I am active with our PTO and in my son's classroom. I am a Usborne Books consultant and my son's school is doing an online Book Fair in May through Usborne. It's easy to do the online and is coordinated through a consultant (in this case, me). There are also other fundraising opportunities through Usborne. You can check out info here: p4445.myubam.com/.
You can also host a book fair in the school too.
The school uses Scholastic for their in school book fair in the Fall.
I'm a rural Texas school district librarian and my fairs are for HeadStart through 12th grade. My goal is books in their hands and to raise a bit of credit or $$$.
I am tired selling for Scholastic. My rep is a really nice guy and has little control over what the workers in the warehouse put in these book cases. The current fair here had Minecraft books in 2 of the 6 cases. They can't seem to get most of our high school summer reading books for AP/PreAP, etc.
I do get so tired of the junk... that's what my older kids who are not readers buy so I put it out... they seem to get mortally offended if I pack it away. (Weird, but okay). We make the elementary buy books first, then they can buy the junk, if mom says it's okay.
I usually do a regular fair in the fall and a BOGO in the spring. Rep begged me to do a "Ready for Reading Summer" one... so we are... nothing much going. I get physically injured every time packing and unpacking the boxes and dealing with the cases. Send me x cases, in a well-organized, thoughtful style, let me have some of my high school boys maneuver those suckers in place, open, and go. So, I'm shopping around. I don't think an online fair will work nor do I think a take-home thing will either. I know one in the nearest book store does no good... it's 30+ miles away and too much trouble for almost nothing.. we've done that before. So, I'm looking at new options!
He's got 1 last shot next fall. I'm am going to talk to the rep at length and someone in the warehouse. If it doesn't go my way, they are fired.
I'm taking notes, like I said and I'll repost them here when I'm done...
Thanks!
I'm busy taking notes and I appreciate everyone's comments.
The book fair is designed to PROMOTE LITERACY, not to act as a fund-raising cash-cow for the PTO. It is baffling that PTOs actually put literacy on the same level as cookie dough.
i think most of ya'll need to get with your provider... we have had problems with only a few copies, but on one of the several calls i got before school started (from scholastic) i told him and he said he'd fix it. On previous book fairs we asked for more registers and got them. although with cash back, scholastic dollars, etc, we usually make about 4000, earn only 1000ish. with about 400 in scholastic that can only be bought thru their catalog, which is fine cuz we get books, etc, for the school too.
Hello. I have read through this entire blog and would like to comment on a few things. First, full disclosure. I am an educational consultant for Usborne Books & More. I am also the mother of two beautiful girls, 1 1/2 and 7 and nothing matters more to me than their happiness and education.
Yes, Usborne Books & More (UBAM) is the home business division (ie Direct sales) of Educational Development Corporation (EDC)which is based in Tulsa Oklahoma. EDC is the trade publisher for Usborne Publishing Limited (a UK publisher that won the 2012 best children's publisher award) and Kane Miller (a US company with a plethora of award winning books). Usborne books & more distributes books through independent consultants who hold book showings in individual homes, through books fairs, fund raisers and direct sales. There was a person here who thought that this way of selling books was somehow duplicitous and that the company tries to keep this a secret, I do not know why.
Honestly, I am so very very thankful that I chose to attend a book party that one of my corporate co-workers hosted last November. If I had not, I would have never been introduced to some of the best books (especially the non-fiction which is always current -despite the comments of an earlier individual) for children. Every time a shipment of books comes in my older daughter gets so excited to see them, this from a child who only a year ago declared that she doesn't like to read. She finished the 1st grade at a 4th grade reading level due to all the books she's read and I have found a career that I LOVE.
I am a UBAM consultant, but we go to the Scholastic bookfairs and purchase books. Some of them I wouldn't waste my money on, but others are wonderful. I love that several of the people here have stated that they hold BOTH Scholastic and Usborne book fairs. They are very different lines of books and they have different audiences, both companies have an interest in literacy and want your children to read so why not take a balanced approach? Additionally, for those of you who are interested in supporting local, I have little knowledge of Scholastic's business organization, but when you support an Usborne consultant, you ARE supporting local, just as you would be supporting that local book store.
I encourage you all to do your research, check out the websites, ask around. Whatever you decide, getting and keeping kids reading should be the priority.
Scholastic Book Fairs first and foremost is to get reasonably priced books into the hands of children. They make their money on the trinkity stuff that the kids love to buy. Don't put it out at your fair or request from your sales rep it not be sent, but in doing so your profit will go down. Supply and demand. Teach your kids to love books rather than erasers and they will want to buy books and not junk. My daughter has never asked to buy junk.
