Category Archives: School

How books can open your mind

What happens when a dream you’ve held since childhood doesn’t come true? As Lisa Bu adjusted to a new life in the United States, she turned to books to expand her mind and create a new path for herself. She shares her unique approach to reading in this lovely, personal talk about the magic of books.


This is not business as usual

Along with many other business across the globe, we’ve signed the Not Business As Usual pledge. Today, we are joining the millions of children around the world because we believe urgent and meaningful action needs to take place to ensure future generations can enjoy our planet too.

Top Books for Back To School

It’s the start of a new school year for our readers in the UK and US. This can be an exciting but often uncertain time for children (not to the mention parents who are sending children off to school for the first time). We thought we’d share our top picks for back to school reading. These stories are perfect to read cuddled up with your child as they aim to warm your heart, put aside any anxieties and make you laugh as you prepare to start a year of packing school lunchboxes. 

The Pigeon Has To Go To School by Mo Willems

Mo Willems’ Pigeon is back in a hilarious story perfect for those about to start school or nursery. The Pigeon is about to get schooled. Do you think he should go? Why does the Pigeon have to go to school? He already knows everything! Well … almost everything. And what if he doesn’t like it? What if the teacher doesn’t like him? I mean, what if he learns too much!?!

School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex and Christian Robinson

A New York Times bestselling author (The True Meaning of Smekday) and illustrator (Last Stop on Market Street) team bring you a fresh look at the first day of school, this time from the school’s perspective. It’s the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone’s just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. What will the children do once they come? Will they like the school? Will they be nice to him? The school has a rough start, but as the day goes on, he soon recovers when he sees that he’s not the only one going through first-day jitters.

Pirates Don’t Go to Kindergarten by Lisa Robinson

Yo, ho, ho! It’s a mutiny against kindergarten!

Pirate Emma is about to start kindergarten! But Emma’s not so sure she’s ready for a new captain and crew. Especially since Cap’n Chu, the roughest, toughest, awesomest preschool cap’n ever, is right down the hall. So Emma decides to head back to the preschool ship to see if she can stir up a mutiny against kindergarten! Is that what she really wants? Or does she just miss her beloved Cap’n Chu? Batten down the hatches, mateys, because the first day of school is going to be stormy!

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

It’s the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can’t wait to meet her classmates. But it’s hard to make human friends when they’re so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all. Readers will gobble up this hilarious new story from award-winning author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins.

1 2 3 With The Notorious B.I.G by Jessica Chiha

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie One, Two, Three – Sometimes These Numbers Just Hypnotize Me!

1 2 3 with the Notorious B.I.G. is packed full of our most loved Hip Hop, Rap and RnB artists from then and now, with plenty of tongue in cheek references that even the bigs are sure to get a giggle from. This hip-hop inspired book is designed to pump up your child’s number game. Let Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Kanye, Nicki Minaj, Kelis and more, teach your little homie their 123s. Relive some of the greatest Rap, Hip Hop, and R&B musicians of our time, while teaching your children where it’s at. 1 2 3 with the Notorious B.I.G. is here to make learning dope, because education isn’t meant to be boring!

Inside My Heart by Jo Witek

This is a charming book where a young girl explores what different emotions feel like, such as happiness which makes her want to twirl, or sadness which feels as heavy as an elephant.

In My Heart explores emotions; happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: “When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.” Children will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions.

Enjoy!

How to buy cheap textbooks for uni

It’s Back to School and Back to Uni for many students around the world and with that comes a new list of specified books for course reading. A reading list can be pretty expensive, so we thought we’d focus this week’s blog on how Booko can help find the cheapest version of your textbooks. 

Booko is great for searching for specialist or academic texts. All you need to do is type a book’s ISBN into the main search box (this ensures you are searching for the correct edition) and away you go. Booko can find most books, whether they are e-Books, Reference books, Fiction or Non-Fiction. And since Booko can locate used copies, you may be able to save even more by buying second-hand!

Booko’s standard search finds you the best prices for right now in both new and used condition. We recommend this for anyone who needs their book sooner rather than later. But if you happen to know ahead of time what books you need then we’d definitely point you in the direction of our handy alert function. 

Set Price Alerts

Booko’s price alert feature (which is a super handy set-and-forget tool) emails you as soon as the price of a book falls below the current price, or a price specified by you. Oh yes, you read that right, the alert function not only lets you know when a book you want is on sale, but you can also set the price you want to pay for a book. 

To set an alert, you need to be logged into your account (because we need to know which email to send the notifications to). Just click the ‘Add an Alert’ button directly below the book’s cover image on the left side of the page. Nominate a price you are happy to pay, type in your email and the Alert is set. Now all you need to do is wait for the Good News email!

Great thing to note is that you can have multiple alerts on books too. 

With our latest round of updates, you can also now specify a separate price alert for new and used books. This function is loved by many of the students that use Booko… because let’s be honest, not all courses ask for a brand new textbook… nor do they need one. Academic textbooks can be breathtakingly expensive – a single title can be over a hundred dollars, so imagine how much your entire reading list will cost! 

If you fancy a little more detail have a look at this blog post.

Here are a few of the most clicked on University textbooks here in Melbourne. 

Financial Accounting: Accounting, Reporting, Analysis and Decision Making, 6th Edition by Shirley Carlon et al.

Financial Accounting, 6th Edition presents accounting in a cutting-edge interactive digital format designed to motivate students by taking the road blocks out of self-study and to facilitate mastery though drill-and-skill practice. Available as a full-colour printed textbook with an interactive eBook code, this text enables every student to master concepts and succeed in assessment, and supports lecturers with an extensive and easy-to-use teaching and learning package.

First Principles of Business Law 10th Edition by Michael Lambiris and Laura Griffin

The First Principles of Business Law 10th edition textbook and eStudy modules offer a blend of technologies and resources to help students learn business law. This new edition has been fully updated to reflect relevant changes to the law, including coverage of the Australian Consumer Law provisions in relation to small businesses, and also includes a new section on the importance of ethics in business law. The textbook contains clear, authoritative and concise statements of the law, amplified and illustrated by over 200 summaries of decided cases and selected extracts from legislation. The law is arranged in logical sequence under descriptive headings. The updated eStudy modules provide an additional opportunity for students to enhance their learning. The modules are designed to help students gain a proper understanding of how the law applies in everyday situations, and to develop their ability to apply the law realistically and appropriately.

Biology: An Australian Focus, 5th Edition by Bruce Knox et al.

Biology: An Australian focus reflects on worldwide biological research and knowledge to provide a global outlook with Australian examples and cases woven throughout. Students are able to connect with what they’re learning and better understand Australian flora/fauna and most importantly ecology and ecosystems, using this accessible and engaging learning resource. 

Integrated Marketing Communication: A balanced approach by Maxwell Winchester et al.

Integrated Marketing Communication: A Balanced Approach is your students’ guide to integrated marketing communication (IMC), introducing them to the principles that underpin its practice. This text considers the different theories of how IMC works, taking the empirical evidence available into account, and illustrating its real-world application with relevant industry examples.With expert commentary supported by contemporary case studies, this text explores communication theory, strategy and planning, and develops your students’ understanding of consumer behaviour. Equipped with this knowledge, your students will learn how they can balance IMC strategies with marketing needs in order to change attitudes and reinforce behaviour

Management, 6th Edition (with Student Resource Access 12 Months) by Danny Samson et al.

Management is a robust foundation text providing a balance of broad, theoretical content with an engaging, easy-to-understand writing style. It covers the four key management functions – planning, organising, leading and controlling – conveying to students the elements of a manager’s working day. Along with current management theory and practice, the authors integrate coverage of innovation, entrepreneurship, agile workplaces, social media and new technology throughout. This sixth edition features a new author on the team and contains updates to content based on recent research. Real-life local and international examples showcase the ongoing changes in the management world. Focusing on a ‘skills approach’, they bring concepts to life for students, supporting motivation, confidence and mastery. Each part concludes with a contemporary continuing case study, focusing on car company Toyota as it faces managerial challenges and opportunities in the region.

Project Management: The Managerial Process by Erik W. Larson et al.

As the market-leading textbook on the subject, Project Management: The Managerial Process is distinguished by its balanced treatment of both the technical and behavioural issues in project management as well as by its coverage of a broad range of industries to which project management principles can be applied. It focuses on how project management is integral to the organisation as a whole. The text not only delivers the tools and processes is essential to successful project management but also an understanding that the effectiveness of these tools and methods are shaped and determined by the prevailing culture of the organisation and interpersonal dynamics of the people involved.

Statistics for Behavioural Sciences, 10th Edition by Frederick J. Gravetter and Larry B. Wallnau

This field-leading introduction to statistics text for students in the behavioural and social sciences continues to offer straightforward instruction, accuracy, built-in learning aids, and real-world examples. The goals are to teach the methods of statistics and convey the basic principles of objectivity and logic that are essential for science and valuable in everyday life. Authors Frederick Gravetter and Larry Wallnau help students understand statistical procedures through a conceptual context that explains why the procedures were developed and when they should be used. Students have numerous opportunities to practice statistical techniques through learning checks, examples, step-by-step demonstrations, and problems.

Happy reading!

#tuesdaychat

Looking for a textbook? Booko scans the world for both new and used books and let’s you know which store has it the cheapest.

Let us know if you’re looking for a specific book and we’ll try to find the cheapest for you. Just pop the title and edition in the comments below.

Monday Inspo

Students all over the world are heading back to school and university for either the start of their school year or returning from a semester break. This week on the blog we’ll be sharing our top tips for getting the cheapest text books online because we know you’re clever and like to shop smarter.

But for today, we have this little gem to start your week.


How to design a library that makes kids want to read

When Michael Bierut was tapped to design a logo for public school libraries, he had no idea that he was embarking on a year long passion project. In this often hilarious talk, he recalls his obsessive quest to bring energy, learning, art and graphics into these magical spaces where school librarians can inspire new generations of readers and thinkers. We love this Ted Talk.

#tuesdaychat

The Giving Tree, The Paper Dolls, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Pippi Longstocking…there are so many great books that we enjoyed in childhood, which were your favourite?