BookJingle Blog

Archive for May, 2011

You probably know that you need a book’s ISBN in order to get your quote and sell used books to BookJingle. But what, you might wonder, is an ISBN?

The ISBN, or International Standard Book Number, was developed by the International Organization for Standardization in the 1970s. All published books are assigned an ISBN, although privately printed books may not have one. Until 2007, all ISBNs were 10 digits; books published in 2007 and later have 13-digit ISBNs. A new ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book (except for reprintings).

The purpose of the ISBN is simply identification, a kind of serial number for each book. The ISBN digits can be analyzed by what they identify. The first three digits (for 13-digit ISBNs) are the same for all books, 978, denoting book publishing. The subsequent numbers indicate the group identifier (basically, the language or country for which the book was written), publisher code, item number (meaning the book’s title), and a check digit (this one is complicated, but it’s basically there to detect errors in the other digits).

So, now that we know what an ISBN is, let’s cover where you can find it. The ISBN can be located in a few different places. Normally, the ISBN is located on the back of the book, on or near the barcode. It is the 10 or 13-digit number that follows the word “ISBN.” On some books, it is found on the inside of the dust jacket. Almost all books have the ISBN on the copyright page.

BookJingle uses the ISBN in order to provide an instant quote for buying used books. Just enter the ISBNs for the books you want to sell, and BookJingle instantly lets you know how much money your books are worth. Selling used books has never been so easy. Thank you, International Organization for Standardization!

Well, that just about covers everything the average person would need to know about an ISBN. So, grab your used books to sell, find those ISBNs and plug them in at www.bookjingle.com.

America, the king of trash, produces more garbage than any other nation in the world. Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, manufacture enough styrofoam cups in one year to circle the earth 436 times, and throw away enough office paper to build a 12-foot wall from Los Angeles to New York City. Five hundred seventy disposable diapers are thrown away each second in the United States. Every three months, we throw away enough aluminum cans to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet. Every year, we fill enough garbage trucks to stretch from Earth halfway to the moon. Every day, the amount of trash produced in the United States equals the weight of the Empire State Building.

But there is hope. Recycling is the smart solution to saving room in landfills. For each ton of paper that is recycled, all of the following resources are saved: 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil, 4100 kilowatts of energy, 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space, and 60 pounds of air pollution. Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough power to run a TV for three hours! One ton of recycled glass saves the equivalent to nine gallons of oil.

Companies like BookJingle are doing their part to save the planet. By nature, used book sales is a green industry; reusing merchandise such as books is the ultimate form of recycling. Selling used books online helps to save trees, energy, landfill space, and reduce air pollution. Take a step towards a cleaner Earth: add www.bookjingle.com to your browser favorites list. The next time you have some used books to unload, sell them to BookJingle. You’ll feel good about going green!

BookJingle is your best choice for selling used books online!  Here are some tidbits about BookJingle that you will definitely want to know:

1.  BookJingle does price matching. If you find another online site that is paying more for your book, please let us know.  If possible, we will beat their price.  Please email BookJingle for more information.

2.  BookJingle may buy multiple copies of the same book. The number of copies we will buy changes based upon each individual title. We only buy one copy of some titles, while we may buy multiple copies of another title. The maximum quantity will always be shown when we display your offer. If you would like us to consider purchasing additional copies, please email us.

3.  It is FREE to use BookJingle’s website! There is never a charge to use the website to check the value of your books, even if you decide not to sell them.

4.  BookJingle does have a minimum number of books or value per exchange. In order to keep offering the best buyback prices on the internet, we ask that each order contain at least 5 books or have a total value of at least $8.00.

For more complete information about selling books online for cash, visit our homepage at www.bookjingle.com.

In My Opinion…
A Book Review of Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

This little book has made a big splash in Christian circles this year. Almost everyone has heard about Colton Burpo, the three year old boy who claims to have visited heaven during a life-threatening illness and surgery. I had heard some of the details of Colton’s story on the radio and from family and friends, and the book intrigued me. I picked it up yesterday evening and started reading. Two hours later, I had finished the book, having fought back tears numerous times. I found it impossible to put the book down.

Heaven is for Real is Colton’s story as told by his father, Todd Burpo. It chronicles the events leading up to, during, and after Colton’s severe bout of appendicitis, during which his appendix ruptured, was misdiagnosed by a doctor, and remained without treatment for five days. When Colton’s illness was finally diagnosed correctly, he was taken into emergency surgery from which the medical team did not expect him to recover. During this time, for a period of three minutes, Colton claims to have visited heaven, met Jesus and sat on his lap, and seen angels and family members who had already died. Many of the details of Colton’s story are astonishing considering that they came from a very young child with only a young child’s basic knowledge of the Scriptures. For example, Colton described the wounds in the hands and feet of Jesus, calling them Jesus’s “markers.” Colton had not been told about how Jesus had been nailed to the cross, nor had he seen a crucifix in his Protestant church. Colton described rainbow colors in heaven, which corresponds with descriptions in the book of Revelation. Colton also knew information about deceased family members he had never met; he was able to correctly identify his father’s grandfather in a photograph, and he had passed away decades before. There are other things that Colton said and did after his experience that are equally astonishing, but you’ll have to read the book to find out.

I really like Heaven is for Real. Colton’s experiences provide a fascinating glimpse into something all of us have dreamed about at one time or another. Whether or not you are convinced by Colton, the innocence of his claims is both charming and beautiful. The book is also worth reading for the Burpo family’s story, which is one of trials, faith, and perseverance. I believe that God answered the prayers of Todd Burpo while his little son lay on a surgical table, and I believe that Colton may very well be right in all that he claimed. This is one book I will be re-reading. Each detail about heaven is worth careful consideration.

In My Opinion…
A Book Review of The Healthy Baby Meal Planner by Annabel Karmel

I love, love, love The Healthy Baby Meal Planner.  I purchased it just before introducing solid foods to my first baby, and I honestly cannot imagine how I would have navigated the choppy waters of first and second stage weaning without this book.  As it turns out, my kids are picky eaters, and getting through a meal without tears, choking, gagging, or worse can be a slim prospect.  Luckily, Annabel Karmel provides thorough advice, detailed instructions, and a plethora of recipes to help parents of even the most finicky babies make it through the baby feeding stage.

The main reason to purchase this book is for the recipes.  Karmel is a famous Cordon Bleu chef and author of numerous cookbooks, and the book is written to provide instructions for parents who wish to prepare homemade baby food.  But the book is so much more than just a recipe book.  For each stage of a baby’s life from birth through the toddler years, Karmel gives information about what foods are safe and how to prepare them.  If I happen to wonder how old my baby needs to be before I can feed him an egg, I know I can find the information quickly and easily in Karmel’s book.  If I need to find a new way to prepare sweet potatoes because my baby is throwing the baked ones down to the dog, Karmel will have the recipe I’m looking for.  The book also includes helpful meal planners that I find useful in determining how much food my child should be eating at any given age.  Also, the sections on nutritional requirements and food allergies are useful references that I return to time and time again.

But what about the recipes?  Well, as the mom of three kids, I have prepared most of the recipes in the book, and I would give them an average rating of four stars.  The recipes are pretty basic, especially coming from a Cordon Bleu chef; most ingredients are common household staples and the preparation is easy enough for a kitchen novice to navigate.  With a few exceptions, my kids love the food.  These recipes have allowed me to sneak green vegetables and exotic fruits into my kids’ diets, and they had a much broader experience of food tastes than babies who eat only jars of purchased baby food.  The Healthy Baby Meal Planner showed me that my finicky baby favored recipes with zucchini and mango, and the recipe for Shepherd’s Pie became one of my personal favorite meals.  In fact, most of the recipes in the toddler section are intended for the entire family to enjoy, which makes cooking for baby so much easier.

The Healthy Baby Meal Planner is the best book of its kind.  I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.

My daughter, Kay, is finishing up her kindergarten year.  Well, since she is homeschooled, I suppose I should say that we are finishing up her kindergarten year.  When our homeschool group announced that it would be conducting a cap and gown kindergarten graduation ceremony, I have to admit, I was a little skeptical.  What is so special about passing from kindergarten to the first grade?   Should we hold graduation ceremonies for passage from first grade to second, and second to third, and so on?  I had seen photographs of friends’ children wearing full graduation regalia, cute little tassel on the cap and all.  I confess, it all seemed over the top to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for celebrating our children and making note of their milestones.  Yes, I felt a certain measure of relief at our family’s decision to homeschool Kay for kindergarten because it spared me from the moment I had dreaded since her birth: bringing her to school for the first time and leaving her there!  These steps are noteworthy and don’t go unnoticed by me; however, the kindergarten graduation seemed to be making a big to-do over something quite small.  It reminded me of the parents who spend thousands of dollars on elaborate, over the top birthday parties for their children.  Some six year olds have birthday parties that cost more money than my wedding did. 

Now, if you’re waiting for me to make a point, here it comes: I was wrong about the kindergarten graduation.  At first, Kay was skeptical when I showed her the cap and gown, but seeing her six friends scampering about in identical attire helped to break the ice.  As we adjusted her cap and smoothed out her white robe, the butterflies began to swirl in my stomach.  About 250 people had congregated to view this graduation.  I whispered some last-minute instructions to my daughter (“Stay in line where the teacher puts you.  Don’t pull on your tassel.  Don’t be scared!”), kissed her brow, and sent her off with the other graduates before heading into the loud, stifling auditorium.  A few minutes later, the lights dimmed, the music began, and the little graduates made their way down the aisle and to the stage.

Kay’s name was called, and she crossed the stage to hug her homeschool group teacher and receive her diploma.  Then she stood beside her classmates, grinning from ear to ear, holding her diploma like it was a hard-earned trophy.  She looked tiny up there, a full head shorter than any other kindergartener in the class.  At the same time, she looked enormous and amazingly grown-up.  Gone is my tiny pink-cheeked baby girl.  Gone is the toddler who ran pigeon-toed to jump into my arms.  Gone is the preschooler proudly singing her ABC’s and only mixing up a few of the letters.  And gone is the kindergarten girl who learned to read, add, and recite the months of the year at my kitchen table.  A skinny first-grader with glasses and a charmingly shy smile stands in her place.

Now I understand the kindergarten graduation ceremony.  It is not an indulgence, an over-the-top recognition for the kids.  It’s for the parents.

I went to college believing that I would study English literature, take creative writing courses, and finish my own novel.  Well, I did achieve the first two things.  My college years were an amazing time for me; I took courses in every liberal arts subject, conducted my own personal experiments in studiousness and laziness, and fell in love with my future husband.  Somewhere along the way, my novel got lost. 

But college did something else for me – it gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of aspiring writers.  I made friends with authors of all kinds, journalists and novelists and poets and screenwriters, to name a few.  I read and critiqued a lot of original work by my fellow classmates.  Most of it had some redeeming value, some of it was amazingly good, and some of it was worthy of the recycling bin.  None of those classmates have achieved fame and fortune yet, but they do cross my mind from time to time.  Some of them I can remember only by the stories they wrote; I remember their stories better than their names.  People who like to write are generally interesting people.  I can vividly remember marking up their papers with comments, suggestions and praise, and I can remember their critiques of my writing, too.  That is what I loved about a creative writing circle, a group of people from all walks of life brought together by a common passion for writing.  Reading someone’s original words, carefully crafted in order to tell a unique story, a story that no one else could tell, and then entrusting one’s own writing to be read and analyzed by other people, is an incredibly personal experience.  It tends to draw people together, even very different people who might otherwise never cross paths.

They all have a common goal: to write the next great American novel.  Recently I learned that an acquaintance I have known for about eight years is a member of this group of aspiring authors.  All this time we have known each other, I never suspected that she wrote.  She even has acquired an editor.  Somehow this new knowledge about my friend makes me feel like we have just met and I don’t truly know her; she had this secret life I knew nothing about!  Of course, I never told her that I write also.  I never told her that my great American novel is moldering away in an attic crate with my college journals and a bunch of old letters.  It makes me long for the college days when I had the time, motivation and passion to labor over those pages, polishing and perfecting them so that I might present them for reading to my literary circle.

BookJingle has been dealing in online book selling since 2004!  You won’t find another online book buying company that is more committed to customer satisfaction.  BookJingle is a family-owned company with experience in book buying.  When you want to sell used books, remember the benefits of dealing with BookJingle:

-  FREE SHIPPING!  BookJingle pays for you to ship your books.  It takes only moments to print the free shipping label and stick it on your package.

-  SUPER FAST PAYMENT!  BookJingle guarantees payment within 48 hours of receiving your shipment.  You get to choose your preferred method of payment, check or Paypal.

- EASY TO USE WEBSITE!  Your transaction takes place entirely online with BookJingle’s user-friendly website.  BookJingle walks you through the entire process, which is quick and hassle-free.

- RECYCLE YOUR BOOKS!  Feel satisfied that you have done something kind to the planet by recycling your used books.  Someone else will be reading your discarded books, and that is the best way to go green.

- TOP PRICES!  BookJingle has researched thousands of titles so that you get top dollar for your books.  With BookJingle, you know you’re getting the best money for your used books.

-  EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE!  BookJingle is dedicated to providing quality customer service.  You’re in good hands with BookJingle.

-  BOOKSCOUTING!  BookJingle’s unique BookScout program provides a fun way for book lovers to earn some extra income.  BookScouts control how much they work and how much they earn.

As summer approaches, many parents are wondering, “What am I going to do with these kids all summer?”  In my view, summer break is the perfect time to build a child’s appreciation for reading.  For many kids, a love of reading doesn’t come naturally; it has to be nurtured and grown over time.  For other parents, especially those with early elementary children, summer break causes concern over the child losing reading skills.  A couple of months away from school can really chip away at the reading prowess of school-aged children.  The solution:  establish an at-home summer reading regime for your kids.  Here are some ideas to get you started:

1.  Balance screen time with reading.  For kids who are not used to doing a lot of reading at home, this will seem difficult at first, but establish the ground rules at the beginning of summer and stick to your guns.  For every thirty minutes spent reading, the child earns thirty minutes of TV, computer or video game time.  This should be limited to reading material that is appropriate to or challenging for your child’s reading level; no baby books for elementary school kids.  Young readers sometimes do better when they read aloud; they could read books to a younger sibling, read to you in the car, or read while you prepare dinner or fold laundry.

2.  Buy your child a summertime journal for writing and drawing.  Require your child to make daily or weekly entries.  This is a good activity to do after breakfast, while sitting at the table.  Play soft music and have everyone work on their journals together.  Provide your child with an idea to get the creativity flowing, such as, “If I could be any animal, I would be…” or “A perfect day for me would go like this…”

3.  Read aloud to your child every day.  Now that it’s summertime, you have no excuse to avoid doing this!  Even older children who are proficient readers will enjoy a family read-aloud time.  Pick an exciting, classic book (see below for ideas) and read one chapter together every evening before bed.  Reading aloud to kids encourages them to read independently and fosters a passion for reading.  Your kids will love it and so will you.

4.  Take advantage of free internet resources for promoting literacy.  My family’s favorite is www.starfall.com, a free site that has fun phonics and reading games for early elementary children.  Computer time doesn’t have to be merely for entertainment; if you choose wisely, your child can play and learn at the same time.

5.  Allow your child to stay up past bedtime.  Establish a set bedtime that is fairly close to the usual school year bedtime, but make an allowance for extra reading time.  Provide a reading light and plenty of good books, and tell your child that he or she may read quietly in bed for as long as desired, if the child will agree to stay in bed and stay quiet.  If you have a child that loves to read, you may have to modify this allowance so that he or she isn’t staying up all night and sleeping in until noon.  But hey, it’s summertime.  Sleeping in should be at least an occasional indulgence.

Best Family Read-Aloud Books:

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (and other books in the series)
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (and other books in the series)
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (and other books in the series)
*The Twits or *Matilda by Roald Dahl
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
*Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
*The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

*denotes humorous books (my mom once attempted to read The Twits aloud to my siblings and me; she laughed so hard that she was actually unable to read some passages and we had to read them to ourselves!)