Re-stocking a teens bookshelf cheaply

GobbledyGook

Try theworks.co.uk for low cost new books.

pollypenny

I don't agree with having a few books on the go at that age. Ideally, he needs to find books that absolutely hook him, that he can't put down.

Robert Cormier, Robert Westall, Anthony Horrock, though not sure of the last name.

Price is an issue though, do trial and error.

duchy

Dust off the kindle and try this site. It lists all the free books available currently on amazon for FREE . Some books stay around to download for weeks , others are 24 specials so download as soon as you see something of interest and keep it til needed (or delete -as it's free anyway) http://www.dailyfreebooks.co.uk/free_ebooks/latest/

miniandfloss

I also agree with car boot sales. I buy all of my books there and have got some brilliant bargains.

Ms_Chocaholic

Do you really want to buy a bookshelf of books for him.

Have you considered using your local library - you can browse the books online and order line to pick up (well at mine anyway). Also if he doesn't like a particular author you can just take the book(s) back and pick another.

Spendless

Yes, I really do want to buy books instead of borrowing them as I said in my opening post. The reason for this is not for him to be reading more than one book at once but for the reason described below by Mr Toad,

Mr_Toad wrote: »

Why would that preclude him from having more than one book on the go?

My reason for the multiple book comment is so that if, for any reason, he does not feel like reading a particular book he can always opt for one of the others which is surely better than not reading anything.

if he feels that he doesn't fancy that particular book, then there are others at hand to choose from. None of which he has to remember to get re-stamped out or remember to return other than to his bookshelf. The bookshelf in question is 2 - 3 fitted shelves across the length of a desk, we are not talking about filling the whole of Ikea's Billy range. In addition our library service is a mobile one that comes once a fortnight, and on the day and he has the tuition elsewhere. Son also currently has a book from his school library, as the tutor on seeing him (re) reading a Horrible History book and knowing the issue about not putting enough detail into his work suggested he went and got 'The Hitchiker Guide to the Galaxy' out, as a 'step-up'.

It isn't that son doesn't read at all, it's just that he is limiting at what he does read and needs to expand into other authors.

Unfortunately we can't get to the car-boot this morning as youngest needs taking to drama class; and car boot isn't on a bus route.

Yesterday 4 books were picked up. The supermarket charity stall didn't have anything but 2 were picked up from a charity shop, The life of Pi and a Darren Shan book.What I found difficult about charity shops is that they are all displayed A-Z by author, not split into sub-sections so you really need to know the author(s) you are looking for to save you having to pull out every book.

The 2nd hand market bookstall was a better experience, so thanks to whoever said to go there first. Explaining to the stall-holder the situation, he pulled out the first of Philip Pullmans Dark Materials and another that I can't remember the name of about moles and their kingdom which is supposed to have a Lord of the rings feel to it.

These 4 books came to £3.75 and I think today we'll have a look at some he's been passed on and are scattered around the house somewhere and then look through some of the other ideas.

Mr_Toad

Something else you may wish to consider.

Yesterday I made a rare trip into town. I consoled myself with a visit to Waterstones :j

It's a huge one over 4 floors and, as usual, I ended up adding to my ever expanding reading list.

Books are laid out by both author and genre, how about taking him to a bookshop and making a list of the books that he fancies. You'll be lucky to find them at car boots or charity shops but I bet you'll find them cheaply on eBay or even the Amazon secondhand sellers.

skylight

duchy wrote: »

Dust off the kindle and try this site. It lists all the free books available currently on amazon for FREE . Some books stay around to download for weeks , others are 24 specials so download as soon as you see something of interest and keep it til needed (or delete -as it's free anyway) http://www.dailyfreebooks.co.uk/free_ebooks/latest/

Didn't know about that site - downloaded plenty to keep the kids and I going - thanks for that!

azzabazza

duchy wrote: »

Dust off the kindle and try this site. It lists all the free books available currently on amazon for FREE . Some books stay around to download for weeks , others are 24 specials so download as soon as you see something of interest and keep it til needed (or delete -as it's free anyway) http://www.dailyfreebooks.co.uk/free_ebooks/latest/

Fantastic link - thanks very much. I know someone who will love the knitted 1D beanie!

tyllwyd

It's not the absolutely cheapest way, but to get new ideas you could try going into your local Waterstones to find the teen section and ask the assistant for advice - the girl that looks after the teen section in our shop is very enthusiastic and knows the books, so someone like that could suggest things that he hadn't thought of himself, and he could have a look and decide what he did/didn't like.