Back to the Future with Books 

A letter from Gabe Burnstein, Head of School 

My favorite days of the 1986-87 school year were, in no particular order, my Back to the Future themed birthday party and the Scholastic Book Fair at Nellie E. Bird Elementary School.

I was in the second grade. I vividly remember walking into a library transformed into a book party the likes of which I had never seen. Stacks of brand new books were everywhere. And unlike the bookstore, every section at the Book Fair was the children’s section. My teacher, Mrs. Federoff, told us that we could make lists of books for our parents. Maybe they would buy them at the book fair or maybe they would keep the list in their back pockets until the holidays, but either way, there was an electricity in the air as my classmates and I got greedy about the idea of adding mountains of books to our personal collections.

My list was long and included The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Encyclopedia Brown, The Hardy Boys, The Kids Who Only Hit Homers, The Guinness Book of World Records and… Haunted House – a pop-up Halloween book that my son Max thumbed through 38 years later at his grandparents’ house.

Thanks to the work of Kelsey Thomas, CRS’ beloved librarian, and Jamie Engle, CA Vice Chair and super volunteer, CRS’ own Book Fair returns to campus this March after a hiatus. I’m so excited that I feel like a second grader all over again.

And look, I get it. A lot has changed in the world since 1986. Technologically speaking, 1986 might as well be 1886. But the pure joy ignited by a school book fair stands the test of time. For a four year-old, eight year-old, or twelve year-old, the experience of walking into a transformed Playbarn, holding up books they can’t wait to read, and begging their parents to buy just one more book, is a rite of passage that beats clicking a link on Amazon any day.

This is all about the joy of childhood through reading. Reading provides exploration and connection and new perspectives and curiosity and world travel. It provides windows and mirrors and magic. It requires imagination. It encourages independent reading. And it’s all unplugged. 

Reading is one of the few experiences at CRS that is unchanged from the day we opened our doors in 1911.

This March, I’m going into a time machine to relive the joy of the Book Fair through the eyes of our children. I can’t wait to see you there.

With gratitude,
Gabe

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Charles River School is a PreKindergarten through Grade 8 independent school that honors the pursuit of academic excellence and the joy of childhood. We nurture each child by igniting curiosity, encouraging creativity, and cultivating intellectual engagement. Our graduates know themselves, understand others, and shape the future of our diverse world with confidence and compassion.

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