By Isaac B.
Seventh Grade, Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation
Krieger Schechter Day School held its annual book fair in November. Students, parents, grandparents, teachers and other community members purchased books from Scholastic and other publishers to raise funds for the school’s library.
In preparation for the book fair, students completed activities based on this year’s theme, celebrating milestones, specifically the 36th anniversary of KSDS. Kindergarten-through-second grade students colored and cut out images that decorated the book fair area.
Third and fourth graders wrote about their favorite books, and their writing was displayed in the hall. Also displayed at the fair were two jars, one for the lower school and one for middle school, filled with Hershey’s Kisses. For fun, the students who guessed the closest number of Kisses that were actually in the jar won the chocolates.
The KSDS book fair has a unique way of securing a wide selection of books.
“We contract a company called Main Street and give them ideas of what we’re looking for,” said Melanie Gitomer, a KSDS parent and book fair co-chair. “[Main Street] sends us a range of books. We also work with the Ivy Bookshop [in Baltimore]. Because not all books are available through Scholastic, the Ivy Bookshop helps to supplement the books available for our students.”
The KSDS book fair always offers books for its different audiences, including students and community members, in a variety of interest areas. Additionally, the fair provides a special section of books written by KSDS alumni and teachers. Featured authors on this table included Nathaniel Hoffman (Class of 1991), Tal Boger (Class of 2005), Max Buchdahl (Class of 2010), Darby Levin (Class of 2011) and middle school social studies teacher Stephen Gordon, among others. In addition, specific books titles can be special ordered.
The book fair is operated entirely by volunteers, who run the cash register, set up displays and take it down at the fair’s closing. The volunteers dedicate their free time to include hours outside of the school day, including on Sundays.
Each year, the fair proves important to KSDS because books are a key part of education. Gitomer said that she “loves books and the fact that everything that’s sold goes directly back to the school.”
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