Comments on: Remembering When Scholastic Meant Good Books

By: George Angus

George Angus — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:24:41 +0000

Hey folks.

Stumbled here, glad I did. I’ve helped our school librarian with the last couple of Scholastic book fairs and while the sheer volume of books amazes me, I did find that there were a lot of items that were just one step above a happy meal toy. The kids flock to the durned things. Not so sure they spark much of an interest in books…

Cheers

George

By: Kerstin

Kerstin — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 05:51:48 +0000

Scholastic used to have ‘book fairs’ at my schools so I didn’t have to order anything or wait! I bought and still have many of the books I got while I was a child, QUALITY books I still read to this day! While the ‘toys’ and other crap always interested me (I’d sometimes buy some weird pencil stuff or a ruler) I could never afford them, and found the mini-novels to be much more interesting.

I can’t say the same for this generation though ):

By: Sabra

Sabra — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:37:02 +0000

I have a daughter in public school for the first time this year, in first grade. So I have gotten a few of these Scholastic fliers. And while I have seen some commercial tie-ins (my daughters picked out two Barbie chapter books & a Littlest Pet Shop book at the book fair, & for the record did not suddenly ask for the toys depicted therein), I have not seen toys for sale in the fliers. There were a few things available at the book fair, but they were of the school-supply type, in the main. Fancy pencils, that sort of thing. If there are toys for sale in the fliers, either they’re not in the 1st grade fliers, or I simply don’t see them because I’m looking at the books, and that’s what my girl wants anyway.

By: Wenona Napolitano

Wenona Napolitano — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:10:56 +0000

Those book order forms were the highlight of school, nothing excited me more than getting new books. My daughter is the same way though she is often swayed by the other crap they offer. I ask her to keep the requests to the books, not jewelry and games and other junk she doesn’t need.

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:28:07 +0000

I agree. Even when I was in college and tutoring elementary school kids, I’d get so excited when I saw one with an order form. Then the disappointment would come because there was so much JUNK in there. It’s a book club, for heaven’s sake. Sell BOOKS. Definitely isn’t what it used to be, and that saddens me.

By: KiwiLog

KiwiLog — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:23:18 +0000

Well said! While I’m incredibly disappointed to hear about this, parents have the power to influence Scholastic’s offerings. Quality books is what it’s all about–how about some Roald Dahl? When I was little, I found those stories absolutely magical, and read them all multiple times.

By: Todd Humphreys

Todd Humphreys — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:37:50 +0000

What will be next? The basics of being a child have been ruined in “modern society”, what is to be gained by selling make up to children thru a book club? sick & disgusting, these people have no shame. Support your local library, no make up for sale there, my children love library trips.

By: Kristin

Kristin — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:01:51 +0000

I LOVED the Scholastic Books Club. And I wasn’t always allowed to get everything I wanted, usually just a book or two, but man, the excitement I felt when they came in. I was getting a new book (or two!) that I could KEEP! And even if I couldn’t buy anything that month, I loved to go through the “catalog” and circle every book that I wanted – then I would borrow them from the library.

Toys and all that other junk have no place in a book club. What is Scholastic about plastic junk toys?

By: Annie

Annie — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:14:34 +0000

It sounds like the VP isn’t a book lover. Non-book-lovers don’t “get” that books are magical, and they don’t need gimmicks. Perhaps the people at Scholastic should just start reading more and recapture some of that magic.