Jack Kemp Community School Grade 6 students Ilah, left, and Emma, browse through library books for sale at a school fair last Wednesday to promote reading. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Many young students in the Lloydminster Public School Division (LPSD) might have their noses stuck in books this week wherever they are.
All LPSD elementary schools held book fairs last week during parent-teacher interviews to promote reading at home too.
The Jack Kemp Community School library had lots of new books available from Scholastic Canada for students or their parents to buy and take home.
“This is the first in-person book fair at LPSD schools since before the pandemic. A lot of our students have not even experienced what a book fair is,” said the school’s library tech, Lynette Thoresen.
“Some of our students in the division don’t have access to quality books at home. This is just an opportunity to get books in the hands of kids.”
Thoresen says the books from Scholastic are priced as low as $3 and align with LPSD diversity and inclusion initiatives.
“Every child can pick a book that is a true representation of themselves,” she said.
Thoresen says the book fair is an opportunity to connect with families and also provides families with an opportunity to purchase books to promote reading at home.
Grade 6 teacher Jolene Stevenson set her entire class loose in the library to find something to read or recommend to their parents or guardian to buy for them.
“As a teacher, I think the most important thing about reading is a love of reading,” she said.
“The fact they can have an exposure to books and find different things they can enjoy is so important.”
One of her young students named Aiden has already acquired a taste for books especially ones that scare the dickens out of him.
He was clutching a copy of the Haunted Canada series and explained what he likes about that genre.
“Because it’s scary and I like scary things,” he said.
His classmate Keltie also likes reading Haunted Canada and Goosebumps too.
“I like chapter books mainly,” she said and hopes someone buys one for her.
Stevenson suggests parents give their kids a book if they want to read it.
“I remember when I was a kid going to book fairs and being just dumbfounded that my parents would buy me a book,” she said.
“It’s so special so the fact they can have that opportunity too and it helps to get excited about reading —priceless.”
Another student name Calli said her mom is bringing some book-buying money with her to the interviews and told her what she wants to buy.
“Harry Potter books, but probably not just picture books. I like all books,” she said.
As for reading itself, Calli said, “I really like how calming it can be.”
Thoresen says reading is such a fundamental foundation for all development.
“Our job as librarians isn’t just to promote reading, it’s to support teachers and our students,” she said.
“The schools have a virtual library designed at the beginning of the pandemic to bridge gaps and make reading available 24/7 and remove all barriers.”
Thoresen says they’ve done that in various ways with online content that kids can access and things which align with the curriculum to support the teachers’ needs.
