The Holiday Book Exchange

Sarah Hawes' Christmas tree, fireplace and snow globe!

Each year the Reading Council hosts a Holiday Book Exchange.  They provide the food and hot chocolate.  Teachers are invited to come in their tacky holiday sweaters and bring a new holiday book in a gift bag.  Sarah Hawas, on the left, is our annual Tacky Sweater Winner for her creative and fun sweaters through the years. The event has become very popular and this year we had about 60 teachers participate.  One of the reasons that it is so popular is that Susan Phillips, our fearless leader, decided the exchange was going to be a Chinese gift exchange and she writes the rules (and the rules sometimes change!)  It is hilarious fun!  Each teacher gets a number as she comes into the room with the books in their festive bags in the front of the room.  Beginning with number 1, that teacher chooses a bag.  Then the next teacher can either steal that book or choose a new book.  The most coveted number is #1 because that teacher gets to choose the first book and then at the end after all the books have been unveiled, gets to make a final choice.  The exchange continues and by the time we get to about number 20, popular books can get stolen many, many times.  Susan does have a "3 rule:" Once a book has been stolen three times, it is dead and belongs to the holder of the book at that time.  The good news is that you usually get a book that you like.  Most teachers are trying to add to their class library and some are adding to their person family library. 

After steals and being stolen from, I ended up with the delightful and new (2015 copyright) How to Catch Santa, which will be a gift to my newest grandson. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas was another popular choice this year, but it is the fun that brings the teachers.  In this busy, busy season, it's just a nice bit of fun to add to the festive spirit and one of those traditions that you just don't want to miss.