Your Kids Deserve a Better Book Fair, So We Did the Research
What kid doesn't love the book fair? Parents, teachers, and administrators do too, because they nurture children’s love for reading, make time for a fun break, and help support our schools financially. But many committed Catholics are starting to realize there is a growing moral problem.
We've always trusted an educational company to have our children's best interest at heart, so what happens when they start promoting content that works against the very values Catholic schools are charged to uphold?
Books advocating for alternative ideologies, moral relativism, and even graphic depictions of abuse, self-harm, or sexual scenes are finding their way onto children’s reading lists. It's not just a few picky parents who are noticing this, Scholastic has said this is their goal.
This isn’t just about objectionable content; it’s about something much deeper. A book fair isn’t just a fundraiser—it’s a reflection of the school’s mission, values, and identity. When students encounter conflicting messages in their education—especially at Catholic schools intended to anchor them in the Truth of Christ—it can leave them confused, unsettled, and worse yet, spiritually wounded. Every parent, teacher, and school administrator should be aware of the reasons Catholic Schools Must Rethink Book Fairs.
But here’s the good news: your school doesn’t need to compromise morals for money.
Today, Catholic schools have more alternatives than ever—book fairs that are thoughtfully curated, morally aligned, and just as profitable as traditional ones like Scholastic. These alternatives ensure your students aren’t just shielded from harmful narratives—they’re presented with stories that inspire, uplift, and reinforce the truth, beauty, and goodness we aim to instill in the next generation.
Catholic Kids Co. has done the legwork for you. We’ve researched every credible book fair provider to create this definitive guide for Catholic schools. From set-up logistics and profitability to content screening and alignment with Catholic teaching, we’ll help you navigate the options and find the best fit for your school community.
There’s a better way forward—a way to protect your students, honor your mission, and recommit to the true purpose of Catholic education: leading children to Christ.
Our Take on Each Book Fair
| Book Fair | Bottom Line |
| Scholastic | Catholic schools should avoid |
| Literati | Catholic schools should avoid |
| Good News! | Our top pick for schools prioritizing Catholic identity |
| Ignatius Press | A close second place for schools prioritizing Catholic identity |
| Blue Ribbon | Ideal for schools with a more secular audience |
| SkyTree | Ideal for schools with a more secular audience |
Scholastic Book Fairs
Pros: Scholastic leads the book fair market by offering easy set up, a variety of books and other goods, and decent profit margins.
Cons: Scholastic now openly promotes books addressing issues like same-sex marriage, further LGBTQ+ ideology, violence, and moral relativism—even at the elementary level. For example, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding introduces same-sex marriage themes in a kindergarten-friendly package, and Drama explores teenage same-sex attraction under the guise of a coming-of-age school play story. For Catholic schools, these books stand in opposition to Church teachings on marriage, truth, and moral guidance.
Our Verdict: Catholic schools committed to protecting their students’ faith and emotional well-being should reconsider using Scholastic.
Literati Book Fairs
Pros: Literati is known for easy setup, reasonable profits, and their year-round Book Club. They only offer educational and reading-related goods for selling at the Book Fair.
Cons: Books are not pre-screened for inappropriate or controversial topics, only for age-appropriateness. This means volunteers must manually remove content that conflicts with Catholic teaching after carefully screening the books themselves, which negates the idea of “easy setup” that doesn’t take much time.
Our Verdict: An option for profit-driven schools willing to dedicate a lot of time to pre-screening book selections.
Good News! Book Fairs
Pros: This non-profit, founded by a husband and wife in 2014, is beloved for delivering an expertly curated, frequently updated, wholesome book selection including Catholic-focused titles, best-sellers, classics, and more. Their profit margins are comparable to Scholastic with profit doubling when you hit $5,000 in sales. Their team will deliver the book boxes to the room where you will host the book fair, limiting the effort required for setup by volunteers and staff. They also offer faith-based toys/goods.
Cons: They are only available in certain Southern/ Midwestern areas currently, though they are actively expanding and are open to partnerships to explore new areas.
Our Verdict: Best for schools seeking a book fair they can trust with clean reads and authentic Catholic character.
Ignatius Book Fairs
Pros: Ignatius Book Fairs, a partnership between Ignatius Press and Ave Maria University, offers faith-aligned books curated to uphold Christian values. Their collection is 30% Catholic-themed books (saint stories, sacraments, theology for kids) and 70% carefully vetted secular titles. Their profit is also comparable to Scholastic and doubles when you hit $6,000 in sales. They also offer faith-based toys and goods.
Cons: Set up can be a bit more difficult as the boxes are simply delivered to the school and require volunteers and staff to move them and set up the book fair.
Our Verdict: Another ideal alternative to Scholastic for schools emphasizing Catholic values without sacrificing profit, but whose audience may not receive a highly Catholic book fair.
Blue Ribbon Book Fairs
Pros: Blue Ribbon will actually come set up and break down your book fair, minimizing volunteer burden. They offer primarily secular books with some Christian offerings. They are working on expanding Catholic content. Toys/Other goods are optional. Their profit margins start at 20% cash or 40% in books—no sales threshold required to increase profit.
Cons: They are only available in a few Midwest areas but are looking to expand in the near future.
Our Verdict: Great for schools needing less faith-focused content but unwilling to compromise on wholesomeness.
SkyTree Book Fairs
Pros: SkyTree is dedicated to offering wholesome content and an easy hosting process for school staff. They do not offer toys but they do include marketing materials like most of the other book fair providers. Additionally, they are available nationwide and are able to offer a profit of 20% in cash or 40% in book rewards from the beginning of the fair because they are a non-profit organization.
Cons: Their catalogs available online do not show explicitly Christian titles, though there may be some available considering they are partnered with a few Christian authors. The books are also shipped to schools so setting up the fair would require some effort for staff and volunteers.
Our Verdict: Another great option for schools needing less faith-focused content but unwilling to compromise on wholesomeness or profit.