Yancey’s book fair passes 20-year mark

Yawu Miller

Aaron Jones still remembers the biography of Rosa Parks he picked up for his daughter when he first came to Charles Yancey’s annual book fair.

If his daughter, now a freshman at Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School, doesn’t remember the book, it’s not surprising, given her voracious appetite for the printed word.

“I like to read,” she said. “I read about five books a month.”

Saturday, Jones picked up a small stack of books for Karen and her brother and sister at the book fair, which is now in its 20th year.

“This is a great event,” he said. “The message is important: reading is essential to the development of young minds.”

Yancey estimates that his book fair has distributed more than 200,000 books to local youngsters over its 20-year existence. This year, more than 20,000 books were distributed to over 1,000 children.

“It was very exciting,” he said. “Every year we get an overwhelming response.”

Yancey and his staff first thought of the idea of the book fair back in 1986 as a way to boost literacy in the community. The fair has grown over the years and has gained corporate sponsorship.

This year, more than 100 volunteers helped distribute the books, including community activists, school teachers, librarians, off-duty police officers and Yancey family members. In attendance were Mayor Thomas Menino, state reps Gloria Fox and Linda Dorcena, city councilors Michael Flaherty, Robert Consalvo and Stephen Murphy.

From the stage at the Walter E. Reed auditorium teenage crooners and rappers entertained the crowd as did several dance groups.

Yancey wore a smile all afternoon as he surveyed the crowd of children, parents and greeted numerous friends at the event.

“You get a great sense of satisfaction and relief once the day is done,” he said. “And you get a sense that you’ve contributed in some small way to the education of people in the community.

“We’ve provided an opportunity for a thousand young people to develop a library.”