Best Book Deals

We are book fanatics at our house. These magical goodies can instantly transport us to fantastic places, teach everything from new words to table manners, and are a great excuse for cuddling. They can get expensive though. Here are some ways we inundate ourselves with quality books without the hefty price tag.

Obviously, if you want to check books out, you can head to your local library. We use the library a lot. It's a wonderful place to take the kids (especially on bad weather days) and it's a fantasy land of thousands of books just for them. My girls adore the library. We go every two weeks and get ten books. When we read them at home for the first time in bed that first night, it's almost like opening presents. And it's free!

Another great way to find inexpensive books is to check out half.com for used and new books at great prices. Both individuals and stores sell at half.com and the rating system helps you buy from the most reputable sellers. I have an extensive wish list there (and sell as well) and they alert me if one of my books comes up for sale at the price I've specified. While shipping is a little higher than some other places since there's no bulk discount, it's still a great way to buy books at substantially reduced prices.

If you know a book you want, the best way to find a good price online is to use the search engine bestbookbuys.com. They'll compare prices from dozens of stores (including shipping) and give you a list of the best prices nearly immediately. They even include used books in the search, including half.com.

If you just want to buy a whole lot of good books cheap, another option is to shop discount stores online. There are a number of book sellers who sell overstocks and such, dirt cheap. They include Edward R. Hamilton, bookcloseouts.com, and plenty more. Since it's hard to know what you're getting, I do a little research while shopping. I open a window in Amazon or Barnes and Noble so I can look up books and read customer opinions before I buy anything. Since I also shop those stores, I figure I'm not taking advantage of them.

Frequent local bookstores when you can too. You can often buy books cheap because they have shelf wear (a torn cover, for instance). Stores also run sales and often buy some books at reduced prices. Plus it's good to support local stores because they keep our communities alive and it's just nice to buy from the little guy when you can.

Lastly, try your local elementary schools. Parents can take advantage of great offers from book clubs for kids like Scholastic. The prices are often great. We take part in Early Childhood Family Education (families and toddlers come to the school once a week to get acquainted with the school, teachers, and each other, plus to have fun and learn a bit) and our kindergarten teacher shares the catalogs with us. It's a great deal!

Books are such a phenomenal way to teach kids and make their lives magical at the same time. One of the best things about them is that they are equal opportunity. With libraries and other great options, they're truly affordable for every child.


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