Post by Mary Olson, BWB Outlet Store ManagerHas the textbook-buying season got you down? Let us help. Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to save up to hundreds of dollars on your textbooks each semester.
1) Always get the ISBNs for the textbooks you need. This helps you get the exact edition so that you don’t have to worry about returning books if you accidentally order a wrong edition. Also, especially when ordering used books, read the seller’s comments about condition. They could include important pieces of information like, “Instructor’s Edition,” or “First Canadian Edition.” Be sure you know what you’re ordering.

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TED, a non-profit dedicated to sharing innovative and thoughtful ideas around the world, has launched an “Ads Worth Spreading” campaign which they describe as an “initiative to recognize and reward innovation, ingenuity and intelligence in advertising – the ads that people want to see, and share with their friends.

We have just thing for this campaign! Recently, we have created a series of short films which highlight the impact that folks like you make every time you donate books or shop with Better World Books. We’ve entered six videos into the contest and would love for you to view and vote for them to be shown at the TED conferences this year.The videos

A homeless 9th grader who got his first book through the BWB/Feed The Children teacher store tells his story. The spot ties buying and donating to impact like Zachariah’s story.

2:40 – http://www.youtube.com/tedaws?x=us_showcasephase2_8324_27

60 seconds – http://www.youtube.com/tedaws?x=us_showcasephase2_8327_27

From the age of 5, Agnes had to sleep in the Ugandan jungle to hide from rebel soldiers. Today, she is a proud university graduate thanks to BWB and Invisible Children.

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Guest post by Jean Reidy, children’s author and activist

My third children’s book, Light Up the Night (Disney Hyperion), was inspired by every kid who throws a sheet over the kitchen table and calls it a clubhouse. It’s for every kid who makes a fort out of couch cushions. And it’s especially for every kid who huddles down under a blanket at night ─ where safety and security reign, allowing imagination to blast off. It’s about earth, space and a kid’s sense of place.

But unfortunately, not all children enjoy security and sense of place. Over the past seven years my family has developed strong connections to the country of Uganda and its people. With that came my understanding of the plight of Uganda’s children. HIV/AIDS robs these kids of family and health. Past civil war threatens their security. And the warehouses and refugee camps where they currently seek safety are unimaginably inhumane.So it was with both an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what I have, and a deep sense of responsibility for those who have not, that I wrote Light Up the Night.

To celebrate the release of the book and honor the children of Uganda, I’m part of a project benefiting literacy in Africa and a library at Musana Children’s Home in Iganga, Uganda where I worked in the summer of 2010. Musana was founded in 2008 to provide a safe and loving home for children, many of whom have been orphaned or abandoned. In 2010 an existing building at Musana was repaired, secured and designated as their library. Now we need to fill it with books.

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He’s in the 9th grade. He and his mom were recently evicted from their home. He began this year on a 5th grade reading level. But thanks to you, Zachariah has hope – and a huge smile to boot.

Thanks to a partnership between Better World Books and Feed The Children, Zachariah now owns his very first book. Feed The Children does not only focus on feeding the literal hunger of children and families across America and worldwide, but also supporting healthy minds. With the help of Better World Books book donations, Feed The Children has distributed over 500,000 backpacks full of school supplies.

Zachariah’s success story would not be possible without you. Each time you donate or buy a book with Better World Books, students like Zachariah are given more opportunities to learn and grow.

Read more about how we met Zachariah.

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