So after completing my 7th year teaching in the classroom I have
built a nice large library that many children have enjoyed. It does take some
time and investment but I am going to share with you my tips on how to do this
(on a budget) to get the most bang for your buck!
eBay
When I first started out and wanted to have a good selection in my
classroom library, without spending a fortune, I turned to eBay. I simply
searched for "lots" of books for the age range that I needed. For
example, type in “lot of books for first graders” or “lot of 3rd
grade chapter books” to narrow down your search. Bid on items that have low
shipping or free shipping to lower your overall cost. I recommend finding “lots” that equal out to $1 per book or less. (Try not to get into a heated
bidding war…that will only cost you more! There are always more “lots” to bid
on!).
Goodwill Bookstores and Goodwill Stores
A great bargain can be found when you go to Goodwill in search of
books! So many families donate their children’s books when they “outgrow” them.
Most are priced fairly but some are not so shop carefully. It would be a great
idea to incorporate shopping at each Goodwill Store or Goodwill Bookstore into
your weekly routine. New donations are constantly being put onto the shelves
and if you visit frequently you can build your library up with great finds for
cheap!
Scholastic Book Clubs
Now, your thought to this suggestion may be “what?!?” but I
promise there is a reason I am mentioning Scholastic Book Clubs! Most books in
the Scholastic Book Club Magazines are regular retail prices but if you utilize
this program in your classroom throughout the year you can earn free books!
Each month they run specials for teachers where you can earn bonus “bonus
points” on top of what you earn from your student/parent orders! There are also
specials every few months for $1 books. I usually order these for student gifts
and order an extra 1 or 2 for my library. If you are unfamiliar with how
Scholastic Book Clubs work just click on the picture link below and sign up!
They walk you through the process and it is very user friendly.
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| Click here to go directly to the website to sign up for a book club in your classroom! |
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| This is an example of the student/parent magazine that you send home to your students. |
Scholastic Warehouse Sales
If you have a Scholastic Warehouse in your area I highly recommend
looking for the sales they have a few times a year! They always have a special
area where you can fill a box (usually for $25) and they send you coupons when
you sign up to go online. You can also go through the entire warehouse and
search for deals. The great thing about visiting the warehouse is that you get
great, current titles for less. You can also sign up to volunteer at the sales
in the future and earn up to $80 in credits to spend on books at the sale! I
haven’t done this yet but I am hoping to around Christmas time.
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| This is an example of an email flyer. |
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| This is what the website is currently advertising. Click here to go there now. |
Scholastic Teacher Store
The Scholastic Teacher Store is a great gem of a website that I
don’t think that many people know about. It is separate from the other
Scholastic entities and they have a very different selection of books for sale.
They also have many teacher and professional development products available.
Everything is marked down from the list price and there is a sale and clearance
section that is updated regularly!
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| Click here to go to the Teacher Store. |
50 for 50
I just took advantage of this offer, which came into my email
inbox. I have signed up for all the scholastic emails and this offer comes in a
few times a year. You choose a grade level range and receive a box of 50 high
quality randomly selected books. I
jumped for it this year since I am moving up to 2nd grade from 1st
and I didn’t have that many chapter books for students reading from a 2.0 to a 3.9.
This may seem like a higher cost but the retail cost of the box is usually
around $250. If you compare the cost to what it is worth it is a steal
(especially for chapter books). The offer comes through The Teacher Store (as mentioned above) so make sure you sign up for their emails!
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| An example of the offer email. |
I hope you find these tips and tricks helpful! Please leave a
comment below and tell me what you think! Share your tips and tricks too!
Thanks!
Adreanna
p.s. I have no affiliation with Scholastic, I'm just a fan!
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