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Sammy McClure Middle School Earns First-Place Prize in Scholastic Book Fairs National Contest

LAKE MARY, Fla. (September 16, 2011) – Sammy McClure Middle School in Dallas, Georgia, has earned the first-place prize in the Scholastic Book Fairs National Middle School Student Crew Contest, winning a visit from best-selling author James Patterson and $2,000 in books and merchandise from Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company. Sammy McClure Middle School won the semi- annual competition by recruiting a team of 45 students called the Crew to plan and conduct the best middle school Scholastic Book Fair in the nation. The competition encourages schools to run their own exciting Book Fair by creating contests, designing advertising campaigns, hosting activities, and developing themes, all aimed at getting their peers to visit the Book Fair and read.

During their Book Fair last spring, Sammy McClure Student Crew members adopted the theme “It’s a Crime Not to Read” and transformed their library into a crime scene, complete with a police car, enormous magnifying glasses, body outlines, crime scene tape, and oversized cutouts of Sherlock Holmes and S.W.A.T. officers. Wanted posters featuring teachers and their “crime” were also posted throughout the school.

The Crew hosted several contests and activities to generate excitement and promote reading, including special visits from local law enforcement officers, a video book trailer contest, dress up days, daily trivia questions, and a contest where students had to develop the top 10 reasons why it's a crime not to read. Students were also challenged to read as much as, or more than, the principal for six days for a chance to win a prize. In addition, the school hosted a “cops (boys) and robbers (girls)” change war to raise money for One for Books, a school community program to help earn more books for the school, and give back to local community organizations. The proceeds raised by the Crew were used to purchase books for a local women’s shelter.

Scholastic Book Fairs Executive Director Bobby Pacheco praised the level of enthusiasm and competitive spirit shown by Sammy McClure Middle School and other schools across the country involved in the Book Fair program. Due to the hard work from the Student Crew, McClure’s spring book fair saw a 24% increase in book sales compared to last year.

“We applaud the Student Crew for the remarkable creativity and endless enthusiasm they displayed with the goal of getting their school to rally around reading. These students worked together and successfully planned, promoted and ran their own highly imaginative Book Fair events,” said Pacheco. “When it comes to running a middle school Book Fair, this Crew knew what to say and do to get their peers excited about reading.”

In addition to the first-place winner, four schools received second-place awards worth $1,000 in books and educational resources, and three schools received a President’s Award for Exceptional Performance worth $500 in Scholastic merchandise.

For more information about Scholastic Book Fairs, please visit www.scholastic.com/bookfairs.

Contact: Teryl McLane, Scholastic Book Fairs, (407) 829-8282, [email protected]