Mauldin Book Fair

Article by Abi Cumbus, Haley Gaskin, and Addison Mullis.

On Wednesday, February 7th and Thursday, February 8th, 2024, Mauldin High School’s library became an atmosphere full of nostalgia and endless chatter. Upon entry, several tables could be seen adorned with an assortment of books, the fresh scent of their pages wafting through the air. While many students excitedly browsed the selection of genres or admired the food-shaped erasers, they reminisced over how they used to do this very thing in elementary school: attend a book fair. 

Most people leave behind book fairs in elementary school, but the Mauldin library staff decided to bring back the book fair for its students to enjoy. Jill Tyner, Mauldin’s Media Specialist, sinks into her seat as she recalls her book fair days: “I loved going to the book fair in the library and it’s kind of the same when I was a kid as it is now.” 

Tyner partnered with M. Judson Booksellers, a bookstore located in Downtown Greenville,  to make this book fair happen. “When I knew I was going to come into Mauldin, most places only did elementary schools like Scholastic, so I contacted [M. Judson Booksellers] and said, ‘Hey, want to try the book fair with us?’ And they said, ‘Yes.’ And the rest is history,” Tyner said with a smile on her face. In working with M. Judson, fifteen percent of the profits went back to Mauldin’s library to buy new books for the students. At the end of the 48 hour extravaganza, $618 was raised for the library.

It was clear that the teachers and students loved the book fair. Students showed up to the library before school started, English teachers blocked out time in their class periods to bring their students down to enjoy the book fair, and students used their lunch time to go look at the books. Emma Berry, a Mauldin High School senior, described her experience in the book fair. “It was kind of nostalgic a little bit, it reminded me of the old elementary school book fairs when you walk in and see all the books and go ‘Oh my gosh,’” Berry said.

  When word got out that Mauldin was having a book fair, students from other schools, like J.L Mann, wished that their high school also had a book fair. Tyner hopes that with Mauldin’s successful book fair and with student encouragement, other high schools will start doing book fairs in the future.