Help me fill my son's bookcase up without it costing a fortune.

poppy_f1

i agree with checking out charity shops, im forever in them these days looking for not bad books to read

shazisastar

you can swap books online after you've read them.
the link is http://www.readitswapit.co.uk

I've never used it but have friends you have and think its great! hope this helps!

jay11_2

Second hand stalls /bookstalls at school fairs can be good. Another option we used was asking relatives to give book tokens for birthday and Christmas presents, children love 'choosing' and if he buys and likes the first book of a series, the rest can be bought via cheaper other online booksellers for other occasions.

kazwookie

Try Local car boots, freecycle, charity shops.

Or how about talking to the parents of his friends and swopping books amongst the other children when they have finished with them.

Local library often sell of books they have finished with.

Spendless

Thanks for all the great ideas:T . Re the library, though we use it, we are only served by a mobile service once a fortnight and it comes at a time when the kids are at an after school activity. The next nearest library only opens 4 half days a week, so though we use it it doesn't have a fantastic range.

I like the other ideas for sourcing books cheaply. Not totally sure about the fairy tales books though:cool: as they are more my 5yo daughter's cup of tea, but will look at the other titles suggested. thank you.

jinky67

Also I know they are often seen as girls books but my brother loved "the little house on the prairie" books too

jay11_2

Spendless, if you can get hold more original versions (2nd hand) of the Grimms, and other old fashioned fairy tales, etc. they are pretty good for older kids, really gruesome:rolleyes:. Can you order books, story CD's etc into your library, via the internet catalogue? Some areas do it free, especially for kids.

r.mac_2

what about the paddington stories - I got them all in one huge book when I was about 8 and they kept me entertained for a while!

what about philip pullman? and I can recommend Michael Morpurgo as well.

Nicki

My 8 year old boy and all his friends are reading the Beast Quest books at the moment. There are about 21 of these I think. Author is Adam Blane. They are at the same kind of level as Horrid Henry.

He also likes the abridged versions of Shakespeare, abridged greek myths, etc which we got from Red House online (the kids division of the Book People). And books about his favourite TV series and films - eg there are several Dr Who novels and a few Indiana Jones novels, and having had to read a few chapters of these they are better written than you might think! Also the Roman Mysteries are popular with this age group. Author Caroline Lawrence. These are pitched somewhere between Francesca Simon and JK Rowling in difficulty level.

frivolous_fay

If he wants a funny (boyish) version of the Enid Blyton school books,
I'd recommend Anthony Buckeridge's Jennings books