Kappa Delta Pi Honor Fraternity and the Student Reading Council organized their annual Scholastic book fair from 9:45a.m. to 4:45p.m. The book fair will run from Monday Sept. 12 through Thursday Sept. 15 and Monday Sept. 19 through Wednesday Sept. 21 in room 1320 at Buzzard Hall.

Co-advisor of the Student Reading Council, Denise Reid said the education department has hosted the book fair for more than a decade, but have jointly hosted the book fair with Kappa Delta Pi for four years.

Normally, Kappa Delta Pi and the Student Reading Council hold a book fair once every semester, but this school year the organizations will only be hosting one Scholastic book fair due to low enrollment numbers and funding.

The Student Reading Council is for education majors and promotes reading. They meet throughout the year and talk about books, give people ideas when they go into practicum and read poetry, nonfiction and fiction.

“Usually, we draw students majoring in elementary level (education), but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t welcome others,” Debbie Harrison,co-adviser of the Student Reading Council, said.

According to co-advisor of Kappa Delta Pi April Flood and Harrison, the money raised from the book fair will be used for events for both organizations, but is mainly used to purchase books that the Student Reading Council can give away at readings.

The purchased books are also given away at their booth at the annual Festival of the Young Child in Mattoon at the Cross County Mall on the Day of the Young Child.

The Day of the Young Child is a celebration for education of young children.

The Student Reading Council hosts a small read-a-long and then give a book away to every child that participates.

“By doing (this fundraiser) we make money so we can get those books,” Dawn Paulson, co-advisor for Kappa Delta Pi said. “This way we get quality books, and kids can pick any book they want.”

The books offered at the fair vary from picture books such as Eric Litwin’s “Pete the Cat” to chapter books such as Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” If shoppers cannot find a book on the shelves, they also have the option of shopping online at bookfais.scholastic.com/homepage/easternilluniversity.

“ ‘Books are where words and imagination collide’ and that’s a big deal,” said Harrison. “There are so many things you can get from a book you can’t get anywhere else. You can sit down with a book and go to China; you can sit down with a book and experience all kinds of weather; you can sit down with a book and go to all the national monuments.”

Angelica Cataldo can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]