Book Fair To Be Held Over Two-Week Period

For students at Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, the start of the school year means the return of the annual book fair.

To be held from Monday until Oct. 6, the fair will be in the library, and students will be invited to visit during their language arts classes throughout the weeks.

"It is our standard book fair," said library secretary Barbara Harabin. "These are books that are appropriate for seventh and eighth graders."

There will be no books geared toward adults, Harabin said, but some will be at a level lower than what is appropriate for middle school students in case they would like to buy for younger siblings.

Pioneer Books is the vendor for the fair, Harabin said, which has been held every year for the past 16 years. It serves as a PTO fundraiser, she said, and money is used to buy additional books for the library.

"The PTO handles check-out for the books," she said.

All books available, Harabin said, are in paperback, and cost between about $5 and $10 each. If students do not have the money with them when they visit the fair for the first time, she said, they can write the titles down on a wish list, then go home and get the money to purchase them.

"And if the last copy is gone, the student can get a receipt and the vendor will bring more copies in," she said.

In addition, Harabin said, the fair will be open during the school's back-to-school nights for parents to pick up the books.

The reason for the two-and-a-half weeks reserved for the fair, Harabin said, is to ensure that all classes have the opportunity to visit. Because there are so many classes, she said, the fair needs to be spread out over several weeks.

And throughout those weeks, Harabin said, they intend to continue reminding the students about the fair.

"We will announce the fair in school every day," she said.

As they prepare for the fair, Harabin said, the students are looking forward to the opportunity to purchase books.

"We have been doing this fair for a long time," she said. "The kids are excited."