Regardless, it’s almost Christmas and I know one absolute thing I can get my kids for Christmas and it won’t fail — books. It encourages their imagination and inspires their education. And who is a reliable source when it comes to both of those things?

Scholastic. And I get to give away 3 fantastic young adult books for boys (or girls even!) as well as a special little gift.  The Eleventh Plague, Under Dogs, and iBoy!  And a $50 gift card.

The Eleventh Plague  — Book Trailer Found Here.

By Jeff Hirsch

“The Eleventh Plague hits disturbingly close to home…An excellent, taut debut novel.” – Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games

In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade for food and other items essential for survival. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true, where there are real houses, barbecues, a school, and even baseball games. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank on the town bully’s family that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing forever.

Underdogs

By Markus Zusak

Before The Book Thief, Markus Zusak wrote a trilogy of novels about the Wolfe brothers: The Underdogs, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, and Getting the Girl. Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are champions at getting into fights, coming up with half-baked schemes, and generally disappointing girls, their parents, and their much more motivated older siblings. They’re intensely loyal to each other, brothers at their best and at their very worst. But when Cameron falls head over heels for Ruben’s girlfriend, the strength of their bond is tested to its breaking point.

iBoy — Book Trailer Found Here.

By Kevin Brooks

Before the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teen. But a head-on collision with high technology has turned him into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. And they’re having an extraordinary effect on his every thought. Because now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could. But with his new powers comes a choice: Seek revenge on the vicious gangs who rule the South London housing project where he lives, and who violated his friend Lucy? Or keep quiet and move on? Not even the search engine in his head can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy’s actions. A wifi, thriller by YA master Kevin Brooks.

Now enter to win these and the gift card below! If you have any questions, feel free to please contact me! Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Walmart.com is helping kick off Children’s Book Week in a big way by offering even more low prices (nearly 45% savings) on the top 500 children’s books, including free shipping with Site to Store, now through the end of June online only at Walmart.com.

With summer fast approaching, these incredible savings from Walmart.com make it affordable for parents to keep kids reading and engaged during their summer break.   Low prices are available on the most popular children’s books and new classics, including:

• Curious George’s First Day of School –  $2.50
• Goodnight Moon – $4
• The Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Five: Last Olympian – $4.50
• Eclipse – $7.25

In addition, Walmart.com offers many items that encourage outdoor family fun all summer long, including:

• Step2 New Traditions Table and 2 Chairs Set, Pink – $59.88 (only available at Walmart.com)
• Backyard Discovery Prescott Cedar Wooden Swing Set – $299 (only available at Walmart.com)
• Step2 Naturally Playful Sand and Water Activity Table – Value Bundle – $59.97
• Step2 Naturally Playful Picnic Table with Umbrella – $85.00
• More than 150 bikes for kids and adults – starting at $29.97

Again, I was not compensated in any form, just wanted to share some great information before summer officially kicks off!!!

A little information:

Booksfree.com, in its continuing effort to make reading more accessible, affordable and enjoyable, is announcing the launch of BooksfreeSwap.com.  The free swap site allows the reading community to trade their hardcover books, paperback books, audio books and textbooks online.

Booksfree.com, the largest book rental service on the web has designed BooksfreeSwap.com to be either a companion site to their rental service, or a standalone book swap site. BooksfreeSwap.com will provide Booksfree members access to books, audio books, and textbooks that are not part of their rental service.  Both services compliment each other and members are incentivized to join both to meet all of their reading desires.

“Just as Booksfree.com revolutionized the book rental business, the free membership BooksfreeSwap.com will revolutionize the swap business model” says Doug Ross, CEO of Booksfree.com.

“Improvements in usability, notifications, postage, Booksfree tie-ins, and functionality, as well as not requiring any credits or direct swaps, will separate BooksfreeSwap.com from the competition” states Bryan Stafford, VP of Booksfree.com.

The BooksfreeSwap.com website has been open to Booksfree.com members for several weeks.  “The site has gone through extensive beta testing” said Stafford.  Booksfree.com was the first member of BooksfreeSwap.com, making hundreds overstock titles available to swap with other members.

Now go on, check it out! Maybe we’ll swap some books and maybe you have a school book I need!!!!!

nook.com

Here are the contest rules, regulations, instructions and more. Please read thoroughly and follow directions!

Contest Ends 3/22/2010 @ 11:59 PM PST Valid Email Address Must Be Provided

Mandatory Entry (must be done or all other entries will be disqualified.)

Visit Nook.com and tell me one feature that interests you about the Nook or one feature you would like to see the Nook have.

Extra Entries

Become a Fan of us on Facebook — 1

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Follow Me On Twitter @BrittanyGreer5 –1

Follow Barnes & Noble Nook on Twitter @nookBN –1

Tweet This Giveaway — 1 Daily Until Contest Ends (Hey look it’s a #nook #giveaway w/ @nookBN & @BrittanyGreer5 http://bit.ly/bmQWB6)

Blog About This Giveaway w/ links to this post &  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/ — 5

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Comment Extra Entries:

Read my Nook Review and tell me one thing you learned from it.  –1

Comment on any NON giveaway post.  –1

(Extra entries worth at end of description)

Barnes & Noble gave me the opportunity to read with the Nook. What is the Nook you ask?

The Nook is an eBook Reader. That is all you ask? Yes that simple but very elaborate and offering so many things besides just reading ebooks with a thin, lightweight device. So let’s get you the information so you can learn about the Nook and I’ll tell you my experience with the nook.

Design:

About the size and weight of a paperback book, nook is thin, small and portable. Its best-in-class E Ink® Vizplex™ display is easy on the eyes with text as clear and crisp as a printed page. And with no glare or backlight, adjustable text size, and several font styles to choose from, you can read comfortably for hours. Our minimalist design puts the focus on the content, not the technology, welcoming the reader to dive right in.

The first-ever color touch screen for navigation on an eBook reader offers an immersive experience, inviting you to virtually browse through brilliant cover art, flip through an expansive library, or search using a virtual keyboard. The combination of color and touch on the beautiful lower screen make navigating nook intuitive and simple, even for the tech novice. nook presents the controls, navigation and keyboard you need, only when you need them.

My Design Thoughts:

I love the lightweight and thin design of it. It’s not heavy nor bulky and if Brent decides to use it, it will literally take up no space so he won’t have to worry about extra weight etc when traveling through the airports. That is a HUGE PLUS. I enjoy that it’s very similar to reading a book (no the reading pane is not colored) and it’s strictly focuses on the content of the book and nothing else. I simply want to read. The adjustable font and the no glare is super important as I don’t want to have to get up and move around if trying to read a certain page because I can’t see it. Though the downfall is reading at night by the bed I don’t have the Lyra Light (an accessory for reading in darker places and something great to invest in with your nook) so I have to keep the light above my bed on.

The touch screen is always fun. Simply put. It makes it for easy customization, understanding and the chance to play with it and understand it more right when you get your Nook. I loved that. You don’t have to slam or press your finger hard just to get it to go to the next screen etc. It’s well lit, bright and interactive – another HUGE PLUS!

FEATURES:

(read in full length all the features the Nook offers)

Compact Size

Fast & Free 3G Wireless

Personalized Screen Saver

Expandable Storage

Audio

Connectors (audio, usb)

Powerful Battery

Colorful Touchscreen

Various Supported File Types

My Thoughts On Features:

Holy information overload right? First let’s start with expandable memory. While the Nook can already hold up to 1500 titles, I enjoy the idea that Brent can fill up his own microSD Card and keep his books in his own place. Let’s face it, we don’t like to read the same things and while he will think he can steal this from me, it’s going to be a tough fight. I like it to be MINE, which touches me on the idea of  personalized screen savers. Right now they are offering Alice In Wonderland screen savers and I jumped on it. They are FREE even. I like the option of customizing and personalizing to be ME. The Nook supports a variety of files ranging from the obvious EPUB (for ebooks) to audio mp3 files. FUN! Which means at night I can read my book and listen to music while the kids sleep away. Ahhh…sounds so relaxing. Is it night yet? That also means that if you have audio books on your computer it is a little move from computer to Nook and you are on your way of listening to audio books now too.

More:

So far to say I was impressed with the Nook would be a total understatement. Besides the normal things that I have attached to my hip (i.e. my kids and BlackBerry) this Nook is going with me everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I’ve already taken it with me while I wait in the car pick up line to pick up the kids from school. The options right now seem endless in my reading journey and they even have free ebooks that I can browse and start reading. And still even then the ebooks are at a great price and bought a new read for just under six dollars. Uh. SCORE! If I could use only one word to describe my Nook right now it would engaging. Engaging you as the user/reader and the engaging of the options.

It came shipped in sturdy casing, packaged safely and with two different options for me to charge it. Through USB and connecting USB to a standard in wall charger. The instructions and set up was quick and easy to understand.

So go to Nook.com and learn more about the Nook and all it has to offer. Buy a Barnes & Noble Nook today and get free shipping! And if you are in search of some recommended reads for your Nook these are the titles I would say to start reading now:

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

And stay tuned…I have a giveaway coming up for your own Nook!

*Barnes & Noble provided me with a Nook and information to facilitate this review*

ABOUT eREADER:

The Barnes & Noble eReader is an application used to read Barnes & Noble eBooks on your iPhone, Blackberry, Windows PC or Mac. Without it, you will not be able to read Barnes & Noble eBooks. Our eBooks are encrypted to protect the authors’ work. Thus, other eBook Readers will not work with Barnes & Noble eBooks. The Barnes & Noble eReader can display styled text (italicized, underlined, etc.) and formatting as well as perform functions not found on other eBook readers. The Barnes & Noble eReader is FREE and is supported on multiple devices.

WHAT BRENT THOUGHT:

Barnes & Noble was kind enough to give us a free eBook to test out with the Blackberry eReader application. It happened to fall when Brent was leaving for work too. So I got on the computer, easily downloaded the application to his phone, chose the book he wanted and downloaded that also. Admittedly we were quite worried about him being able to read the book on the plane while he was flying, but he put his phone in airplane mode and actually finished the book in one day. He was beyond happy and is begging me for new books for him to download for his travels back and forth. No lugging around books, no hassle, just simple!

The eReader is free and of course you will need to purchase books to read, but….check this out –

Get 4 FREE books when you download the application. Check out more about eBook and all Barnes & Noble is offering here.

This would make a perfect stocking stuffer!!!

I received a free eBook by participating in a webinar. I posted this as an informative review out of enjoyment.

When it comes to anything educational with my children, I am easily motivated and excited. With the kids’ summer beginning, we struggle every year in making sure that Brodie stays focused, stays reading and does NOT lose ground. This is very important. Especially with the pace that schools are set in now, reading is THE most important thing.

So I get to offer you, my lovely people, a series of 3 readers from the Wright Group / McGraw – Hill reading program! They will be age specific also!!! Just check out some of the books that are possible:

I still cannot stress how important it is to keep your child reading. Especially during the vacation months that they are off from school. Children can so easily lose ground!

And now I also get to share with you some fun tips to keep you child reading this summer:

Reading Tips (from Wright Group/McGraw-Hill’s “Early Reading Intervention” Author Charlene Cobb, Ed.D.)

Create a summer escape in your home perfect for reading. Make sure there is good light and comfortable seating to entice your kids to spend time there.

Even if your children can read by themselves, take turns reading to each other. This helps build their skills as they listen to your tone and inflection throughout the story or article. Before, during and after you read, talk about the material. Ask you child questions and encourage you child to ask you questions.

Whether you are reading to your children or they are reading themselves, plan an event or activity that ties to the reading material. For instance, book reading can lead to picnics, museum and zoo visits, ballgames, or even family vacations.

Look for opportunities for your child to read. If you have a manual for a new DVD player, ask your child to read you the directions. Grocery lists and “to do” lists are also good items to help kids practice reading in “real life.”

Share the reading experience with your child by reading the same book or material they are reading so you can discuss it.

Even if you are not reading the same books as your children, talk to them about what they are reading. Ask them questions such as what happened in the story or what might happen next, who is their favorite character, or who is the villain. This builds summarization and recall skills, and your interest can help increase their interest.

If your children’s school program provides materials for home activities, absolutely use them.

Suggest your child read a popular series that has been turned into movies like the Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia books. When your child finishes reading the book, rent or go see the movie and discuss how each differed from the other and whether the book or movie was more enjoyable.

Look for materials beyond fiction. Kids often prefer to read about facts, including books and articles about the environment, animals, current events, sports, and other factual topics. Talk to them about what they like and help them find reading materials that match those interests.

Try to set aside at least one TV/video-game-free night per week for family reading. Make your family’s favorite snacks, get new books at the library and make it fun!

Now for your chance to win the books here the rules, regulations and fine print:

Contest Ends 6/18/2009 at 11:59 PM AZ Time

How To Enter:

1. What are your tips for keeping your child reading during the summer? Leave a comment. This initial entry MUST be done before all others.

2. Blog about this contest. And because it’s such an important subject to me, if you blog about I will give 5 extra entries. Leave a separate comment for each (i.e. I blogged #1 and so on)

3. Twitter this contest. One tweet per day. Leave a comment for each tweet.

4. Follow me on twitter (http://twitter.com/BrittanyGreer5) Counts if you are already a follower – leave a comment for either.

5. Follow my blog. Counts if you are already a follower – leave a comment for either.

6. Fave this blog on Technorati. (counts if you already have)

7. Stumble this post.

8. Subscribe to my feed.

Please leave a valid email address or have a valid email address on your profile. I can check to verify if each is done.

Good luck to each entrant and please help spread the word of reading importance!