Scholastic books ordered through school

[CarolAnn856]

Anyone remember the Scolastic Reading Club?

I remember when I was a kid, we got the monthly book club flyers that allowed us to order through our schools. Back then we needed to send a check with the order, which was collected by our teacher. Well now that I have a kid, the flyers are still distributed, but now there's the option of ordering online or sending payment, but still through the school via a teacher code. My kid's school gets credits they can use to get books.

It does kind of feel forced on us. Our kid really wanted a certain book, so we went ahead and ordered it. I then looked on the internet to see if this same book was available directly, and it was for way less than the book club price. It seems identical, except that it's only available for preorder with a release date more than two months away. So it looks like they keep some books as a book club exclusive for a limited time.

I think I also might have gone through a monthly book club they had that produced their own hardcover version of children's books.

I found it cool when I was a kid, but as a parent I'm feeling rather abused. It almost feels like I'm being hit up for a donation, especially with some books costing more than I can buy online and the message that buying means book credit for the school. Some of their books are regular ones from other publishers, some are books they publish, but other books are their exclusive versions in a cheaper stapled paperback form.

A lot of the books seem to be thinly disguised toy/movie ads, like LEGO or Star Wars books. I don't remember those from Scholastic when I was a kid.

Unless your child's teacher or school is very different than any I've been involved with, it's hard to imagine how anyone can feel "abused." I know, though, that sometimes parents transfer feelings of guilt into feeling pressured to do things that they can't afford. Could that be the case?

I know that teachers typically don't make a big deal out of handing out the book orders, so I can almost promise that your child certainly isn't being singled out for not ordering or not ordering much. Many kids don't order for a variety of reasons, so it's highly unlikely that every kid orders a lot each month.

If that's not it, then I guess my advice is to realize that your child will be offered many opportunities throughout their school career, and developing a bit thicker skin may help from feeling "abused" each time one of those opportunities presents itself. It's okay to say no.

 

[cabanafrau]

Book orders and working the book fairs are some of my happiest memories of my girls being in elementary school. As they grew we culled what they kept and I sent in several rounds of boxes to the school for the teachers to use for their reading nooks. Good memories of lots of good reading times.

 

[NHdisneylover]

We did the book fair last year, and there was one book that my kid just had to get. We paid full price - maybe $18. Then I found that it was less than $11 on Amazon or other online sellers, and Target would price match. I did end up buying a copy as a gift later.

I suppose it's the ones that are temporary reading club exclusives that rub me the wrong way. The flyer says they're discounted off list price, but no other seller is allowed to release them for more than two months.

OK, so you are upset that a publishing house releases their own titles first, exclusively through them? I can't really fault them for that, personally.

I think you probably just need to work on saying no to your kids if it bothers you so much. Tell them the same books will probably be released and cost less in a few months and let them learn a lesson in budeting and in delayed gratification.

 

[hereyago]

Of course you thought it was cool to get the Scholastic books as a kid, you weren't paying for them, lol.


I loved them as a kid and I enjoyed getting them (a limit) for my dd.


Fundraisers are not a mandatory thing that you have to give in to. Just donate money to the school itself or not.

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

Fundraisers are not a mandatory thing that you have to give in to. Just donate money to the school itself or not.

Yes, you are right, though I can see OP's point that having your children put in between can be somewhat distasteful. I don't have any problem with it as long as my kids don't get too much pressure about it from above, but even if the teachers are 100% low-key about it, there's always the potential of pressure from classmates as well. It's not just Scholastic Book Club, but selling candy bars/Girl Scout cookies, or other fundraisers that are run. I remember when we used to sell those "World's Finest" chocolate bars for some reason or another, but I never really wanted to sell them, so my parents would end up having to pay for the box and I would end up eating them all eventually, lol. Somewhat related, my nephew is in the Boy Scouts and he's selling that popcorn, and they get different prizes/perks depending on how much they sell. Those who sell well get a bit of fanfare (while I would imagine those who don't probably do not), so I could see how some kids/families may or may not handle that well. In a lot of ways, it would be a bit cleaner just to ask the parents directly for donations rather than getting the kids involved, but it would probably be less effective unfortunately.

That being said, I understand the realities of running a classroom these days and that teachers/schools need all the help they can get when it comes to supplies/money for the classroom. Ultimately I don't mind fundraisers and don't begrudge them for trying to drum up financial support in anyway they can as long as it's done as tastefully as possible, and the Book Club seems pretty benign in the grand fundraising scheme of things. It's not just for the teachers (who are often paying out of their own pocket for supplies), but for other students as well. I didn't realize this when I was in school, but my mother told me a couple years ago that when our class went on field trips, there were always some students who couldn't afford to go. The families who were fortunate enough to be in a good financial situation like our own would chip in extra so that no one would be left out. There are many families who can't afford books, field trips, etc. and their only access is at school, so it's nice to let teachers bulk up their book collections a bit through the Book Club.

 

[BLAZEY]

Thanks for reminding me I need to fill out the form for DD7. She brought 3 flyers home and I want torder from the French one.DD is in French immersion and Scholastic book club is a great source of cheap French books, Most book stores here have a limited supply of French book and they are $$$$.

 

[bushdianee]

Newly retired first grade teacher here. I would always send home the flyers but never pressured the kids or parents. Many times the books are cheaper through the flyer than they are in the book fairs or at Target or Walmart. With the points I would get books for the class library and would also get each child a book to keep for Christmas and at the end of the year. Some years they would send coupons for free books so I would save them for birthdays or half birthdays for the summer birthday kids. That way each child in the room got 2-3 books to keep even if they couldn't order. The teachers can also order things for the classroom with the points not just books. One year I had a child who's grandma would order at least $20-30 every month so I really received a lot of points. We had one book fair manager who ran the book fair for many years. She would give the teachers a small discount on their purchases for the classroom then the profits were split among the teachers so we could build our classroom libraries with what we wanted. The next principal stopped that, had the PTA take over the running of the book fair and everything went to the school library with no input from the teachers. Many teachers stopped buying from the book fairs as buying from the flyers was cheaper plus we earned our own points. Plus they were held during parent/teacher conferences so access to the book fair was limited.

 

[cabanafrau]

Yes, you are right, though I can see OP's point that having your children put in between can be somewhat distasteful. I don't have any problem with it as long as my kids don't get too much pressure about it from above, but even if the teachers are 100% low-key about it, there's always the potential of pressure from classmates as well. It's not just Scholastic Book Club, but selling candy bars/Girl Scout cookies, or other fundraisers that are run. I remember when we used to sell those "World's Finest" chocolate bars for some reason or another, but I never really wanted to sell them, so my parents would end up having to pay for the box and I would end up eating them all eventually, lol. Somewhat related, my nephew is in the Boy Scouts and he's selling that popcorn, and they get different prizes/perks depending on how much they sell. Those who sell well get a bit of fanfare (while I would imagine those who don't probably do not), so I could see how some kids/families may or may not handle that well. In a lot of ways, it would be a bit cleaner just to ask the parents directly for donations rather than getting the kids involved, but it would probably be less effective unfortunately.

That being said, I understand the realities of running a classroom these days and that teachers/schools need all the help they can get when it comes to supplies/money for the classroom. Ultimately I don't mind fundraisers and don't begrudge them for trying to drum up financial support in anyway they can as long as it's done as tastefully as possible, and the Book Club seems pretty benign in the grand fundraising scheme of things. It's not just for the teachers (who are often paying out of their own pocket for supplies), but for other students as well. I didn't realize this when I was in school, but my mother told me a couple years ago that when our class went on field trips, there were always some students who couldn't afford to go. The families who were fortunate enough to be in a good financial situation like our own would chip in extra so that no one would be left out. There are many families who can't afford books, field trips, etc. and their only access is at school, so it's nice to let teachers bulk up their book collections a bit through the Book Club.

Mine are both now in college, but even back when they were in the elementary years there was a push to move to fundraisers that didn't include the incentive prizes and up the rate of profit instead. Eventually they even offered the chance to make a tax deductible cash donation directly to the PTC, which I was very happy to take them up on.

 

[BrianL]

A lot of the books seem to be thinly disguised toy/movie ads, like LEGO or Star Wars books. I don't remember those from Scholastic when I was a kid.

Well, they definitely had those when I was a kid (80's). I can remember getting a couple of Ghostbusters paperbacks, which I adored and read to death. I can also remember getting some papercraft ones where you punched out the cardboard shapes to build things. One was a whole book that made a huge robo-dinosaur. Okay, so I wasn't getting the most educational stuff.

I did have, not form Scholastic though, those children's illustrated classics. I much loved the Treasure Island one.

 

[Coonhound]

I found it cool when I was a kid, but as a parent I'm feeling rather abused

People abused in their past or those who have an abused child would ask you to look up "abused" in the dictionary.

 

[cabanafrau]

People abused in their past or those who have an abused child would ask you to look up "abused" in the dictionary.

It has a much wider scope of use and meaning than you suggest. The usage you're taking issue with was correct per the dictionary.

 

[Coonhound]

It has a much wider scope of use and meaning than you suggest. The usage you're taking issue with was correct per the dictionary.

I disagree and think most rational people would.

 

[tcufrog]

I second the warehouse sales. We have one of their distribution warehouses near us and I usually hit the sales before Christmas and before summer break. The books are often much cheaper than Amazon and you can also find adult fiction and cookbooks there. I've gotten gifts, science kits and stocking stuffers there as well.

 

[bcla]

Yes, you are right, though I can see OP's point that having your children put in between can be somewhat distasteful. I don't have any problem with it as long as my kids don't get too much pressure about it from above, but even if the teachers are 100% low-key about it, there's always the potential of pressure from classmates as well.

I wasn't necessarily being literal. It just feels like I'm being worked over to feel indirect guilt from the teacher and direct guilt from my kid if I don't buy. I don't really have an issue with buying these books, but I'd like to save a few bucks and not feel that I'm letting someone down by choosing to save my own money. The book my kid wants is published by Scholastic, so they would be getting a cut regardless of where I buy it. The book my kid wanted is about $12 from the reading club, but Amazon lists it for about $8 preorder. I just don't like it as a business practice, and I'm pretty sure it's done deliberately for them to make more (even with school credits) while they have it as an exclusive before retailers are allowed to sell it.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I'd rather order the book cheaper on Amazon and make a small donation to the school.

 

[3Gsandme]

I give Scholastic a lot of money. I'm a book person. I work the book sales. I go to th warehouse sale. I love scholastic. Maybe some books are priced higher, but so much money returns to the school! It's really helpful.

I've never had a situation where I felt pressured by any teacher to purchase from the fliers and, well, if I don't want to purchase something I just tell the kids no.

 

[BJ7644]

We get one every month. DD is in her second year of preschool. Her teacher stresses at the beginning of the year it is voluntary and not at all required but does state the program helps them get books for the room.

We buy each time, usually spending $4 to $10. DD loves books (would pick them over toys!) and we have no lack of them at home but if it keeps her excited about reading then I'm all for it.

She enjoys looking through the catalog. I'll let her mark the ones she's interested in and she will make her selections carefully. Then we will go back through and review her choices. If it's an expensive one she wants the most, it's likely that will be the only one. She's learned a lot about prices/money from this. But I'll also go online and look around before placing the order. I sometimes find some deals there that aren't in the flyer and I'll throw them in.

The books are given out in a low key manner and the kids pay little to no attention. If I felt pressured or felt the kids that weren't getting books were shamed in any manner I wouldn't participate. And I'd probably let it be known why!

 

[QueenIsabella]

I wasn't necessarily being literal. It just feels like I'm being worked over to feel indirect guilt from the teacher and direct guilt from my kid if I don't buy. I don't really have an issue with buying these books, but I'd like to save a few bucks and not feel that I'm letting someone down by choosing to save my own money. The book my kid wants is published by Scholastic, so they would be getting a cut regardless of where I buy it. The book my kid wanted is about $12 from the reading club, but Amazon lists it for about $8 preorder. I just don't like it as a business practice, and I'm pretty sure it's done deliberately for them to make more (even with school credits) while they have it as an exclusive before retailers are allowed to sell it.

If you feel a book is overpriced, of course you are free to not purchase. Another suggestion is, tell your child to put the book on their Christmas wish list. This is my standard "not now" answer. Books make lovely Christmas gifts. In fact, most teachers will work with you if you want to purchase a few Scholastic books as gifts--hold them back and get them to you, rather than giving them directly to the child.

If this really bothered me, I would buy the book for $8, and make a $4 donation to the school. Win-win.

 

[Nancyg56]

I wasn't necessarily being literal. It just feels like I'm being worked over to feel indirect guilt from the teacher and direct guilt from my kid if I don't buy. I don't really have an issue with buying these books, but I'd like to save a few bucks and not feel that I'm letting someone down by choosing to save my own money. The book my kid wants is published by Scholastic, so they would be getting a cut regardless of where I buy it. The book my kid wanted is about $12 from the reading club, but Amazon lists it for about $8 preorder. I just don't like it as a business practice, and I'm pretty sure it's done deliberately for them to make more (even with school credits) while they have it as an exclusive before retailers are allowed to sell it.

If you are feeling pressure you may want to think about how you will handle all of this moving forward, especially if you feel guilt for telling your child no.

My DD refused to do most of teh fund raisers held in school. SHe explained to her DD why, and how they would support the school, but that it was not going to be with asking friends and family to purchase overpriced chocolate and magazines. My DGD was fine with the explain action, and knew how to handle any issues in school, although the there were none. More and more parents are opting out of the fundraisers.

I support the Scholastic book clubs, but that is my choice. If you have a reason to avoid any of the Flyers, from books and book fairs to wrapping paper, you need to be able to articulate to your child why you will not buy, and then be done with it, because it only gets worse. Sports and the arts all have fundraisers to support a multitude of extras, as do most of the youth groups, and many of them are filled with pressure. Best to figure it out now.

 

[Nancyg56]

If you feel a book is overpriced, of course you are free to not purchase. Another suggestion is, tell your child to put the book on their Christmas wish list. This is my standard "not now" answer. Books make lovely Christmas gifts. In fact, most teachers will work with you if you want to purchase a few Scholastic books as gifts--hold them back and get them to you, rather than giving them directly to the child.

If this really bothered me, I would buy the book for $8, and make a $4 donation to the school. Win-win.

The Christmas Wish List is my Go To for the little one. Books, toys, music, you name it! SHe neeeeeeeeeds them! I have been telling her since APril...her birthday month..... To put it on her list. So far that list has not materialized, but it will. LOL! After Christmas I tell her to put it on her birthday list...... Thank goodness she has the attention span of a gnat!