Save 30% on Everything!

Today through Monday, 12/19, save 30% on your entire Barefoot Books purchase with discount code FESTIVE!

Save 30% on Gift Books!

Looking for a beautiful gift for the book-lovers in your life?  Select Barefoot Books gift books are 30% off today through Monday, 12/19.  Sale titles include:

The Barefoot Book of Princesses (regular $19.99, sale $13.99)

The Barefoot Book of Pirates (regular $19.99, sale $13.99)

Storytime First Tales for Sharing (regular $15.99, sale $10.99)

The Gift (regular $16.99, sale $11.99)

The Arabian Knights (regular $24.99, sale $16.99)

Arthur of Albion ($24.99, sale $16.99)

December Nonprofit of the Month

I'm very excited to announce that The Prevention Council is my December nonprofit of the month!  This nonprofit, community-based organization's mission is to provide education, information and referral services on the subjects of alcohol, tobacco, other drug and violence prevention to individuals and local communities, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all citizens by diminishing the adverse effects of substance abuse and violence.

I'll donate 20% of all December online sales to this terrific organization.

Thanksgiving Sale!

Happy Thanksgiving!!  Need another reason to give thanks?  How about 20% off your entire Barefoot Books order, just in time for your holiday shopping??  Simply enter discount code HARVEST at checkout between now and Monday, November 28th, to receive the 20% discount.  And all orders of $60 or more ship for free!

Happy shopping!!

Holiday Shopping Options: Part 1

Are you planning to give Barefoot Books products as gifts this holiday season?  Would you like to receive them for free?  Hosting a Barefoot Books party - in-person or online - is a great way to do so!  Here's how it works:

Host a party
You provide the location and invite your friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, etc.  I'll bring sample Barefoot Books products and catalogs for your guests to preview, and take their orders.   You'll receive 20% of all party sales - including any only orders - in the Barefoot Books products of your choice!

Host an online party
I'll create a unique URL for your online party, which you distribute to your "guests" via email, Facebook, your blog, etc.  You'll receive 20% of all party sales in the Barefoot Books products of your choice!

The holiday season is a great time to host a Barefoot Books party, since many people are in the gift purchasing and giving mindset.  I'm currently scheduling parties for this holiday season and early next year in the greater Albany, NY area.  Online parties can be scheduled anywhere, anytime.  Contact me to learn more about these options, or to schedule your party.

Trick or Treat

Even though I'm not really creative enough to dress up for Halloween, it's one of my favorite holidays.  My husband and I were particularly excited when our daughter was born in late October, as it means we can have Halloween-themed birthday parties for her - at least until she objects.  In fact, we're hosting her Halloween-themed, 2nd birthday party this Saturday.  (She's being a jockey!)

Here are some great books to share with the children in your life this time of year:



Tales of Mystery and Magic
A bewitching world of mystery and magic awaits you! Meet singing elves with magical feet; skeletons that move of their own accord; and a heroic blackbird who outwits a powerful king.  Includes narrated story CD.

Barefoot Book of Monsters
Take a deep breath and enter a world of wacky monsters from near and far. The six stories come from different cultures around the world and are inspired by traditional folk tales.

Barefoot Book of Giants, Ghosts, and Goblins
Encounter a whole host of outlandish characters in these nine stories gathered from cultures around the world. Action-packed and full of wonder, this anthology proves that everyone has challenges to overcome — even giants who are twelve feet tall.  Includes narrated story CD.

October Sale!

Today through Monday, October 17th, use code OCTSALE to save 20% on your entire order at http://www.amym.barefootbooks.com/.  Free shipping is available on all orders of $60 or more, making this a great time to great a head start your holiday shopping.

More new releases!

The staff in the Barefoot Books office are really keeping busy this fall!  Here's the latest crop of new releases:

Lola's Fandango & El fandango de Lola
Paperback w/story CD $9.99, Hardcover w/story CD $16.99

Lola is a young Spanish girl in awe of her glamorous older sister. However, she discovers her own talent and duende, or spirit, through secret fandango lessons from her father. The text is infused with the rhythms, movements and sounds of the dance and the humanity of Lola’s family is beautifully portrayed by Micha Archer’s collage-paintings.

The Shape Song Singalong

Paperback w/enhanced CD $9.99, Hardcover w/enhanced CD $16.99

What can you make with a line, a circle or square? This inspiring book, based on an original song by children’s singer SteveSongs, shows how simple shapes can be transformed into anything you can imagine from boats to skyscrapers to a circus. The catchy song and animation will soon have you dancing along, making shapes!

The Barefoot Book of Mother and Daughter Tales

(Hardcover w/story CD $21.99)

A meaningful collection of tales of mothers and daughters from around the world, from the familiar Naomi and Ruth story of Jewish tradition, to lesser known Chinese and Iroquois stories. These tales provide an exploration of the themes of womanhood and the mysterious process of life, death and rebirth.

October Nonprofit of the Month

I'm very excited to announce that the Franklin Community Center is my October nonprofit of the month!

Franklin Community Center, a non-profit human service agency in Saratoga Springs, provides basic needs and services to less fortunate individuals and families in an effort to promote healthy lifestyles and positive changes.  The unique and comprehensive approach of Franklin Community Center fosters a sense of family for those in need, without the discomfort of bureaucratic paper work and prying questions. They offer guidance and advocacy, while providing a comfortable and friendly atmosphere. Their philosophy is to send people out the door with whatever they came in looking for.

The programs and services they offer include safe and affordable housing; a food pantry; free clothing and furniture distribution; advocacy and referral information; holiday assistance; teenage pregnant and parenting classes; and after school youth prevention program.  As a 501 (c)(3) private, nonprofit, they rely heavily on community donations and fundraisers to continue their efficient and effective services, which searve over 2,000 individuals each year.


I'm donating 20% of my October online sales to the Franklin Community Center.

New Releases!!

The Barefoot Books staff has been busy this month!  Here's a quick overview of the fantastic new products that were just released:

The Wise Fool

Ages 6+, Hardcover, $19.99
Meet Mulla Nasruddin, a legendary character whose adventures and misadventures are enjoyed across the Islamic world. This witty collection of stories portrays his eccentric, engaging and irreverent character. Nasruddin always has a twinkle in his eye, a sliver of wisdom in his ramblings and a few good surprises up his sleeve!

The Shipwreck
Ages 10+, Paperback Chapter Book, $12.99
When his father is murdered, a young viking boy named Leiv stows away on a ship bound for Greenland to avenge the death. But when the boat is wrecked in a storm, his search for revenge becomes a struggle for survival. Find out what happens when Leiv is saved by an Inuit brother and sister and slowly becomes aware of a way of life and value system which centers around peace rather than war, showing a profound respect for the natural world.

The Snow Queen
Ages 8+, Paperback Chapter Book, $9.99
In this exquisitely illustrated retelling of a classic story by Hans Christian Andersen, an evil troll creates a mirror which reflects the bad and ugly sides of people. When shards of its glass enter a young boy, he is forced to reject his loving family and best friend Gerda. Helped by kind strangers and guided by her warm heart, Gerda makes the perilous journey to rescue her friend from the icy palace of the Snow Queen.

The Feathered Ogre
Ages 6+, Paperback Chapter Book, $7.99
This Italian tale tells how Pírolo, the king’s youngest gardener, sets out on an impossible quest which frightens even the bravest of the king’s knights. Can he steal a magic feather from the back of the terrifying Feathered Ogre who eats tasty boys and girls for his supper?

The Mother of Monsters
Ages 6+, Paperback Chapter Book, $7.99
Mischievous Ntombi, the chief’s daughter, isn’t at all afraid of the fearsome Ilunge River. But when she goes to swim there, she enrages the Mother of Monsters, with her gigantic head, bulging eyes and thick, slimy scales, causing more trouble than she could ever imagine!

The Abominable Snowman
Ages 6+, Paperback Chapter Book, $7.99
Ramay lives with his mother in the high mountains of the Himalayas. He is lazy, never helps at home and would rather spend his days dreaming. When his Mom is at her wit’s end, she tells Ramay to go away and he is not to come back until he has mended his ways. What will become of Ramay as he sets out, and whom will he encounter about this title: along the way?

The Terrible Chenoo
Ages 6+, Paperback Chapter Book, $7.99
Discover what happens when a brave woman and her husband are kind to a savage and terrible Chenoo. Instead of letting themselves be scared of this man-eating monster, they feed him caribou meat, provide him with clothes and make him snug and warm in their teepee. Can they melt his frozen heart?

Driving my Tractor Puzzle
Ages 3-6, $14.99
Two fun puzzles based on the popular singalong Driving my Tractor. The larger 12 piece puzzle shows a winter scene of the farmer picking up the animals in his tractor, while the smaller 24 piece puzzle shows a tractor scene in summer.

Portside Pirates! Puzzle
Ages 3-6, $14.99
Two enjoyable puzzles based on the popular singalong Portside Pirates! The larger 12 piece puzzle shows the pirates discovering treasure on a tropical island, while the smaller 24 piece puzzle shows the pirate crew on their ship with the Jolly Roger flying proudly.

New Ambassador Starter Kit

If you've been considering becoming a Barefoot Books Ambassador, let me share a few thoughts to further entice you. 

First, we're heading into the holiday season, the busiest time of year for all Ambassadors.  Now is a great time to sign up and start scheduling home parties and community events while people are in the gift-buying mindset.  In my experience, you'll see you business grow immediately during this time of year!

Second, I'm thrilled to share that Barefoot Books has just launched a new Ambassador Starter Kit, filled with the most valuable tools to get your business off the ground quickly and smoothly.  It includes loads of marketing materials that you'll use to promote your Barefoot Books business, and several books and other products from each of the four Barefoot categories - Fun First Steps, Natural Child, Travel the World, and Tell Me a Story.  The retail value of the Ambassador Starter Kit is $300, but new Ambassadors purchase it when they register for only $139.99.  Although I've been an Ambassador for nearly a year, these kits are so great I'll be purchasing one for myself!

Interested in learning more about becoming a Barefoot Books Ambassador?  Contact me for answers to your questions.  Already convinced?  Sign up here!

Seasons

It seems like fall arrived overnight last week!  Suddenly overnight and early morning temperatures are back in the 40s, and it's time to shift from summer to fall clothing. 

I lived in California for a while a few years ago, and one of the (many) things I missed about living in the Northeast was the change of the seasons.  Sure it was nice to live without ice storms and below freezing temperatures, but it felt very strange to not be able to mark the passage of time in a concrete and visible way.  As much as I dislike the winter, I don't think spring would be nearly as sweet without it.  The joy of seeing the first snowdrops and crocuses pop out of the ground and watching the snow and ice recede as temperatures slowly drift upward, is one of my most-treasured annual experiences.

Now that my daughter is just about to turn two, I'm trying to help her understand and appreciate the change of the seasons.  I'm using two great Barefoot Books to help her with this process - Listen, Listen, and Skip Through the Seasons.

Listen, Listen is one of my very favorite books.  My husband and I have read it to our daughter countless times, and I'm convinced that this is how she learned many of her first words.  It is a beautifully illustrated book, organized by the different seasons, and the text highlights the different sounds of each season - buzzing insects during the summer, crunching leaves in the fall, gliding along snow and ice in the winter, and chirping birds in the spring.

Available in both English and Spanish, Skip Through the Seasons is a great hide and seek book.  Organized by month, there are twelve words for readers to locate that relate to the month - hood and footprints in January, picnic blanket and butterfly in June, and presents and candy cane in December.  The paperback version also includes educational end notes that detail the origins of the names of the months, the days of the week in different languages, and more. 

I highly recommend both of these books for sharing the joy of the changing seasons with young children!!

September Nonprofit of the Month

My September nonprofit of the month is an organization that's near and dear to me, WAMC Northeast Public Radio.  My parents have been listeners forever, so I've literally been listening to it for as long as I can remember. 

WAMC is a regional public radio station serving portions of seven northeastern states - NY, MA, PA, CT, VT, NH, and NJ.  It's a member of National Public Radio, and an affiliate of Public Radio International.  Financial support comes from listeners who contribute annually in fund drives and other appeals as well as from underwriting by businesses, grant support for WAMC's National Productions and governmental sources such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the New York State Education Department.

I love the original programming, coverage of local and regional news, NPR programming, and intelligent conversation about real issues.  My radio is permanently tuned to my local WAMC station, 90.3.

I'm donating 20% of my September online sales to this fantastic organization! 

Hola and Bon Jour!

I'm one of many Americans who speaks only English.  I feel a little sheepish about this, especially when I speak to people from other countries who know their native language, English, and sometimes several other languages, as well.  Although I can't teach my daughter to speak or read other languages fluently, I'm doing my best to expose her to them, with the hope that she'll develop both a small foundation and an interest in learning more as she grows.

Barefoot Books has a broad selection of Spanish, French, and bilingual books, which are great for exposing young children to these languages.  Some of my favorites are below.  The full selection of Barefoot Books Spanish, French, and bilingual titles can be found at http://www.amym.barefootbooks.com/.

For babies and toddlers:

For children:

Singalongs:

August Nonprofit of the Month

I'm very excited to announce that Friends of Camp Little Notch is my August nonprofit of the month. 

In 1939, the Girl Scouts of America purchased 2,800 acres of forest at the foot of the Adirondacks—a picturesque 80-acre lake, expansive and serene woods, and miles of mountain streams. For 70 years generations of young women were transformed by this place called Camp Little Notch and treasured it as their classroom, their playground, and their refuge. In the past two years—after word of the impending sale of the property—energetic young women leaders came together out of their belief in the potential of Little Notch to start a non-profit called The Friends of Camp Little Notch (The Friends). To date, The Friends have successfully conserved the property through a relationship with the Open Space Institute (OSI), and are in the process of purchasing a portion of this extraordinary land from OSI.

In the summer of 2012, The Friends will re-open Little Notch as a national outdoor education and retreat center. Whether visitors want to practice sustainable living, challenge themselves to learn about their own capabilities, or retreat in a wilderness setting, the Little Notch property offers limitless possibilities. With your help, The Friends have an incredible opportunity to bring to life their vision for the future of this exquisite place.

I'm donating 20% of my August online sales to this wonderful organization.

Summer Sale!

The annual Barefoot Books Summer Sale has begun!  More than 60 items are discounted by up to 60%, making it a great time to stock up for the back-to-school season, birthdays, and the holidays.  There are even 21 items under $5, including:



Driving My Tractor paperback with singalong CD (regular $9.99, sale $4.49)



Animal Boogie paperback with singalong CD (regular $9.99, sale $4.49)



Cleo's Counting Book paperback and board book (regular $6.99, sale $3.99)



Cleo's Color Book board book (regular $6.99, sale $3.99)



Bear at Work Fun Activities (regular $5.99, sale $3.99)



Journey Home From Grandpa's Fun Activities (regular $5.99, sale $3.99)



Cerdota Grandota Spanish board book (regular $6.99, sale $3.99)



Bear about Town/L'Ours dans la ville bilingual paperback (regular $6.99, sale $4.49)



Abuelita fue al Mercado Spanish paperback (regular $6.99, sale $4.99)

The sale runs through Monday, 8/15, but sale items tend to sell out, so shop early.  And remember: shipping is free on all orders of $60 or more.

PTA/PTO/HSA Fundraiser Planning

Are you involved with your local PTA/PTO/HSA? Is your child's school or preschool looking for ways to raise funds or books?  Here are some great reasons to have a Barefoot Books fundraiser at your school next year:

• Flexible format.  You choose the format: cash and carry, take orders, online - or a combination of these options that works best for you.
• Easy.  I personally staff all of my fundraisers and take pride in making them as easy and low-maintenance as possible for the school.  You will not need to recruit volunteers or staff the fundraiser yourself.
• High quality product.  Barefoot Books is committed to bringing art and story of the highest quality to children.  The illustrations are unparalleled, the books are very well-constructed, and most contain educational end notes that teach readers about the story's subject matter.
• Green practices.  All Barefoot Books books are printed on ancient forest-friendly paper, using soy- and vegetable-based inks.
• Small businessperson.  I'm an independent, small businessperson, and partnering with me supports the local Capital Region economy.
• Commercial-free.  There are no TV or movie tie-ins, video games, or candy at Barefoot Books fundraisers.  In fact it's one of only two national companies recommended by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

I'm currently scheduling fundraisers for the upcoming school year, and would love to help your school earn money or free books.  Contact me to discuss doing a Barefoot Books fundraiser at your school.

Do What You Love

If you're reading this, you're probably a fan of Barefoot Books.  Have you ever considered becoming an Ambassador, and turning your love for Barefoot Books into a business? 

Ask 10 Ambassadors why they joined Barefoot Books, and you'll hear 10 different answers.  That's what I love about this amazing opportunity!  There are people who just want to receive great discounts on the products they love; people who like having a flexible, entrepreneurial way to earn extra income; and people who are passionate about bringing high quality books to their schools and communities.

I became an Ambassador early last October, and immediately threw myself into the hectic holiday season.  (As you can imagine, September-December is the busiest time of year for Barefoot Books Ambassadors.)    It was great to see immediate results, but in retrospect, it was not the best time of year to start my Barefoot Books business.  I think I would've been better able to maximize the opportunities presented by the holiday season, if I had been more knowledgeable about the company and the books.  It takes a couple of months of reading the books, learning about the company, and talking about them, to feel fully comfortable and like you really know what you're talking about. 

As a result, I think the summer is the best time of year to become an Ambassador.  You have several months to learn the ropes and comfortably develop into a confident Ambassador, before diving into the holiday season.  (There's also a big summer sale, so you can maximize your discount and stock up for future events!)

Interested in learning more?  Contact me, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. 

Give Back with Bear!

Bear's Birthday, the eighth book in the Bear series, was just published this spring.  To celebrate, Barefoot Books is donating a new book to Birthday Wishes in the US and Refuge in the UK, two organizations chosen for their commitment to supporting children in difficult situations, for each copy of Bear's Birthday sold this month.

Want to give back, and save money?  Use discount code AMBTEN to save 10% on your purchase at http://www.amym.barefootbooks.com/!

Learn more about this collaboration here. 

Party On!



I realized that I haven't talked much about Barefoot Books parties here, so I thought I'd share what I love about them:

• They're a great way to earn FREE Barefoot Books products and to share them with others who may be Barefoot uninitiated.
• The format is completely flexible.  Looking for an excuse to get your friends together without the kids?  Host an evening party.  Need something fun for parents to do during a playdate?  Host a party during the day.  They can even be done as a fundraiser for your favorite school or nonprofit organization.
• They give you and your guests an opportunity to see the newest Barefoot Books products - as well as the classics - in a fun and relaxed environment.

Interested in hosting a Barefoot Books party this summer, fall, or holiday season?  Contact me to discuss the details.

One-Week Sale

Barefoot Books is having a one-week sale!! Over 40 books - board books, chapter books, singalongs, paperbacks, coloring and activity books, and hardcovers with story CD's - are discounted by up to 40%.  Click here to see the entire list of sale titles.  Use discount code AMBTEN to save an additional 10% on your entire order, and shipping is free on all orders of $60 or more.  Sale prices are good through June 20th, unless items sell out sooner.  Stock up now for summer reading! 

Here are a selection of the sale titles: