Where will Sylvia be next?

But as beautiful as the campus was, the staff somehow managed to outshine it. Every single person I encountered was unbelievably kind, welcoming, and helpful. The kind of hospitality that makes standing outside in the cold considerably more enjoyable. A huge thank-you to Honey Grove Early Learning Center for inviting The Book Fairy to be part of your Friday afternoon! We loved meeting your families, exploring your beautiful school, and sending some great books home for the weekend.

The Book Fairy attended the 2026 Banking on Women Conference to connect with Indiana banks about CRA partnerships, free book fairs, and literacy access in Indianapolis.

Melissa, the director of Welcome Place Childcare Ministry and my newest partner in literary crime, had casually mentioned earlier in our visit that they might receive a donation to purchase books for their teachers.

Wonderful, I thought.

Wouldn’t that be lovely?

And then Tuesday evening happened.

On October 23, I rolled into Military Park in downtown Indianapolis for Book Fair in the Park, a fantastic event hosted by White River State Park and GoodRiches Books. The concept was simple: bring independent bookstores, book lovers, and the community together for a day celebrating reading.

I also learned that being a vintage camper makes me extremely useful for children’s recreational espionage.

Several kiddos discovered that my shelves, corners, and general camper-ness made an excellent hiding spot during their ongoing game of man hunt.

And obviously I got involved.

Was I technically operating a mobile bookstore?

Yes.

Was I also harboring fugitives?

Allegedly.

I take customer confidentiality very seriously.

There is nothing quite like watching a child duck into a bookstore, crouch behind something, whisper “DON’T TELL THEM I’M IN HERE,” and realizing that your afternoon job description has suddenly expanded.

Arts for All Fest is a free community celebration where people of all ages and abilities come together to create, connect, and celebrate through art. There were hands-on art activities, live performances, community resources, interactive experiences, and some seriously impressive artwork.

Basically, everyone was creating beautiful things while I sat there being a 1965 camper full of books.

We all have our gifts.

For the past four days, The Book Fairy has taken over the inside and outside of the Parish Life Center, slinging books to everyone from tiny Pre-K humans who are still learning that money is real to 8th graders who are far too cool to be excited about a book fair…I felt their book fair aura.

Listen, I spend a lot of time around kids. I’ve seen what they know. I’ve heard their questions. I’ve witnessed their ability to remember one very specific thing you promised them six months ago. So when Making Memories Playschool invited me to their “Are You Smarter Than a Preschooler?” fundraiser, I already had my suspicions…

With school officially back in session, I did a little informal polling. Reviews were mixed. Some kids were genuinely PUMPED to be back—friends! Teachers! New year! Others gave me a look that could best be described as, “Please don’t make me talk about it.” Fair.

One of my favorite things about the night was how many students came in looking for books not for themselves, but for their younger siblings. One recent graduate picked out books for her first-grade cousin, which just about did me in. A mama of four stocked up on enough books to keep everybody reading for quite some time.