Just when you’re sick and tired of reading textbooks, along comes the chance to buy even more books.

These books, however, are much more fun and simple to read than Campbell’s ‘An Introduction to Differential Equations and their Applications.’ In fact, many of them are on the level of Dr. Seuss.

The Shirley W. Nelson Campus Child Care Center (CCC) is hosting its annual book fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Monday through Friday in the hallway at the south end of Gabel Hall. On Thursday, the fair will continue until 8 p.m.

Chris Herrmann, CCC director, said the fair has been held for the last eight years or so, and is patterned after book sales held by local resident Estelle von Zellen.

Herrmann said until about five years ago, von Zellen would sell books in her basement and donate some of the profits to CCC. An avid book reader, von Zellen had a large collection of books until selling her book business to W.W. Wickle in Naperville. Herrmann said the book fair is an attempt to carry on von Zellen’s tradition.

The Junction Book Store is now donating books to the book fair and allowing CCC to keep 25 percent of the proceeds. Herrmann estimated the sales to be between $1000 and $2000, and said there would be about 800 books for sale.

Most of the books are children’s stories and parenting manuals, Herrmann said. Some titles include “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,” “Brown Bear, Brown Bear,” and “Active Parenting.”

“Last year (the CCC) used the money from the fair to buy some playground equipment. This year we hope to add to it. Maybe we’ll buy another piece of equipment,” Herrmann said.

CCC is a day care center which serves NIU students, faculty and staff with two to six-year-old children. This semester there are about 50 children at the center, Herrmann estimated. She said there is a fee for parents to leave children at CCC, but the cost is reduced for NIU students.

Herrmann said CCC is open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and offers classroom instruction, meals, rest and playground time for children whose parents attend or work at NIU.

Herrmann invites anyone interested to attend the book fair and especially recommends the fair for students in early childhood studies. The books also might make good holiday gifts for children.