Comments on: Scholastic Books, Preschool Marketing, and the Halo Effect, Shape Up! http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/ Anyone else find childhood a little stifling these days? Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:11:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Sunday Bookchat « The Opinion Mill http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-493 Sunday Bookchat « The Opinion Mill Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:28:38 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-493 [...] and more, Scholastic Books is becoming an advertising spigot. Here’s a parent of a preschooler who doesn’t like the situation one bit. (And she’s not too crazy about Webkinz, [...] [...] and more, Scholastic Books is becoming an advertising spigot. Here’s a parent of a preschooler who doesn’t like the situation one bit. (And she’s not too crazy about Webkinz, [...]

]]> By: outside the (toy) box » Quick Links - Webkinz, McCarthyism, and My 2 New Favorite Blogs http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-477 outside the (toy) box » Quick Links - Webkinz, McCarthyism, and My 2 New Favorite Blogs Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:51:34 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-477 [...] an alternative to the Scholastic Book Fair (New readers? Scholastic = bad.  Venting on this Here and Here.).  Check out this little exchange in the comments from Corp. Babysitter.  Anne [...] [...] an alternative to the Scholastic Book Fair (New readers? Scholastic = bad.  Venting on this Here and Here.).  Check out this little exchange in the comments from Corp. Babysitter.  Anne [...]

]]> By: outside the (toy) box » Commercialized Schools, The Other Side of the Equation http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-400 outside the (toy) box » Commercialized Schools, The Other Side of the Equation Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:03:48 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-400 [...] for piping ads into school buses -gag.) and the goods (free books, for example, in the case of Scholastic) and the teacher support (ick, corporate sponsored curricula - the worst of the worst) for [...] [...] for piping ads into school buses -gag.) and the goods (free books, for example, in the case of Scholastic) and the teacher support (ick, corporate sponsored curricula - the worst of the worst) for [...]

]]> By: Corporate Babysitter » Blog Archive » Your alternative to the Scholastic Book Fair http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-255 Corporate Babysitter » Blog Archive » Your alternative to the Scholastic Book Fair Mon, 19 Nov 2007 15:55:18 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-255 [...] Mom’s post on why this is harmful and what she is trying to do about it at her child’s [...] [...] Mom’s post on why this is harmful and what she is trying to do about it at her child’s [...]

]]> By: outside the (toy) box » Updates from the Scholastic Meeting at our Preschool http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-193 outside the (toy) box » Updates from the Scholastic Meeting at our Preschool Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:20:18 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-193 [...] we had the big meeting yesterday and it went fairly well.  Because the teachers in the preschool have Master’s [...] [...] we had the big meeting yesterday and it went fairly well.  Because the teachers in the preschool have Master’s [...]

]]> By: coolbeans http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-178 coolbeans Sun, 04 Nov 2007 03:40:41 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-178 I'm not a Scholastic representative. I'm just a mom who likes book fairs. I've printed out those wish lists kids fill out. My motivation was to promote our fundraiser. It's also an opportunity for teachers to show kids the books they like. Scholastic book fairs are simple and impressive fundraisers that put books in classrooms or generate income for our school. For a private school trying to maintain an up-to-date library, Scholastic can be a great resource. That said, I wish they wouldn't send the junk. I wish they wouldn't include so many commercial characters and product tie-ins. At our fair, we don't put the junk on display and we pull books we don't want to profit from. I don't buy it from the order forms, either. I don't mind saying no and dealing with my kids' disappointment once a year at book fair time. I do mind having to deal with it every couple of weeks. I’m not a Scholastic representative. I’m just a mom who likes book fairs.

I’ve printed out those wish lists kids fill out. My motivation was to promote our fundraiser. It’s also an opportunity for teachers to show kids the books they like. Scholastic book fairs are simple and impressive fundraisers that put books in classrooms or generate income for our school. For a private school trying to maintain an up-to-date library, Scholastic can be a great resource.

That said, I wish they wouldn’t send the junk. I wish they wouldn’t include so many commercial characters and product tie-ins. At our fair, we don’t put the junk on display and we pull books we don’t want to profit from. I don’t buy it from the order forms, either. I don’t mind saying no and dealing with my kids’ disappointment once a year at book fair time. I do mind having to deal with it every couple of weeks.

]]> By: outside the (toy) box » Commercialism in Preschool, an Interview with Rebekah Cohen http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-167 outside the (toy) box » Commercialism in Preschool, an Interview with Rebekah Cohen Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:46:23 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-167 [...] preparation for my upcoming meeting with Thing 1’s preschool about Scholastic, I started sniffing out additional information.  I couldn’t find nearly as much I would like [...] [...] preparation for my upcoming meeting with Thing 1’s preschool about Scholastic, I started sniffing out additional information.  I couldn’t find nearly as much I would like [...]

]]> By: Two Knives http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-135 Two Knives Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:25:04 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-135 Secret Ingredient: That is appalling. You'd have to scrape my brains off the walls of the principal's office. Would love to hear what happens. Secret Ingredient: That is appalling. You’d have to scrape my brains off the walls of the principal’s office. Would love to hear what happens.

]]> By: The Not Quite Crunchy Parent http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-133 The Not Quite Crunchy Parent Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:50:15 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-133 This has been bothering me lately too. Fortunately we only get a flyer and do not have a fair. I've taken to running off with the flyer and filling in the lines to get books I like. (I just ordered a great collection of Osbourne reference books.) I don't know how long this is going to work though since he does see other children walking out of school clutching their Spiderman books. To some extent I'm OK with an occasional character book. I try to focus on my primary concern (Why he doesn't watch TV or see most mainstream movies and go shopping with me at Toys R us or other highly commercialized toy stores) which is, I want CONTROL over how I raise my child. By keeping him away, to a large extent from the marketing message, I maintain influence over him and can guide his choices rather than have some other uninformed on child development, marketing person (like I used to be) telling him what he wants. That said, I do allow him an occasional character book or a fairly innocuous toy ( Pooh not Power Rangers)...OK - I got off topic.... Back to the book fairs...I noticed on the Campaign for a commercial free Childhood site some information for setting up non scholastic book fairs. we did this with an independent bookstore near my DS's preschool and it was great. It's worthwhile pursuing! I'm done...you can have your blog back :-( Sorry for being so wordy This has been bothering me lately too. Fortunately we only get a flyer and do not have a fair. I’ve taken to running off with the flyer and filling in the lines to get books I like. (I just ordered a great collection of Osbourne reference books.) I don’t know how long this is going to work though since he does see other children walking out of school clutching their Spiderman books.

To some extent I’m OK with an occasional character book. I try to focus on my primary concern (Why he doesn’t watch TV or see most mainstream movies and go shopping with me at Toys R us or other highly commercialized toy stores) which is, I want CONTROL over how I raise my child. By keeping him away, to a large extent from the marketing message, I maintain influence over him and can guide his choices rather than have some other uninformed on child development, marketing person (like I used to be) telling him what he wants.

That said, I do allow him an occasional character book or a fairly innocuous toy ( Pooh not Power Rangers)…OK - I got off topic….

Back to the book fairs…I noticed on the Campaign for a commercial free Childhood site some information for setting up non scholastic book fairs. we did this with an independent bookstore near my DS’s preschool and it was great. It’s worthwhile pursuing!

I’m done…you can have your blog back :-(

Sorry for being so wordy

]]> By: mom http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-127 mom Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:52:07 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/scholastic-books-and-the-halo-effect-shape-up/2007/10/24/#comment-127 OMG Secret Ingredient. My head would (will, next year) explode! When you talk to the principal you should take the CCFC advertising free book fairs info in hand, it is tailor made for this circumstance. OMG Secret Ingredient. My head would (will, next year) explode! When you talk to the principal you should take the CCFC advertising free book fairs info in hand, it is tailor made for this circumstance.

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