Hmmm….Book Clubs or Books Online?

My oldest son came home the other day with a Scholastic book order form.  I remember these from the time I was a child in school.  I absolutely LOVED getting them!  Actually, I am still excited to get them when my son brings them home, as silly as it sounds.

I looked through the current order form and I am excited about ordering this new book “While the World Is Sleeping” by Pamela Duncan Edwards.  This is a bedtime storybook in which the scene is set as you are taking a ride on a white owl at nighttime to explore nature wtih foxes, porcupines, raccoons, fish, mice and so on, all while their day begins as the rest of the world is asleep.  I tried to find some reviews (as I am a firm believer in reviews) and it had EXCELLENT reviews.  Also, while in my search for more about this book, I found that it is listed at over $10 more on other sites if not bought through Scholastic.  WOW!  That is a saving!

After my book review search, I started thinking about book clubs.  Many years ago I was a member of a book club.  You know the one – where you pick out five books and pay a penny for them, with the promise of buying a certain amount in a certain time period.  It made me wonder about book clubs for kids.  I guess you can say Scholastic is sort of a book club, not in the sense that you have to purchase a certain amount of books in a particular time frame, but in the sense that you get deeply discounted prices and your school gets rewarded for the purchases also.  They have been around for years and I just think they are great.  If you are interested in finding out more about them, or if you just want to check out their site and see what kind of books they offer, you can click here to view that.

But, book clubs just aren’t for some people.  Some people don’t want to feel obligated and I can understand that.  If you are one of those people, then Big Universe is the place for you and your children!

With a small fee (as low as $6.95 per month that allows unlimited book reading, create unlimited books, and share unlimited books), you have access to thousands of different books online – all at your fingertips!  And, as stated previously, you have the option of being able to create, publish, and even print your own book!  The site gives you over 7000 images to chose from to help out with your book debut.   What a great way to get your child’s imagination rolling!  But if creating your own book seems too much at first, take your time, find a book that you think your child would be interested in, and just read.   The site has TONS of fiction and nonfiction books of all academic subjects with quizzes at the end to assess comprehension.  The colors on the site are amazing and the pictures just jump out at you!

So, whether you prefer book clubs to online sites or vice versa or possible both, just remember to take the time to read with your child(ren) as it is the stepping stone to a brighter future!

Week 5 High Frequency Word List

1.  go

2.  on

3.  my

~ Amy E. Snyder