Book Fair Nostalgia

26 coveted titles from the eighties to the aughts

Scholastic Book Fairs began in 1981 and within a few years, it had become the pinnacle of many a young reader's school year. So many of us cherish the memories of this week of perusing tables stacked with shiny new paperbacks, along with bookish accessories like rainbow pens and decorative erasers.

Hand-in-hand with these memories are the titles that became our favorites—books we returned to again and again. Some of us still have the tattered copies of our most treasured book fair acquisitions on our shelves today. Here are 26 of the most beloved titles from book fairs over the decades.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Although it was originally published in 1972, Judy Blume's hilarious and heartfelt stories about Peter and his mischievous little brother, Fudge, have never lost their appeal. This is a book that we wore out with rereadings.

Tuck Everlasting

For fifty years, Natalie Babbitt's spellbinding tale has captivated readers. Ten-year-old Winnie discovers a family who has gained immortality after drinking from a hidden spring in a nearby wood. 

Journey Under the Sea

The Choose Your Own Adventure series by R. A. Montgomery has provided hours of entertainment to generations of youngsters interested in exploring every possibility. This early installment takes you on a quest for the Lost City of Atlantis!

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Folklorist Alvin Schwartz offers up some of the most alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and supernatural events of all time. This three-book collection features artwork from the original books. Read if you dare!

Hatchet

When the single-engine plane carrying him to visit his father crashes, killing the pilot, thirteen-year-old Brian must find a way to survive in the Canadian wilderness. Gary Paulsen's page-turning saga won the Newbery Honor. 

Kristy's Great Idea

The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin has been the subject of multiple spinoffs and adaptations, including a graphic novel series, illustrated by Raina Telgemeier, and several TV shows. This is book #1, published in 1986!

At the Waterworks

This is the 1986 title that started The Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole. Join Mrs. Frizzle's science class as they follow the trail of water, from its sky-high source to the school bathroom sink on this wet and wild field trip.

The Face on the Milk Carton

What happens when teen Janie Johnson sees her own face staring back at her from a missing child notice? The shocking premise of this 1990 YA psychological thriller by Caroline B. Cooney hooked us from the get-go.

Welcome to Dead House

For many young readers of the 1990s and beyond, a book fair always meant a new Goosebumps book. R. L. Stein published the first one in 1992 and the spooky series went on to have many spinoffs, TV shows, video games, and more.

Dinosaurs Before Dark

The Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne follows siblings Jack and Annie as they explore world history via a time-traveling treehouse. The first book finds them running from a Tyrannosaurus Rex in the late Cretaceous period.

Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

Since 1992, Barbara Park's Junie B. Jones has had kids laughing—and reading—with her sassy take on the world. It's her first day at school and she's so scared of the school bus that when it's time to go home, she doesn't. 

The Giver

In Lois Lowry's Newbery-winning dystopian novel, first in a series, twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. But when he is given his life assignment as the Receiver, he begins to glimpse the dark secrets behind his fragile community.

The Invasion

When five teens discover a downed spaceship and its dying alien pilot, they're granted the power to transform into any animal they touch. K. A. Applegate's Animorphs series has been adapted to TV, graphic novels, and more.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants

Young readers felt seen by this irreverent graphic novel series from Dav Pilkey. Key characters include fourth graders George Beard and Harold Hutchins, as well as, Captain Underpants himself, who is an accidental superhero.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

J.K. Rowling's prodigious preteen wizard captured the attention of U.S. audiences starting in 1998 with this enchanting novel. But we had to wait another year before the paperback found its way to our book fairs.

Holes

Winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award, Louis Sachar's darkly humorous jigsaw-puzzle of a novel centers on a boy accused of a crime he didn't commit and sent to a youth detention camp with an unusual work detail.

A Bad Beginning

Drawing comparisons to Dickens and Dahl, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events follows orphaned siblings Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire as they try to outsmart their sinister caretaker, Count Olaf.

Bud, Not Buddy

This depression-era novel by Christopher Paul Curtis won both the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award. Having lost his mother, plucky ten-year-old Bud decides to hit the road in search of his father.

Stargirl

When she arrives at Mica High, the singular Stargirl captures Leo's heart. Fellow students are also enchanted by her otherness—until they're not. Readers delight in this ode to nonconformity from Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli.

Because of Winn-Dixie

This multiple award-winning novel was Kate DiCamillo's first published book! Lonely ten-year-old India Opal Buloni's life is transformed after finds a stray dog at the grocery store and brings him home, naming him Winn-Dixie. 

Judy Moody Was in a Mood

Any kid who's ever been in a bad mood will relate to the feisty, funny, ever-changing Judy Moody. The series, created by Megan McDonald, helps young readers accept their complex (and sometimes uncomfortable) emotions.

Esperanza Rising

This moving historical novel by Pam Muñoz Ryan has garnered multiple awards since it was published in 2000. Set in the 1930s, young Esperanza's inspiring story explores the challenges faced by migrant workers.

The Field Guide

After finding a mysterious, handmade manual in the attic of the old mansion they've just moved into, the three Grace siblings make a startling discovery in book one of The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi.

Warriors: Into the Wild

For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the time tested warrior code. But when that code is threatened, an ordinary housecat named Rusty emerges to defend it. Erin Hunter's Warriors Universe begins here.

Chasing the Falconers

With their parents facing life in prison, Aidan and Meg Falconer evade the authorities and race against time in their quest to prove their parents' innocence. This is book one in the On the Run series by Gordon Korman.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Being a kid can really stink. And no one knows this better than new middle schooler Greg. In the hilarious first book of this bestselling series, Jeff Kinney introduces us to an unforgettable, unlikely hero.

What were your book fair favorites? Let us know in the comments.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon