If you’re of a certain age, merely hearing the words “Scholastic Book Fair” is going to unlock a core memory: visiting the Fair in school with new books covering endless rows and shelves, pointing out to your friends the ones you were going to bring home with you that day, showing off the pictures and illustrations of some of your favorite characters. Books were the star of the show, but the sights and sounds of that day more closely resembled the excitement of a carnival midway bursting with prizes than the quiet stacks of a library.
“There’s a Book for Every Child”
By Patrick Bohn, February 25, 2025
Lynn Smith ’96 finds new titles and subjects to engage young readers at Scholastic and its iconic book fairs.
Lynn Smith '96 works to partner Scholastic with popular external brands — such as Clifford the Big Red Dog.
Lynn Smith '96 works to partner Scholastic with popular external brands — such as Clifford the Big Red Dog.
The Scholastic Book Fair is a staple at schools across the country, introducing millions of young readers to literature and iconic characters. (Photo by 1000Photography/Shutterstock)
Lynn Smith ‘96 brings new books into the Scholastic world ... and energizes an entire generation of new readers.
Smith has seen her share of book fairs over the years — first as a young reader, then as a parent. Now, in her role as Senior Director of Licensing Media & Brands within Scholastic’s Trade Division, she works to ensure that at any Scholastic fair, “there’s a book for every child.”
“What we’re trying to replicate is that feeling and excitement you see from children when they’re at a book fair,” she said. “They’re pointing out the books they want, they’re standing in line showing their friends what they picked. It’s a truly magical thing to see.”
Although her career has taken her to stops at the NFL as a publishing assistant and the film industry as a marketing manager, it’s working for publishing companies like Simon and Schuster and Scholastic where she’s made a home. Now at Scholastic for the second time — she also worked for the company from 2007 to 2011 — Smith’s job entails working with external brands to license books for Scholastic.
“What we’re trying to replicate is that feeling and excitement you see from children when they’re at a book fair. They’re pointing out the books they want, they’re standing in line showing their friends what they picked. It’s a truly magical thing to see.”
Lynn Smith ‘96
At Scholastic, Smith and Debra Dorfman, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Licensing Media & Brands (far right), have worked with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and media personality Nessa to publish their book "We Are Free, You and Me." (Photo submitted)
“When I first started, we were licensing things that were on television, such as Nickelodeon and Disney properties. We were also keeping our eyes on popular brands — such as High School Musical ,” she said.
Over her years in the industry, however, she’s seen a shift in the types of properties the company can work with — a shift she attributes to the growing ways in which children consume media today. And with that shift has come an increased number of entry points that Smith can use to draw children towards literature.
“It’s not just television anymore,” she says. “It’s platforms like YouTube, it’s gaming, it’s social media networks. For example, we’ve licensed young adult books based on the Hunt a Killer series of tabletop mystery games. Whether it’s that, LEGO, or Peppa Pig, these brands and characters are what kids recognize. All of those things get kids excited, so when we can work with those brands, it allows us to provide our readers with content that they want.”
“At the same time, with everything we consider licensing, it always comes back to ‘is there a good story behind this that will get kids reading?’” she continues.
“With everything we consider licensing, it always comes back to ‘is there a good story behind this that will get kids reading?’”
Lynn Smith
That’s not the only positive change Smith’s seen over her time in the industry. “Another thing that’s been great to see is the evolution of what is ‘acceptable’ for kids to read,” she said. “It started with e-books, and it’s grown to include things like graphic novels, which my daughter loves. That all contributes to making reading a positive experience for kids.”
Smith’s passion for children’s literature began she was young, when she was writing out her own stories on her family’s Commodore 64 computer. Her father even submitted one of her stories to a magazine for publication.
“It didn’t get published, but they sent me back a letter encouraging me to write more, which was fantastic,” she said.
When it came time to tour colleges, Smith and her father went on a lengthy road trip, visiting nine schools in one weekend, including a trip to IC on the tail end.
Smith has worked to pair Scholastic with some of the most iconic properties in the media industry, such as Marvel.
Smith has worked to pair Scholastic with some of the most iconic properties in the media industry, such as Marvel.
“We got to campus and realized we had just missed the last official tour of the day,” she recalled. “So, we decided to just walk down to a dorm and see if we could get in to look around. We met this girl and told her I was interested in coming to Ithaca, and she exclaims, ‘My roommate’s a tour guide! Let me introduce you!’
“This other girl was nice enough to take us on a private tour, including the Roy H. Park School of Communications, which I loved,” Smith continued. “The campus was beautiful, and everyone I spoke with was so friendly.”
Enrolling at Ithaca as a cinema and photography major, Smith later switched to an English and writing double major and found her old interests revived in a writing children’s literature course.
Smith and her husband Brian '96 returned to IC in 2017 and made sure to visit some of their favorite campus landmarks, such as the Textor Ball. (Photo submitted)
“In the class, I wrote a picture book about a boy who goes to the zoo and starts imitating all the animals before realizing he’d rather be himself,” she said. “It was a lot of fun, but a lot of work too. I learned how to craft a story and pitch it to an audience, and it sparked that passion again.”
“It’s funny because every time I told people I was an English major, they’d respond, ‘Oh, so you’re going to be a teacher?’ I didn’t want to be, but at the time, you couldn’t get a degree in publishing,” she continued.
Then, during Smith’s senior year, a professor handed her a brochure highlighting a summer publishing institute at New York University. Smith immediately enrolled and spent seven weeks in New York City working with professional editors, marketers, and designers, pitching magazine ideas and redesigning book covers.
That experience led to Smith’s first professional job, working for the NFL as an assistant in the league’s publishing department.
“When I interviewed for that position, we spent most of the time talking about my experience at the publishing institute,” she said. “Getting handed that brochure at IC set the stage for a lot of things.”
From brochures to book fairs to branding, Smith has seen it all on her professional journey. But through all the changes, she’s never lost sight of her goal.
“Finding that entry point for a child that gets them excited about reading, it’s what I truly love,” she said.