A post-bookfair reflection

The 26th Manila International Bookfair ended last Sunday and left me a few thousands poorer. I just can't say no to my kids who were the ones eager to go. Not that I wasn't interested; I just lost the motivation to go when my colleagues in school went without me.

Before we left the house, I told my kids we will just be browsing and won't be buying anything. But deep inside I knew it was wishful thinking. We got there early and my boys went about their business of browsing the shelves. I wanted to go around and look for materials for our library but thought otherwise and told myself that I wasn't supposed to work on a Sunday and just be with my kids.

Zarah, noted in her post at School Librarian in Action the wider aisles and space to rest tired feet. I attribute them to less exhibitors this year, which is sending us a signal that these are hard times for book sellers. Were it not for the bigger bookstores like NBS, Powerbooks, Goodwill, and Fully Booked, the bookfair would be in Tagalog, kakalog-kalog.

The World Trade Center is also the venue of the Toys & Gifts fair held every December, which I also frequent. But I wish the Center is as packed as this fair as during the bookfair. Alas, I have to accept the fact that the bookfair's attendance is but a reflection of our reading culture.

But my sons couldn't care less about all this because they were both absorbed in browsing the shelves in search of a book to buy. We happened by the Anvil booth and my youngest son Gino saw this storybook Ang Prinsipeng Duwag and must have identified with the title that he handed me a copy and asked me to buy it for him. But even before I could reply, he saw yet another title - Si Pandakotyong - which sounded interesting to him, and gave it to me. My eldest, Nico, however, saw a set wrapped in plastic and gave it to me suggesting that we buy it instead. He then counted the individual titles on display and I counted bundled one. He counted ten, I counted eleven. So I asked the attendant what could be missing in the bundle, but he pointed out the duplicates on display. My sons left me to tend to the books as they both went inside the Anvil booth to look at some more books and after deciding that I'd buy the books, we were invited to stay for a storytelling session.

My boys enjoyed the session especially the give aways that they made me swear that we'd go back next year. I thought we were ready to go but they wanted to browse some more which meant buy some more. Gino found this dino book (again) he so really wanted to buy and add to his collection but I told him I wasn't buying it and to look for a non-dino book instead (he's become some kind of an expert on dinos). So after going around Fully Booked for what seemed a hundredth time, he finally settled for a shark book, which was his nth book on sharks (another one of his favorite). His brother on the other hand, asked me to buy three volumes from the Goosebumps series. I added up all the purchases and it was going to be a few thousands so I told them the books were going to be their birthday and Christmas presents from me. They thought about it and agreed.

While waiting for my husband to pick us up, my boys went browsing some more which gave me time to observe the crowd. I noticed that they were mostly from the A-B class which led me to think where the C,D,and E people would be. Could it be that they couldn't care less if there was a bookfair going on? Or could it be that they have more important things to do than read; attend a rally perhaps and get paid for it? I can only make presumptions and assumptions but I am grateful that my kids love to read and I would happily buy them the books they want even if it bleeds my pocket.

I do have this feeling that my boys knew that I didn't really mean what I said about not giving them any more presents.


And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matt 1:21)