PaperBackSwap

Do you have some books sitting around your house that your kids (or you) have already read and aren't sure what to do with?  Using PaperBackSwap is a great way to get your kids some books at very little cost to you.

Here's how it works...

You sign up on the PaperBackSwap website and list books that you want to trade.  If you list at least ten books, they give you two credits to use right away.

To order a book, you can either search for a specific book or browse through what they have available.  I just checked the site and as of now, there are 4,599,433 books available, though that changes constantly with people posting and requesting.  When you find a book you want, you just click to order it.  You don't have to pay anything.  You get a confirmation in your email when you order it and again when it is sent out.

When a book is requested from you, you pay to mail it out, but PBS makes it very easy.  You can print the postage directly through the website onto a piece of  8-1/2 x 11 paper, wrap it around the book and put it in the mail.  You don't even have to weigh it, which I love.  You then get a credit that can be used to order another book.

I've been adding books that I have read and will likely never read again and, as they are requested, I am getting books for my son.  I have gotten six books so far and I just requested two more books today (one Blue's Clues and one Cars).

(If you are a reader, I also recommend the GoodReads website, where you can keep track of books you have read, see what other people are reading, read reviews and join book groups.  I've been doing that for about two months and I love it.)