In the pantheon of 1980s childhood experiences, few rites of passage compared to the Scholastic Book Fair. This was not merely a school event—it was a full-blown, glitter-infused adventure where your sense of logic, your clutching dollar bills, and your future taste in literature were all put to the ultimate test. And make no mistake: surviving the Book Fair required courage, cunning, and a willingness to experience sensory overload the likes of which only a third grader could truly appreciate. Let’s start with the setup. By some miracle of logistics, your school gymnasium—or if you were lucky, the library, which…