(Courtesy/Melissa Clarke Beckett)

From Tuesday, February 25, to Thursday, February 27, Academy will hold its first Upper School Book Fair in the Sophomore Lounge. This idea originated from PACA, the Parents’ Association of Columbus Academy, which met with Mrs. Beckett, the Director of Parent Relations, and decided to email several Upper School English teachers and other faculty to initiate the expansion of the Lower/Middle School Book Fair into the High School. 

The inspiration for this fair dates back to a Professional Development Day last year when neuroscientist Dr. Jared Horvath spoke to faculty about the advantages of reading information from a physical book, allowing individuals to take notes and underline text. According to Ms. Risinger, “If you read things out of a book, you tend to remember where something is in space.”

After interviewing several book vendors, the committee chose a local bookstore in Bexley called Gramercy Books that will provide approximately 300 book titles available for purchase across various genres.

Growing up at Academy, the Book Fair was always an exciting event. I loved bringing home my catalog of books to show my parents and create a wish list. Ms. Risinger says, “We were trying to figure out a way to bring back some of that elementary school joy and help Upper Schoolers have access to that again.”

Additionally, the Book Fair Committee is in the final stages of creating a contest inspired by the New York Times Connections game where students are required to break a book down into four elements. These games will be displayed around the Book Fair where students can look through and guess which book each game corresponds to. More information on this interactive activity will be released in the week prior to the Book Fair. 

Make sure you stop by the sophomore lounge anytime between Tuesday, February 25, and Thursday, February 27, to browse through extensive options and purchase a book.