One day in and Ralston High School students are already booking down to the RHS Media Center for . what else?
The second annual RHS Scholastic Book Fair.
"We've been super busy," RHS Media Specialist Jonatha Basye said Monday after school. "During homeroom, we had tons of kids in here."
The RHS Book Fair, partnering with Scholastic, is running through the remainder of this week, with hours on Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Thursday, Feb. 16, the fair will have extended hours from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
And as there's a little something for everyone, the public is invited to attend.
With titles approaching the 600 mark, including some of the hottest books available in the teen genre and beyond - for instance, the RHS Book Fair is the only place to find "Mockingjay" in paperback, the third book in Suzanne Collins' hit Hunger Games series - the fair is finding wide appeal.
"Most of the books here are right at or above the high-school level, so it's about perfect," said RHS sophomore Isela Garza.
"But there's plenty for adults, too. It's just a lot of books of all sorts."
Along with the variety, the allure of the fair is that students can pick up some of their favorites to own.
"You can get something you've been checking out of the library for a few weeks, or a book you really like so you can keep it and read it whenever," RHS sophomore Maddie Pestinger said.
In addition to hits like the Hunger Games, the fair also features another dystopian trilogy in James Dashner's Maze Runner books.
"Sarah's Key" by Tatiana deRosnay has also gotten some traction among the high-school set, Basye said.
There are also a number of whimsical, curious titles like Ransom Riggs' "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" and a host of graphic novels from which to choose.
"Cookbooks are a huge seller, too," Basye said. "We get a lot of parents who take a good look around at things like that."
The high school version of the fair is also a throwback to the old elementary school book fairs that stir student nostalgia.
"It's different because it is high school," Pestinger said. "I remember having book fairs in elementary school and having so much fun. This is just like that."
Basye and RHS work with Scholastic to set up the fair and keep the supplies on the shelves.
Last year, the RHS Book Fair raised more than $2,000 - all of which went to helping the RHS Media Center purchase books, software and other materials for student use.
"Scholastic is great to work with," Basye said. "They really help us out and do an awesome job getting us what we need."
Basye said she's hoping to capitalize on last year's success and continue making the book fair a Ralston tradition.
"I don't even want to guess on an amount we can raise," she said. "We'll take it. But it's more than the money.
"The kids have a great time with it. It's just fun to have here."
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
