Book Fair Money

Yes, I know I said that I would be writing more about the Horizon Foundation’s recently released Howard County health outcomes report today, but I slept through my time window for analytical thought, so here we are. Look for that tomorrow.

Instead, I have a little assignment for you. Go to Twitter and search the words “book fair money”. Now, read the results. There are plenty; you’re not obliged to read all of them. Just enough to get the point.

It’s pretty stunning how many full grown adults are walking around with memories of how important the book fair was in their school experience. In particular, you will notice how many still feel the sting of being the child who didn’t have “book fair money.”

I’ll never forget how sad I was as a kid when my parents didn’t send me to the book fair with money and everybody would leave with some lit ass books and I’d be waiting against the wall with the teacher.

A good bit of this conversation on Twitter was generated by someone who posted:

The scholastic book fair is free now. Wow.

Another poster added:

lmao it is not free but they do have this thing where parents that have a little more to spare can buy books and put them on a specific wall for the kids that don’t get book fair money can still go in and get new books without getting the charity feeling. it’s actually real nice.

Book fairs are going strong and still a big deal right here in Howard County, where the Homewood Center has launched an initiative to crowdfund free books for every single student in their community. You can help.

Help EVERY student get a book from their wish list @hcpss_hc 1st Scholastic Book Fair on 3/18. Cash and checks can be mailed or dropped off to Homewood Center, any time before 3/13

This is Homewood’s first book fair. Ever. Imagine the joy of every single student being able to pick out a book of their very own. You can help to make it happen. Sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a44a5a82ba6ff2-homewood1

You can donate as little as five dollars. You don’t need to be a big donor to make a big impact. At the moment they don’t have the capability to send money online, so you will need to make sure you do the follow up to get your donation there before the 3/13 deadline.

Homewood doesn’t have its own PTA as they draw students from all over the county. I’d love to see folks from all over the county chip in to make this project wildly successful.