11/08/2023
Starting on Monday, November 13th, all students are encouraged to bring in gently used books for the WGIS Book Swap. Books will be collected on a cart located in the hallway at the front entrance of WGIS.
Once 2,000 books have been collected, the PTA will produce the book swap, which is a 2-day in-school event where all ELA classes visit the sale to pick out a book for free. Once all students have visited the swap, interested students may return to pick out additional books to bring home for free.
Why a book swap and not a book fair?
Two years ago, school administrators asked the PTA not to hold a Scholastic Book Fair due to equity issues and content concerns. It was reported that many children didn’t have money to spend, so it was a waste of time and effort. The titles available were low-quality, and there was an increase in the non-book items, defeating the purpose of the sale, which was to celebrate and encourage reading.
When will the WGIS Book Swap take place?
The swap will happen once the PTA has gathered 2,000 books. Last year, we collected 1,800 books, and only 30 were left at the end of the swap.
Why is the goal to collect 2,000 books?
We have over 700 kids at WGIS, and the goal is to provide a variety of books for the students to choose from at the swap. The books are collected and then cataloged into these different genres to help the students find the right books for them: Adventure, Chapter Books, Gaming, Sports, Animals and Nature, Humor, and Fantasy.
Won’t all the good titles be taken by the first classes visiting the sale?
No, all titles are cataloged and sorted based on genre and then popularity, with boxes reserved to replenish the displays after each class departs to ensure equal access to popular titles.
Can I donate new books to the book swap?
Yes! Last year, we had families donate new books to the WGIS Book Fair, so this year, the PTA is providing an Amazon Wish List if others would like to do the same. Simply click this link (https://tinyurl.com/47hbmy82), purchase a book, and it will be delivered to WGIS to be added to the collection. All boxed sets will be opened to provide individual titles.
Are there any books that you don’t want donated?
Yes. Please only donate books your child would read now. We prefer any books printed post-2000. Older books for children that would not appeal to this age group will be donated to Goodwill or recycled. Use your own discretion by asking, “Would my child read this?” when donating. Last year, we had several well-intentioned families from the community donate books that were not age-appropriate or in good shape since they were the books their children enjoyed in the 80s and 90s. We do not want those books, please.
What about teachers and staff?
If you don’t have children’s books but would still like to donate books, the PTA is collecting both fiction and non-fiction books that teachers and staff would enjoy and putting on a mini-book swap event for them. If you have books to donate to this swap, you may send them in with your child.
Thank you for considering supporting the book swap! The best way to send in books is to fill a Target bag or something similar the night before school and have them drop it off as soon as they enter the building.
We appreciate your help producing the 2024 WGIS Book Swap!
