We usually have our bookfairs around the same evenings as parent teacher conferenes. That way parent who work in the evening can see them and parents who are otherwise, busy can still come. Anyways, we have done the wishlist for iur teachers. We made a big board with a "pocket" to hold each of the teachers books the want. They write the title on a small 2"x4" piece of paper and then the student/ parent brings the book up with the paper to purchase it. Then we can put a book plate in it. So far it has went over very well! best of luck!!

We choose not to use scholastic, we use an independent book supplier. Our Book Fair is not a fund raiser, we pass on the discount to the school families, scholastic seems to shy away from this. We do a teacher wish list, very successful(over 200 books purchased)have a theme, decoarate display case, make posters..all that stuff.

We hold our book fair during one whole week and allow each class 1 hour to shop (some teachers may take 1/2 hour, some may take 45 min, but no one is rushed)The PTO sponsors kids who would not normally be able to participate so everyone leaves with a book.

Our Family Night is to allow parents to shop with their children and we have free activities that go with the theme. Last year it was a treasure hunt and pin the patch on the pirate and guess the number of see shells (this game had 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners)

We hold our Book Fair in the spring, near end of school year (our last event)to encourage summer reading. I like it this way because kids are probably reading as high as they have all year and this encourages kids to keep that reading level going (avoid the slide)and to bring parents together who may be more comfortable with the school and people they have meet than at the beginning of the school year....I think this is when parents really become friends and become more involved in the school......this is our take on the book fair and it seems to work for our school population

OUr school did 2 scholastic bookfairs per year
Teachers had wishlists posted, parents could buy books on list or buy and donate whatever they liked, plus the PTA and some 'freinds of the PTA' purchased books so each teacher got a least 1 book off their list.
The school and community seemed 2 like it (4 authors came and read plus had their books available 4 purchase) plus it was during Back 2 School Nite (OCt) and Library Grand Re-opening (Spring-Late Apr)

I have asked in the past for parents to send in a donation of whatever they could afford to put towards the purchase of a book/books for their child's classroom. About three teachers collected $20 and some only collect a couple of dollars and some none.

However, my children attended a daycare which put up teacher wish list and the parents bought book(s) at the book fair. This was successful.

I must tell you that this was two different towns and we lived in one and I worked in another. Our school is made up of mostly low income families and the daycare is more of middle-class.

We usually hold our book fair in September and our chairperson for this event wants to hold it on Back to School Night (which I think is a good idea). I had a thought to send home some type of flyer announcing this to the parents and have some signs put up around the school to remind them of this. I also had a thought about having the teachers come in and write a "wish list" and have some type of lables ready so the families could write the students/family name in the book - kinda like "generously donated by: etc." Has anyone tried this? I am just worried that people wouldn't like the idea. I personally know that I would purchase one for the classroom.

Any thoughts/comments? Also, I have been looking online for somewhere to have these bookplates made, but no luck.