"Thank you for creating this program. I have a lot of very poor children but they can afford to buy new books that are good too, for only $1. It is really a wonderful thing you do and I very much appreciate it."

Nancy Baumann Media Specialist (and Proud Student-Run Bookstore Faculty Advisor) Barnett Shoals Elementary School

Edwards Elementary School Student-Run Bookstore Overview

Edwards Elementary School employs 22 students in the Student-Run Bookstore, including cashiers, stock clerks, book critics, advertising executives, security guards and public relations executives. They are open every Friday, after school from 3-4pm. For the first 35 minutes, everyone works very hard. It is overwhelming... a good overwhelming, Mayela explains.


Tell us about a great interaction you had with a student employee or customer while in the bookstore.

Our stock clerks are the ones that I interact mostly with about books. Esmeralda always had a hard time helping put books on the shelf because she would pick up a book, find the title interesting or the pictures and open it up and begin reading, then she couldn't put it down. She could never finish setting up her box of books. I would nag her to move faster, put the book down, help out. Once she picked a book up, she couldn't put it down. She's an excellent student and she's always very respectful and listens to teachers. Finally, one day she asked if she could just read the books. She didn't want to be a stock clerk anymore. All she wanted to do was come to the bookstore to read. And so she did.


What promotional activities do you conduct at your Student-Run Bookstore?

We just had our first sale, the After - Thanksgiving Sale where all books cost only $1, for one day only. Our Parent Committee held a snack sale during Family Reading Night to help the bookstore financially. I hope to have a "Before Winter Break Sale" where all books will also cost $1.

Last year we were fortunate to have an Area Young Authors' winner. She, Brenda 6th grader, wrote a book and won 1st place in the 6th-8th grade category within our Area, maybe 25+ schools. We had a "Meet the Author" event for 3 weeks where she was at our bookstore autographing her book and selling it for 25 cents, which she later donated to the bookstore. She was only supposed to be at the bookstore for one week, but since it sold so well she had to come back.


Tell us a story about a student who did not have access to books and was able to own books because of the bookstore.

At the beginning of the school year I started tutoring the Nicolas' kids, Nicky, April and Steve. They're originally from New York and just transferred to CPS. I only have them for a 40 min period. We would spend half of that time just browsing through Edwards Library looking for a good book, either to read aloud or for them to take home. If I rushed them, Steve, the oldest, would say "We don't have any books at home. Can we take them home?" I would always tell them not to ask, it would always be a definite yes. Eventually I asked why they didn't have any books and home. Steve said because they're too expensive. That lead me to hire Nicky and April as stock clerks and Steve as security. Every day that the bookstore opens Steve always asks me how come the books are so cheap. He wanted to know if I was stealing them!


Do you think the bookstore has made an impact on getting books to the students?

Absolutely! Instead of students spending their allowance of chips and soda or candy, they come by the bookstore and purchase a book.


Any final thoughts on why someone should run a bookstore?

Students need to see that owning books is as easy as buying candy and even more rewarding. I've even gotten teachers buying 26 books to give to students as Christmas presents before the break, as rewards.....instead of giving out candy or picking a book from a catalog and waiting weeks, they get a coupon for a free book from the bookstore (purchased by the teacher). I think teachers are just as excited as students. We need to fill studentsí lives with books everywhere and a Student-Run bookstore is definitely a step in the right direction. How many students go to a bookstore Barnes and Nobles or Borders? How many students go to the library? My students' parents are always complaining that they don't like going to the library because their children lose the books. So... purchase a book from the bookstore. It's convenient, easy and fun. Our bookstore has layaway and our book critics take orders. If students are specifically looking for a book title or author, we go out of our way to look for it and hopefully, if the price is right, order it.