A good book is full of magic. A few words and — poof! — we’re standing in someone else’s shoes, in another world. We’re learning to look at the world in a new way, with more empathy and understanding, learning about new things and new ways of being, and learning to cast the beautiful spells of language, so we can bring even more magic into our lives.

This is all to help illustrate why we are beyond grateful to our amazing sponsors for making Lavallee School's first-ever Scholastic Book Fair such an unforgettable experience.

From Oct. 16 – Oct. 18, our sponsor Mydoh and Scholastic Book Fairs provided Lavallee School with a Book Fair, at which each and every student was able to select three books to take home. 

More than that, the Fair meant 50 new books would be gracing the shelves of the Lavallee library for students to enjoy for years to come. 

The importance of the Fair wasn’t lost on grade 5 student Connor.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for kids to boost their imaginations,” he said.

For his part, Connor’s book choices centred around sports. He was most excited for some fiction about a football team.

“I really love the sport of football. I just find it so compelling,” he said. (Compelling — what a great word choice from the 10-year-old!)

Others were equally excited about their new books.

Abigail picked out Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow. Abigail said she likes longer books and planned to begin reading the very next day. The New York Times praised the book as a “perfectly paced, layered novel that never speaks down to its readers and handles difficult situations with remarkable sensitivity.” Wow!

She also picked a new book from a classic series many adults will remember from their own childhoods: The Baby-Sitter’s Club.

“I read these when I was your age,” one school staff remarked with a smile.

A younger student, Atwiyah, was looking forward to reading about one of the most magical creatures of all.

“I picked a unicorn one,” she said, before summing up her thoughts ever-so-succinctly. “Reading is fun!”

Lavallee principal Nicole Mager said the experience was incredibly enriching.

“It was such a joy to see the smiles on our students' faces as they excitedly chose from over 500 books, with everyone finding exactly what they wanted. These moments of happiness will foster a love for reading and create memories that will stay with our students and their families for years to come.”

From everyone at Lavallee School and the Louis Riel School Division, thank you for making this incredible event possible! A special thank you to Julie Banwait from Scholastic Book Fairs, whose dedication made this sponsorship possible, and once again, to our sponsor Mydoh.

Your support has made a significant difference, not only in providing books but also in bringing our school community closer together.