Wanna Help a Kid???

It’s almost time for our Fall Book Fair at school.  Last year I experimented with a Follett Book Fair instead of the book fair I’d always had by the red company.    One of the things I am so excited about this Follett Book Fair is this:  Gift Cards!  Yes, Gift Cards.  Here’s why:

Follett has a website where you can buy gift cards. The gift cards are “virtual”  I get an email telling me they exist.  This allows parents of small children to purchase a gift card at home, so sweet little babies don't have to carry money to school with them.  It’s really good for kids who lose things, or who may not be able to keep from telling other kids about their Book Fair money.  It also allows people from other places to buy gift cards for the Book Fair. For example, if little Joshua goes to my school. and his Great Aunt Sandi wanted to, she could buy him a gift card, no matter where she lives – and he can use it at the Book Fair at our school.   Isn’t that a brilliant idea? All people need is the link and an email address  – and they can buy a gift card for someone. 
Book Fairs are a  lot of work. The library is closed most of the time, a whole section is rearranged to make room, there’s the stress of dealing with money and worrying about things disappearing.  But there’s another stress factor that I never noticed until I was in charge of Book Fairs.  Here’s the awful thing – in every school in the world, there are kids who love books and love to read but don’t have money for books, even the value books at the Book Fair.  They sometimes come in and look, they “fondle" all the merchandise and have to put the books down and walk away, because they don’t have money. Some who love books don’t even come in and look, because what’s the point of looking if you know you can’t have it?  It’s heartbreaking. 
There are miles of research that show having books to read at home helps kids become better readers, which leads to them being better students.  I think we’d all agree that we want the future to be handled by smarter kids, as opposed to not so smart kids, right?? 
I have lots of books that were part of my classroom library when I was a classroom teacher,  Over the years, I’ve given a lot of them away.  I can buy used books to give to kids – and I do.  Used books are better than no books, absolutely.   But, there’s nothing like a brand new book that no one has ever read except you.  The crisp pages, the unmarked spine, the perfect cover. it just feels good. . .
So why am I telling you this?  Why do I want you to care that there are kids at my school who for reasons out of their control can’t buy books at a Book Fair? Because you can help.   You can be “Great Aunt Sandi” to a kid.  It’s true, you don’t know them, you may never see them. But you will do a greater thing.  You can help a kid have a brand new book that is his or her very own.  How do you say?  It’s simple – here’s a link:
https://www.giftfly.com/shop/follett-book-fairs
If you have a little extra, $5, 10, any amount you can buy a gift card. You can send it to me: sandijimmerson@gmail.com
I’ll use your gift card to let a kid who doesn’t have any money of his or her own, buy their very own brand new book in the Book Fair.
Here’s another thing – kids don’t understand sales tax (I’m not really sure I understand it either, but I know I have to pay it.)  I usually carry around a pocket full of change during our Book Fair – to pay the sales tax for kiddos who have $5 and a 4.99 book.  My volunteers have started doing it too – everybody comes in with jingling pockets.  If you want, you can buy a gift card and put “Sales Tax” on the “For” space – and I'll use your money to pay sales tax.  If you know me and live near me and wanted to bring me some change, that would work too, but I’ll take your gift card!
It’s hard for me to ask for help for myself.  I’ll almost hurt myself trying to do things on my own.   But, I’m not proud when it comes to my students. I’ll ask for help for them. So, do you want to help a kid??