I was a real book worm when I was a little girl, even reading extra special books like 101 Dalmations by Dodie Smith at least 5 times. My love for reading continued right up until I had my children, but my concentration span has lessened since then, the big tomb like books I used to read within a week, now collect dust for the rest of eternity.
My two boys aged 16 and 9, love me to buy the books but I know for a fact half of them haven't been read, still, I keep trying and will continue to do so. So finding either book clubs or cheap bargain book shops that saves me money on the things that may or may not be read is advantageous.
Books for children is one book club that I have used, my first requisition was a Lets Speak Spanish which included a sticker activity book, a sing-along CD, Spanish book, board game and model-making kit, I chose this as eventually we are hoping to move to Spain. I only had to pay for postage and packing at £1.49, I'm still trying to pin my youngest down for more than 10 minutes to see if its any good, he likes the model making kit, but that's not going to get him anywhere with speaking the language!
Books for children usually offer for first timers 5 books from just 50p each as an introduction. Their website: WWW.booksforchildren.co.uk.
An example of the sort of books on offer on the website: Fantasy Phonics - RRP £24.00, joining price £2.50, Julia Donaldson's Gruffalos Child Jigsaw Book for 3 + RRP £10.99, joining price £0.50 or you can choose a mystery gift which is a surprise parcel of children's books.
When you join you agree to buy at least a further 6 books in your 1st year of membership, after that you are not obliged to buy any more if you don't want.
Each month you can either buy their recommendation or your own choice, or none at all as long as you purchase the additonal 6 throughout the year.
There is an incentive to recruit new members - earning £5.00 for each one.
You can order on-line, phone or by post.
I've looked on their website, it's easy to navigate, and includes latest book news, reviews, special offers and competitions, you can also view your account and track any on-going orders.
The books offered cover a range for children aged 0-12 years also tapes, toys and cd roms.
If you are not satisfied with your purchase you can return it within 10 days.
You receive a monthly letter with your account details and a colour magazine, to give you some idea of what you should expect here is the low down of this month's issue:
This month's mag consists of 68 pages also complete with the usual advertising leaflets - one of which is for the mag itself, offering free postage and packing for orders over £15.00 or more, before 12th October 2006, it includes a scratch card where you can win either £5,000 cash or a free mystery book, as you can guess - I won the free mystery book.
The mag starts on the first page with a "Dear Reader" letter saying "Happy Halloween" it then goes on to suggest 4 books - 1 for each of the age group, giving a brief description of each.
0-3 years "Make Way for Noddy"
3-5 years "Bob the Builder"
5-7 years "Horrid Henry's Christmas Cracker
8-12 years "Peter Pan in Scarlet"
Also on this page is an explanation of the keys to the Curriculum for Key Stage F to Key Stage 3. They state that all their books offered in the mag encourage the child to learn and many books support the National Curriculum. There is a page full of books for each key stage.
The mag is split into sections:
0-3 years
3-5 years
5-7 years
8-12 years
With sub sections in each as follows:
0-3 Years
Two pages of Editor's choice which describes in more detail the books offered on the first page.
2 pages of "Sounds good": books with buttons to press that make various sounds.
2 pages of "Interactive Reading": Pop-up books, touch and feel, books that include things to make and do.
2 page of books for babies and toddlers, including a collection of 4 board books - Dr Seuss, RRP £15.96, the club offers these at £9.96. Another selection is Learn with Ladybird - a set of 7 hardback books: "Big and Little", "ABC", "Counting", "Colours and Shapes" and "Telling the Time", RRP £17.50, club price £11.99.
2 pages of "Story Corner" - one of my favourites is in here - A selection of 4 Ahlberg's with my favourite: Each Peach, Pear, Plum.
2 pages of "Touching Tales" - Books that allow a small child to interact, lots of touchy feelly board books - 1 example of which is a set of 2 board books - 24 pages in total and flash cards. "My Big Book of Animals" and "My Big Book of Words and Pictures".
2 pages of "Ready for Bed" Offering books that are suitable for bedtime reading. Once is called "Puddle the Duck" which includes a board book for playtime, a plastic squigy book for bathtime and a cuddly book for bedtime. RRP £15.99, club price £9.99, I was getting broody at this stage until I rememberd my two!
Section 3-5 years:
2 pages of "Editors choice reviewing Shirley Hughe's Alfie.
2 pages of "Once upon a time": Books that have lots of pictures with the story, including "Postman Pat" - This brings back memories of sitting on the bus around 13 years ago for the first time without my 3 year old son and saw a post van parked outside a house, forgetting for a split second he wasn't with me, I suddenly pointed and shouted for all the crowded bus to hear: "Post Man Pat look"! How stupid did I feel? Very!
Jez Alborough's Bear Books. One selection I thought looked good was 12 small picture and story paperbacks - 352 pages in total RRP £16.50, club price £11.99 includes such stories as: "Tidy up Trevor", "Tidy Titch", "Sally's Secret", "Home Sweet Home" plus eight more.
2 pages of "Character Study": A Beatrix Potter collection, Spot the Dog collection, Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine - I should have an 'ology in Thomas stuff! The amount of hours and years I've read and watched those Thomas the Tank books and videos!. They have a set of 5 hardbacks 160 pages in total for £12.95 RRP £24.95.
2 pages of "Learn through Play": Children's recipe books, counting, shapes, opposites.
A nonsense poetry book by Michael Rosen and Quentin Blake. Also a book on learning your left hand from your right.
2 pages on Key Stage F - Foundation. A great selection introducing the young reader to: the weather, the time, Alphabet, numbers, phonics and an Atlas.
2 pages on Donaldson and Scheffler including a set of 3 read-a-loud paperbacks which combine rhymes with pictures. "Squash and Squeeze", "The Smartest Giant", "Monkey Puzzle" club price £12.97 RRP £17.97.
2 Pages for each age group of 3 for 2 books, prices range from £1.99 to £8.99 including many famous authors and stories.
5-7 years
2 pages of editors choice: Panorama's Rainforest, Ocean Life and Human Body - 3 books in total featuring 3 metre long fold out spreads, supporting Key Stage 1 and 2.
2 pages of "Fiction Books": Travel, fairy books and two award winning "Streaker the Dog" books by Jeremy Strong.
2 pages of Halloween books.
2 pages on "Love Reading": Roald Dahl, a re-illustrated "Alice" hard back by Lewis Carroll club price £5.99 RRP £14.99.. Two "Horrid Henry" books by Francesca Simon club price £5.99 and £3.99 and a set of 4 books by the same author for £9.96, RRP £19.96.
2 pages of "Activity Zone" - Books on how to make paper planes, origami, drawing, an interactive dinasaur book. Solve 3 mysteries with "Scooby Doo" and "The Story of Everything" by Neal Layton, club price £11.98 RRP £15.98.
2 pages of key stage one books - including Carol Vorderman's "Carol x Tables = Easy" - a box set with charts, sheets, cd and a work book to make learning times tables easier - £7.99, RRP £9.99.
8-12 years
2 pages of "Editors Choice" - Featuring Osborne books - a set costing £13.94 RRP £17.94 - "The Intergalactic Bus Trip", "The Emerald Conspiracy", "Time Train to Ancient Rome", "The Incredible Dinosaur Expedition", "Mutiny at Crossbones Bay", "Agent Arthur's Jungle Journey". (Might be investing in this one for young Jack - my 9 year old son - looks good).
2 pages of "Completely Vile" by Lemony Snicket "The Series of Unfortunate Events" all available at £5.99 each.
2 pages of "Action and Adventure"
Stories from the Bible, a set of two spy books by Anthony Horowitz. "Dangerous Dinosaurs Jigsaw book", Whitakers "World of Facts" £12.99 RRP £19.99.
2 pages on "The Wonder of Wilson" - books by Jacqueline Wilson featuring "Tracy Beaker". Sets of two books priced £8.98, RRP £11.98.
2 pages of Key Stage 2 - including Oxford Dictionaries, Shakespear books retold for the young reader to understand. Geography, History, Science, Maths and English.
2 pages of "Mystery and Magic" - Enid Blyton's Secret 7, a set of 5 books with new updated covers. Eoim Colfer's "Artemis Fowl- The Lost Colony". £9.99 RRP £12.99.
2 Pages "Parent Power" - Road Atlas of Britain, Cook Book, "The Cleaning Bible by Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie £13.99 RRP £16.99 (this one's mine)!
2 pages on "Food Glorious Food"
Lots of different cook books including Gordon Ramsey, Mary Berry, "The River Cottage Cookbook" by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
2 pages "Super Savings - while stocks last" - offers including "Leap Through Time Series" - 3 paperbacks, 96 pages in total £3.
99.
Set of 4 British history books "How Britain Became", 128 pages in total £3.96 RRP £23.96.
The last page offers stories that has your child as the star throughout the book including a Christmas story, prices ranging from £6.95 - £8.95.
Believe it or not I haven't listed all the books, only ones that stand out to me or that I think you might have heard.
I find both the web-site and mag very easy to read and navigate, compared to other companies, their information about Key Stages and putting the different age groups into sections very helpful. I have used other companies to buy mine and my family's books - including the Book People and Red House (now owned by the same company). The difference between Boods for Children and The Book People is that you have to join their club with the former, this doesn't pose a problem to me as I will definately be buying at least 6 more books within the year for my 9 year old son, he's getting to the age where he's becoming more and more interested in reading. Also with there being a parents section, there's at least 1 book in this month's issue that's "Got my name on it"!
I have never had any problems with deliveries and usually received them within the week.
Thanks for reading! Nev x
Story Time! 
Sounds great, shame I haven't got any children, good review