Shipping and delivery
How much is shipping?
Nothing on top of the price. Shipping is included in every price, lower 48, no minimum.
How fast does it ship, and how fast does it get here?
We pack and ship the next business day by USPS Media Mail. Media Mail is the slow boat: most bundles arrive in about 3 to 7 days after they leave us.
Do you ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or outside the US?
Not right now. Lower 48 only.
How will it arrive?
One carton per bundle, by USPS Media Mail. The bigger bundles are heavy, so plan on carrying them in with two hands.
Problems
What if something is wrong with my bundle?
Email us within 30 days with a photo and your order number. We replace or refund, whichever fits. Nothing to ship back.
Do you take returns?
No. A carton of books costs more to ship back than the books are worth. If something is wrong when it lands (damage, a short count, a book that should not have gotten through), email a photo and your order number inside 30 days and we replace or refund.
What if I get duplicates?
Inside a 25 or a 50, no. The hundreds are packed in parts, so a title can repeat, and across two or three bundles it can happen. Tell us and we sort it out.
The books
Can I pick the titles?
No. You pick the kind and the size, we pick the titles. That is what keeps the price where it is.
Are the photos what I will get?
The photos are examples of the kind. Your bundle will have different titles.
What condition are the books in?
Used, in good readable shape. Covers on, pages intact, normal shelf wear. A book that would not pass at our sort table does not ship.
Where do the books come from?
The books come from recyclers, thrifts and online sellers, the ones that would otherwise end up in a landfill or as dollar store toilet paper. We would rather they end up on your shelf.
What do you pull out?
Damaged copies, grown-up books, holiday and religious titles, and books in other languages. Those sort out before the bins fill.
Will there be hardcovers or paperbacks?
Depends on the kind. Board books are all board. Floppies are soft cover illustrated books, thin and wide, with the odd thin hardcover. Hardcover picture books are hardcover. Leveled readers are paperback. Chapter books are mostly paperback, with the odd hardcover, and some have pictures too.
What ages are these for?
Each bundle page says who it suits, in plain words: babies and toddlers, kids learning to read, kids reading on their own, and so on. We sort by kind, and the leveled readers by the level printed on their covers. You match the kid.
Ordering
Is this a subscription?
No. Order when the shelf runs low.
Can a school or a classroom order?
Yes. Email us and we will sort it out with the office.
Who are you?
The warehouse crew in Dayton, Ohio that has sorted more kids books than we can count. More on the About page, including the two things we will not shut up about.