Scholastic Criticized for Pushing Toys, Makeup in Book Clubs

If you’ve noticed the toys, jewelry, and other non-book items being sold by Scholastic in its elementary and middle school book club flyers, you’re not alone. A Boston-based advocacy group says the children’s publisher is abusing its position by peddling everything from games to makeup to classroom kids.

A review by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) found that one-third of the items for sale in these brochures are either not books or are books packaged with other items such as jewelry, video games, toys, or lip gloss."The opportunity to sell directly to children in schools is a privilege, not a right,” says CCFC’s director, Susan Linn, who has launched a letter-writing campaign urging Scholastic to stop using its school-based book clubs to sell these items. more » » »