Holyoke summer book fair returns to Holyoke Children’s Museum

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – The Holyoke Children’s Museum hosted their second annual free Summer Book Fair this weekend, welcoming the community in to celebrate the joy of reading.

This three-day long event celebrated all things literary and invited visitors of all ages and reading levels to engage with resources regardless of their access to funds.

Holyoke qualifies as a “book desert”, meaning it is especially difficult for children and families to get access to relevant reading materials. In an effort to meet the community’s needs, every item at the fair was on a pay-what-you-can sliding scale, making literature and learning accessible to all, and sending any donations right back to the museum.

The fair has grown largely from last year thanks to widespread support from many sponsors.

“We started reaching out to community members, to book stores, to non-profits, and then eventually to authors and publishers,” said Holyoke Children’s Museum Program Coordinator Emma Geryk. “We saw that there was such a high level of passion for this mission. We received over 4,000 books the first year, and this year, we doubled that.”

Book fair attendees had the chance to choose from a selection of over 7,000 diverse new and used books across multiple genres and languages. The event saw additional free activities such as face painting, an ice cream social, a raffle with various prizes, and a storytime visit from local author Hannah Moushbeck.

Gerky assured the museum will remain committed to the book fair with passion and care.

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