.. Stephenie Meyers , author of the Twilight series, is a royal prima donna about her books and pirating yet she allows her books to be digitized.

I only know part of this story but from what I heard, one of her trusted friends was a proof reader and they leaked one of her stories before it was ready.  It effectively ended her Twilight series before she was ready.  My facts may be wrong but this is the story I heard.  She was in effect betrayed by a (ex)best friend.


while SK may be a technophobe, he has always been a forerunner in the digital format.  He doesn't let his fear hold him back.

[Kristena]

I do love the HP series and am rather insulted by JKR's stance because I don't want to be told how I can enjoy a book!  I love OWNING hardbacks (they look great on the shelves) but I would rather READ a paperback (easier to hold....until I got a Kindle).  I also enjoy audio books--no paper involved.  Does she have a preference as to WHERE I should read?  I read in bed, or on the couch, or in the car waiting for the kids, or at the beach....am I doing it wrong?

It's kind of like the small independent bookstores who stock books THEY think you should read, rather than the books you may want.  Why do they get to choose my preferences?

Anyway, back to the Bookfair!  We'll set up later this morning and it'll be great.  I'd love to be able to buy my DD (10 yo) a Kindle but that's not going to happen for a while.  I do have a friend at school who has a Kindle (the first one I saw in the wild!) and I was walking onto campus yesterday with a book in my hand and she yelled, "What are you doing holding that dead tree!"  Well,  it was DD's library book and it was late!  (Her jabs were all in good fun..)

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

I believe I have seen more adults with her books in their hands than kids. I may never get to read them, because now that I know here stance on ebooks, I won't buy them at all if she remains.... ummmm.... hard headed. 

Don't be just as hard-headed as JKR is.  The books are well worth reading.  I didn't read the first one until Goblet of Fire came out.  I saw lines of kids waiting outside bookstores for the release and wondered what all the fuss was about.  A friend of mine told me, and then I found out that half my office were fans.  I quickly caught up with the first four books, and have been hooked ever since. 

Borrow them, get them from the library or USB, but don't deny yourself the pleasure of Potter's world.  Warning:  some of the books should come with a box of Kleenex. 

[jah]

Ah fond memories of Childhood.  I always love going to bookfairs at my school, when I was younger.

[Angela]

Don't be just as hard-headed as JKR is.  The books are well worth reading.  I didn't read the first one until Goblet of Fire came out.  I saw lines of kids waiting outside bookstores for the release and wondered what all the fuss was about.  A friend of mine told me, and then I found out that half my office were fans.  I quickly caught up with the first four books, and have been hooked ever since. 

Borrow them, get them from the library or USB, but don't deny yourself the pleasure of Potter's world.  Warning:  some of the books should come with a box of Kleenex. 

I will probably read them someday, but they will definitely come from the library or borrowed from a freind. If she wants me to buy them, then she will have to give in!! 

[chobitz]

I only know part of this story but from what I heard, one of her trusted friends was a proof reader and they leaked one of her stories before it was ready.  It effectively ended her Twilight series before she was ready.  My facts may be wrong but this is the story I heard.  She was in effect betrayed by a (ex)best friend.


while SK may be a technophobe, he has always been a forerunner in the digital format.  He doesn't let his fear hold him back.

Yep thats the gist of the story. I still think she should publish that book that got leaked. IMO she is hurting her fans over the action of an obviously jealous ex friend.

Yes I love SK. I would love to meet him sometime.

back on subject... I also remember getting a copy of The Hobbit at one of those fairs.

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

I had to go into the school last week to make an announcement and the book fair was set up in the production room.  I spent $35 on books for the grandkids for Christmas.

Now they're sending us a book fair flyer every month.  These fundraisers get to be a bit much.

[stevene9]

Concerning JKR - once your net worth hits $500,000,000, you automatically become hard-headed. I think its a law of nature.

Steve