I learned this weekend that Amazon has a subscription book box available for the kids in your life. For the low-low price of $20 per box, you can order books (four board books or two hardbacks) for children ages 0 to 12. The big bonuses for the subscription are that you’re getting the books at 40% discount and the boxes are “curated.”
I have two counter-offers to this deal.
First, if you’d like to get print books in the home of a child under five years old, I highly recommend the free Imagination Library subscription available through our Friends of the Library group. Children with this subscription receive one age-appropriate book each month that includes suggestions for how can teach their children vital early literacy skills. This subscription is free for the families who sign up. If you have a child under five you’d like to sign up, ask us about it at the library. We’ll get you the form and we’ll even turn it in for you!
My second counter-offer is also free, and ever more impressive than Amazon’s. Using only your library card, you or your child can have up to 20 books each month! Granted, you need to bring them back after 4 – 8 weeks, but still! 20 books! For free! You can even upgrade your selections to include audiobooks or DVDs at no extra charge. Our trained staff can help you curate the selections at any time. We’ll simply need to ask a few questions to understand your interests or the interests of your child, then we’ll offer helpful suggestions designed to give you the best reading experience possible.
Don’t have time to come to the library? No problem! Simply download the Overdrive app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer and check out up to six books, audiobooks, or videos for two weeks at a time. Overdrive even works for free on Amazon’s Kindle devices.