2012 May - Better World Books Blog - Book Reviews, Author Interviews, Community Outreach & more

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Wonderopolis is Changing Lives

Posted by Erin on 05.24.2012 at 9:00 am

The following story is from our partners at the National Center for Family Literacy. It is one of many examples that show how you help children and families around America and the world just by buying and donating your books with Better World Books.

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Crystal and Cindy are both fourth graders at Pleasant View Elementary, a small rural school located in southeast Kentucky.

The school meets many of the community’s challenges with a dedicated staff and innovative approaches to education. A third of the population in the rural town lives in poverty; eighty-eight percent of the children at the school are poor. The school struggles with low parent involvement in school activities; many parents seem intimidated when they do visit the school.

Crystal and Cindy also share tragic circumstances: both of their mothers died recently. Because of the project funded by Better World Books, they are learning together after school. They also are forming a powerful bond and helping each other overcome a very difficult loss.

The girls are participating in a unique after-school reading and learning project featuring the age-old art of quilt making that is inspired by Wonderopolis®, an award-winning daily learning website launched in October 2010 by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL). The quilt is one of the program’s offline activities taking place during reading nights at the school, and closely connected to the students’ exploration and learning through Wonderopolis; the quilt-making activity offered many teaching opportunities, particularly as explored in Wonder of the Day #124, How Do Quilts Tell Stories?
Read more…

3 Comments » | Tagged From our Friends, Impact, Impact Vignette

Armageddon, the metric system, and you.

Posted by Tara on 05.22.2012 at 12:36 pm

Tara Gilchrist manages the Antiquarian, Rare, and Collectible department, and shares this recent find.

Old books don’t have to be rare, scarce, or pricey to be evocative and meaningful. They just need to connect you with an idea or a feeling that’s important to you.

For example: the other day, while sorting through a box of books, I came across this:

Suddenly, I was back in the fourth grade, pinned to my desk in fear, choking on the smell of chalk, lead, kid-sweat. We were about to learn THE. METRIC. SYSTEM. Only smart people who spoke foreign languages used this system! (If you spoke anything other than English, you were smart, of course.) It would be difficult! And if we didn’t convert—we’d perish! Read more…

3 Comments » | Tagged Ask the Dust: Notes from the Rare Book Section, Antiquarian Books, Collectible Books, Dr. Demento, Rare Books

The Best Book Series

Posted by Erin on 05.22.2012 at 9:00 am

Book-lovers are talking about an intense love for new trilogies such as Hunger Games and Shades of Grey, so we wondered, are those the most popular series out there or have the classics stayed on top? Here is a list of the top 10 book series – compiled and voted on by our Facebook and Twitter friends.

10. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series

9. The Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle

8. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

7. Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series

6. The Tomorrow series by John Marsden

5. L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series

4. Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien

3. The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis

2. Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series

1. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

Did your favorite series make this list? What is it and why do you love it? Is there one specific book in the series you like the most?

6 Comments » | Tagged Book Lists

BOOKING IT ALONG THE AMAZON WITH A CYCLING LEGEND

Posted by Erin on 05.18.2012 at 8:14 am

Guest post by Lynette Chiang, award-winning writer and world bicycle traveler

Ever since he “reluctantly agreed” to accompany his father on a luxury bird-watching cruise almost a decade ago, Race Across America cycling legend Lon Haldeman has been fascinated by the people, culture and landscapes of Peru.

Each year he leads small groups of cyclists, travelers and volunteers into remote regions of the country to deliver schoolbooks, feed orphans, buy supplies for a girl’s home, sponsor bike races and even coach young cycling hopefuls for the upcoming Olympics.

With donations he’s built two schools near the town of Iquitos – the 600-student Jack Wolff School, and the more rustic Joseph Pulley school, whose 30 students walk for up to an hour each day to attend class.

A highlight of the expedition is a 3-day passage to Iquitos by banana boat through the Amazon river system, jumping off at various points to surprise and delight small, isolated schools with books and writing supplies – all purchased with donations.

Finally, the Puerto Ocopa orphanage he stumbled upon in 2004 is now a regular destination, where donations feed and clothe 40 orphans.

You can join Lon and his tour company, PACTour to cycle, sightsee, help the kids .. all of the above!

*Note* The above guest post is from our friend, Lynette Chiang. Lynette Chiang is an award-winning copywriter, New York Times-reviewed author, filmmaker and world bicycle traveler. This content does not necessarily reflect the views of Better World Books (as our lawyers make sure we say). We love having guest bloggers and invite you to email 11@betterworldbooks.com if you are interested in covering a book or topic on the BWB Blog. Thank you, Lynette, for sharing this inspiring cycling story with us!

If this story inspires you, as it does us, tell us what you’re inspired to do now… thanks!

1 Comment » | Tagged From our Friends

A Little Reading on Better World Books

Posted by Erin on 05.16.2012 at 9:53 am

We don’t love to toot our own horn, but we have been part of some inspiring and interesting press recently and wanted to make sure you had a chance to check out these great articles.

Co-founder Xavier Helgesen on the Mother Nature Network

“Entrepreneurship is one of the most compelling and effective tools to change the world for the better,” says Xavier Helgesen. Read more here.

BWB Warehouse Staff Help Clean Town for Earth Day

“Employees from Better World Books came out to lend a hand and volunteer for INDOT’s Adopt a Highway Program, called Trash Bash.” Watch the coverage.

The Wall Street Journal “Best in…”

“Buy a book—and make a difference.” Click here for the full story.

“You don’t have to make a choice between making money or making a difference. Just follow the model of these rock stars of the new economy.”-Fast Company

Listed as one of six companies growing rapidly while doing good by Fast Company.

For an up to date list of all media coverage, visit our press page.

Have you spotted BWB in the news recently?

1 Comment » | Tagged Company News, In the News

The Healing Power of Books and Writing

Posted by Erin on 05.14.2012 at 9:03 am

Guest post by budding author Malcolm McLoughlin

Books have always been a haven for me. The twists and turns, highs and lows of great tales have held my imagination since the first time I read Hansel and Gretel.

When my own life started to unravel through a mixture of alcoholism and the diagnosis of my daughters Autism, I found solace in books. An authors ability to transpose the readers to another world is one of the greatest gifts that can be given and received. Its a reciprocal and intimate exchange.

In dealing with my own demons I decided that writing was a way to heal old wounds and lay a part of my soul bare. In truth there is beauty. Read more…

6 Comments » | Tagged Book Lists, From our Friends

The Top 10 Children’s Books of All Time (Plus Maurice Sendak and Teacher Appreciation Week)

Posted by Erin on 05.10.2012 at 8:32 am

In honor of Children’s Book Week, we asked our Facebook and Twitter friends to share and vote on their all-time favorite children’s books. And the winners are…

10. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

9. Love You Forever by Robert M (a regular best-seller on Better World Books)

8. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie

7. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

6. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

5. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

3. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco

2. Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree

1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

We also want to give special tribute to the #1 book on this list by none other than Maurice Sendak who passed away earlier this week at age 83. What is your favorite of his stories?

Finally, not only is this week Children’s Book Week – it’s also Teacher Appreciation Week. We love teachers and hope to help them at every opportunity we can, even offering a special educator discount on our site. Please take a moment to thank the special teachers in your life. You can publicly praise them here on our Blog or even on our Facebook page. We also invite you to buy a gift we know will mean the world to them – a book from Better World Books. Not only will the teacher receive a heartwarming gift, but someone in need will get a book too.

9 Comments » | Tagged Book & Author News, Book Lists, holidays, In the News

Top 25 Sellers on BWB in April

Posted by Erin on 05.08.2012 at 8:18 am

Did you contribute to this list by buying any of these books from us in April? We’d love for you to share a review of the books on this list you’ve read by commenting below. Do any of the titles that made the top seller list surprise you?

25. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

24. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

23. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

22. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Trilogy – Book III) by Suzanne Collins

21. A Child Called “It” by Dave Pelzer

1 Comment » | Tagged Book Lists

Why Miss Plus America Loves True Crime Books

Posted by Erin on 05.03.2012 at 9:02 am

Guest post from Miss Plus America ELITE, Spruce Dickerson

Over the years, books have given me insight into the realities of the world. Take true crime stories for instance. Reading true-to-life criminal biographies is so very fascinating because evil is so far-fetched to me. I mean, how can someone cut up a person’s body, store the pieces in the freezer, and then cook and eat them? This absolutely captivates my curiosity, as my mind struggles to make sense of it. Reading these stories has helped deepen the compassion in my heart for sick, wounded, and lost souls. It helps me to understand there is a tangible evil in this world! I have a heart for motivating, inspiring, and encouraging people; and by reading this genre of book it has helped me focus more on the hurts of others and to extend myself in trying to ease their pain. Whether the person is a victim or the abuser, they both are in pain and in need of compassion.

Read more…