Communities, Elsie, Features, Ovid, Uncategorized

Happy 100th Birthday Scholastic Books

By Deb Price

With March being reading month, Gayla and Bonnie Ehlert decided to make their next window project one that would recognize the 100th Birthday of Scholastic Books. Due to scholastic book sales being low due to the pandemic, the Mother and daughter team has invited elementary teachers from Leonard and KK Knight as well as both of the libraries in Elsie and Ovid to join them in working on a project to put a book in every child’s hands.

Scholastic was formed in 1920 by Maurice R. Robinson. He entered the book club business in 1940. In the 1960’s entered in the publishing business, in the 1980’s entered into the book fair business and in 2012, Scholastic bought Weekly Reader Publishing and co-branded the magazines as “Scholastic News/Weekly Reader. The mission was to place reading material into the hands of children at an affordable price and to have current understandable information for different reading levels. Today, the company is an American multinational publishing, education and media company that published and distributes comics, books and educational materials for schools, parents and children. Products are distributed through retail and online sales through schools via reading clubs and book fairs.

Retired OE elementary teacher, Leann Martin, who was a student at North Elementary, remembers fondly ordering a book or two from the book fair. As a teacher she loved the experience with Scholastic. She was able to earn free books for her classroom thru the “Bonus Points” they offered. “During my teaching career, thru the program, we were provided hundreds of books for the classroom. Getting books into the hands of kids encouraged them to keep a life- long love of reading, said Martin.

In recognition of the 100th birthday of Scholastic, donation boxes will be placed at various locations in Elsie and Ovid. All monies donated from the public will be divided between the two elementariness and used to buy more books for kids. Be sure and stop by the window displays next to the Ovid Post Office and experience the History of Scholastic and the individuals who have dedicated their lives to bring reading into our lives.

Deb Price is the Editor and Publisher of The Meridian Weekly