Summer book sale ‘like being in a candy store’

Bookfest ’15

• What: Giant used book sale with 15,000-plus books.

■ When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

■ Where: Fort Vancouver Regional Library District Headquarters, 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd.

■ Parking: Plenty of free parking.

■ Prices: $1 for trade paperbacks, hardbacks; 50 cents for mass market paperbacks.

■ Fundraiser for: Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation.

Learn more at 360-906-4703 or http://www.fvrlf.org/

To volunteer, e-mail volunteer@fvrl.org

Library Foundation Book-tique

o What: Ongoing book sale to support the library foundation

o Where: Fort Vancouver Regional Library District Headquarters, 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd.

o When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday

o Details: Cushy chairs, books of all genres

Isaiah Tsikayi, 9, was so excited he wanted to set his alarm for 5:30 a.m. Friday so his family could arrive early.

The much-anticipated event wasn’t a trip to Disneyland or a Mariners game.

It was the summer book sale organized by the Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation.

“They’re having a blast,” said his mom, Chris Tsikayi, nodding to Isaiah and his sister, Victoria, 10, who both sat on the floor, poring over books. “It’s like being in a candy store.”

The evidence of her family’s love of books was at her feet: four shopping bags bulging with Harry Potter, Narnia, The Hobbit and Star Wars books and more.

The Brush Prairie family was among throngs of bargain-hunting bibliophiles flocking to the Fort Vancouver Regional Library Headquarters Friday and Saturday for Bookfest ’15, one of the biggest library book sales of the year.

More than 15,000 books, organized by genre, covered tables in a basement room at the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District Headquarters. From 75 to 100 volunteers spent a week organizing books and preparing for the sale, said Sherry Braga, the library district’s volunteer coordinator.

Volunteer David Stelbicki was emptying book boxes for customers to carry home their treasures. Stelbicki, 20, has been a library volunteer for four years, since he was a student at Columbia River High School.

Sprawled on the floor nearby, Kyler Jenkins, 10, was so engrossed in reading “The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby” that he was unaware of the hubbub around him.

Three generations of Kyler’s family, his mom, Misty Jenkins, sister Kenzie Jenkins, 8 and grandmother Barb Jenkins, had filled a cardboard box and a few bags with books to take home.

Erica Herington was helping her kids Jack, 7 and Molly, 5, choose books for the library’s summer reading program. Herington, who teaches in Camas, held a precipitous pile of 20 picture books — including Curious George and Arthur the aardvark.

“Molly is going into kindergarten. We’ll spend our summer reading these books together, and then they’ll go into my classroom,” she said.

Stephen Vandekrol from Camas said it was his family’s first library book sale. They’ve just turned one of their rooms into a home library.

“We need books,” he said.

His kids were obliging. His daughter, Jasra, 11, had chosen the scholarly “Microbiology” as well as the fun “The Dork Diaries.” Enzo, 9, held “The Introspective Engineer” and “Gonzo Gizmos.” Isaiah, 2, clutched a Star Wars book.

Farther down the kids’ books aisle, Maeve Lowry, 8, cradled a stack of books in her arms.

“We love books! I found a lot of Geronimo Stilton books!” she said. “He’s a mouse. He works for a newspaper. It’s called the Rodents’ Gazette. He goes on adventures and writes stories.”

Her mom, Kate Lowry, also carried an armload of books.

“We’re going to need a box,” Lowry said. “It’s a fun way to spend a couple of hours.”

Chandra Chase is an expert book sale shopper who said she comes to every library book sale. She arrived when the doors opened.

“I took the day off work to come to this sale,” said the mom of two kids, ages 2 and 5 months.

She didn’t bring a purse or a wallet to get in the way. Instead, she had a $20 bill “so I won’t go crazy,” she said.

Her budget allowed a tower of 20 hardcover picture books.

“We got amazing stuff! Classics!” she said, pulling out some favorites: Babar, Eric Carle, Angelina Ballerina and Richard Scarry.

Chase spends 30 minutes to an hour each day reading to her kids.

When she was a book sale newbie, she brought her child. But then she had to carry a child and an enormous pile of books.

“It was a huge mistake,” Chase said, shifting the heavy load of books in her arms. “I get serious about it now. I left the kids at Grandma’s.”

Susan Parrish: 360-735-4515; twitter.com/col_schools; susan.parrish@columbian.com; www.facebook.com/schoolsclarkcounty