Ignatius Book Fairs Seek to offer "The Best in Catholic Literature" for Youngsters

Ignatius Book Fairs: Offering the best in Catholic literature for youngsters, providing a wholesome alternative to Scholastic Book Fairs.

on Mar 27, 2024

Ignatius Book Fairs Seek to offer "The Best in Catholic Literature" for Youngsters | Frontlist

"We work with all of the major Catholic book publishers to provide the best in Catholic children's books available," says Rose Trabbic, Director of Operations for Ignatius Book Fairs, "and many of these are published by the Magnificat/Ignatius partnership."

Ave Maria University and Ignatius Press have collaborated to present Ignatius Book Fairs, a Catholic book fair for parents and schools seeking an alternative to Scholastic Book Fairs, which have increasingly become a shelter for improper content for children.

Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ, founder of Ignatius Press, bemoaned society's "attack on the innocence of children" and stated, "We want to use our resources to provide young people with good, wholesome literature and give them a love for reading."

According to him, the fairs are unique in that they strive to present "the best in Catholic literature for young people that will form them in ways that they will build upon throughout their lives."

Scholastic Book Fairs has been a popular resource for schools and parents for decades, but in recent years, Ignatius Book Fairs organizers stated in a press statement, "Scholastic has had a dramatic shift in its mission and principles, publishing sexually explicit LGTBQ content, books about witchcraft and the occult, and more topics that have caused parents concern."

They stated, "National alternatives to such inappropriate and damaging content have not existed until now, putting Catholic schools in a tough position when it comes to providing wonderful books to their kids. Ignatius Book Fairs was founded to fill this vacuum, offering the possibility to ship a high-quality, elegant, and enjoyable book fair anywhere in the United States."

Ave Maria University President Mark Middendorf supports the mission of Ignatius Book Fairs, stating, "Ignatius Press has a long history of being the most popular Catholic publisher in America. We hope that this new effort will help shape young children through faith-based literature. We intend for these book fairs to serve as a source of renewal for the Church and the salvation of souls.

According to organizers, the Ignatius Book Fairs will feature "fully vetted children's classics, contemporary stories, graphic novels, picture books, as well as titles about science, history, crafts, and more." Ignatius Book Fairs provide a competitive alternative to Scholastic.

Rose Trabbic, Director of Operations at Ignatius Book Fairs, spoke with CWR about the organization. She is a long-time Ignatius Press employee, a mother of five children who attend Catholic school, and "knows the importance of Catholic education and equipping schools with the resources they need to thrive." She enjoys reading "beautiful, inspiring books to her children and finding new books to share with them."