Save 20% on Barefoot Books through July 16th!

Barefoot Books is offering 20% off on all web orders, now through July 16th!
Simply enter Special Offer Code "HAPPY" at checkout!

New Barefoot Books Website Launches!

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the new Barefoot Books website! I hope that you will enjoy browsing the lovely books and choosing new literature for your children (or anyone who needs a beautiful gift) to read this summer.

You can also find information on hosting events, holding a fundraiser, becoming an Ambassador, or finding my events in the community. There are plenty of book reviews to read and you can even add your own!

Please come by for a visit and share with your friends!

http://livingbarefoot.barefootbooks.com

Living Barefoot on Twitter!

In efforts too keep up with the latest trends in business and technology, Living Barefoot is now micro-blogging on Twitter! While I don't see myself becoming a constant "twitterer", I do believe that it will be a useful tool as we enter the season of outdoor events and festivals.

Please follow "LivingBarefoot" and share with your twittering friends!

... oh, and don't forget Barefoot Books Free Shipping now through May 10th. (all orders, no code needed)

A Book for Earth Day: The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales.

Book Review:

The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales is the publisher's latest collection of folktales from cultures around the world, which explores the connections of ancient peoples to the Earth and inspires us to re-establish that connection in the modern world. Young readers (read alone approx. ages 8-12) meet the first actual tree huggers in India, encounter men of kind heart and magical birds in Kazakhstan, and share the traditions of Native Americans. Each story is proceeded with an introduction by Dawn Casey that presents a cultural reference and is then further supported with guided eco-activities such as song-line painting, growing tomatoes, and making a mini water garden. Quirky and joyous illustrations by Anne Wilson bring even more life to the pages of this new treasure in literature. Earth Tales will make a thoughtful and meaningful gift for any child in your life who is Living Barefoot.

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd, Barefoot Books has partnered with Eco-Libris to plant a tree for each copy of The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales that is sold in the month of April.

From the Introduction of Earth Tales:

Whether we live in the city or in the country, we depend on the Earth in all kinds of ways: we need to use its materials for shelter and for clothes: we must have clean water to drink; and we rely on successful harvests to eat. We may sometimes think of ourselves as separate from nature, but in fact the cycle of our lives is completely interwoven with the cycles of the natural world.
Traditionally, people have lived very close to nature, enjoying the gifts she has to offer and being respectful in turn. The stories from these cultures reflect this: the oldest tales tell of Earth Mothers and World Trees, Ancient Oceans and Heavenly Gardens. They tell of wonderful spirits and talking animals. Many religions and faiths teach that the heavenly reveals itself through nature. All over the world, songs and stories express a deep understanding of the Earth as sacred.
Sadly, this respect for nature is not as strong as it was even a hundred years ago. Recently, many people and institutions have begun to take a more selfish approach to the natural world - as something to use and make money out of, without caring about the damage that their actions may cause.
Now, at a time when we are again becoming aware that we need to live in balance with our planet, these ancient stories offer an important message. I have chosen a selection of tales that both celebrate our connection with nature and remind us how important it is to look after this Earth, our home. There are myths to renew our understanding of the land, stories that celebrate the glory and beauty of the natural world, and wisdom tales about how to care for the Earth. Listening to these ancient stories today and acting on their advice helps us to move forward, as the caretakers of tomorrow.

Dawn Casey, Author

Barefoot Books also offers many other eco-themed books and activities that you may enjoy for Earth Day.




About Eco-Libris:
Eco-Libris is a green business that enables people to do something reasonable, affordable yet with an impact: plant one tree for every book they read. By working with individuals and publishers to plant trees in developing countries, Eco-Libris makes sure that each tree is planted where it provides significant value for both the environment and the local communities.

Living Barefoot on Thanksgiving... and a Free Book!

The Thanksgiving holiday reminds us that Living Barefoot is about appreciating what we have and reaching out to those who have less.

This week, Barefoot Books has announced an exciting partnership with Books for Africa, the largest supplier of donated books to the African continent. Since 1988, they have sent over 20 million books to 44 African countries and into the hands of rural schoolchildren. Many of these children are taught in primitive schoolrooms without running water, electricity or the basic materials and tools needed to learn. By collecting, sorting and shipping books to these communities, Books For Africa provides these children with the fundamental tools they need to learn, grow and improve their individual lives and the world around them. It is an organization that speaks to the core of what Barefoot Books and Living Barefoot is all about - bringing the enduring gift of literacy, education and hope to children throughout the world, and extending a helping hand to communities less fortunate than our own.


Barefoot is implementing a number of ways to contribute to the work of Books For Africa. Barefoot has already donated a collection of our books that are now en route to Liberia and, going forward, customers on our website will be able to donate a selection of African-themed books to Books For Africa by "purchasing" them well below retail value. These donated books, available for either $5 or $3, will be set aside at our warehouse in Wisconsin and picked up in bulk by Books For Africa for shipment to the African continent. Barefoot will also be offering beautiful We all Went on Safari-themed bookmarks for sale through Stallholders for $1.00 each. The proceeds from the sale of these bookmarks will be donated to Books for Africa to offset the cost of shipping books to the continent. As this is a long term partnership, look for our 2009 release, The Barefoot Book of African Tales. This book will feature a page with information about Books for Africa and 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the organization.

Please consider adding a charitable element to your holiday giving with Barefoot Books.

Barefoot Books celebrates its new partnership with Books For Africa
with a Free Book Offer!

simply click on this image:

All orders of $50 or more will receive
a copy of We All Went on Safari,
now through November 30th, 2008.

A bit about what I do with Barefoot Books... and a Special Offer

Here is the latest in a series of promotions that I am bringing to you from Barefoot Books, leading up to the holidays. This week, when you purchase 3 books, you can choose a 4th book for free!

This promotion also highlights the Stallholder/Affiliate Program. As Stallholders, Living Barefoot is a Whole Life thing. It's not that our work consumes us; quite the opposite. It's that our work blends into our life in a very organic way. We love literature and we love reading to children. We value the community and we value the planet. Selling Barefoot Books comes pretty naturally because they are the books that we carry in our tote bags and keep in the car. Our children/grandchildren tell their teachers that Port Side Pirates is their favorite song and they bring a Folkmanis puppet in for show and tell. We each have our own definition of Living Barefoot and Barefoot Books give us the flexibility to share the books in a way that fits into our lives. For some of us, that means simply passing the catalog around at work or the playgroup. For others that means online marketing, home parties, open air markets, school fundraisers/book fairs, or larger expos.

I hope that you will enjoy this special offer and share it with your friends. If you have any questions about the Affiliate Program, please feel free to contact me anytime.



This offer is valid through November 18th, 2008.
Happy Reading!

Living Barefoot Is...

Last week, Barefoot Books asked its Stallholder Community to submit a photo and a quote as a contest to create a new e-campaign. Our guidelines seemed simple enough: a photo of a barefoot child in an autumnal setting and a quote to describe what Living Barefoot means to us. AH! That should be easy for me; I have so many thoughts on Living Barefoot! It’s the title of my blog. I could spout off forever. But here’s the catch: our quotes had to be 40 words or less – so I could not spout off forever after all. 40 words is actually quite short. I'm a better formal writer and not much of a journalist. I was sure I would just throw in the towel and write a nice long gratuitous blog post instead. But I stuck with it and kinda like my slender 40 words. In the end, I did not win the contest, but here is my quote; along with my wonderful photo of Ryker “Living Barefoot”.

Living Barefoot is a global consciousness. Just as feeling the earth beneath our feet connects us to the importance of maintaining a healthy planet; reading Barefoot Books connects children to world cultures, creating a future global community with greater understanding.

BTW, don't forget Barefoot is offering 30% off on all web orders through Monday, November 3rd. Use special offer code SCLB30 at checkout!

My Barefoot Boys at Gilson Beach - Wilmette, IL

OK, we've got the cheesy and predictable Boys of Summer look going, but I hope you will agree that it is a nice sequence of semi-candids.

It was a perfect sunny 80 degree day so I decided to take the boys down to Gilson Park. We avoided the big crowds at the swimming beach and hit the area to the South where they could run through the tall grasses and play that they were "On Safari", with Maxwell as their guide.

After escaping the "lions" of the "savannah", they discovered the "ocean" and took off for the waters edge to "go surfing". Maxwell is bold and so grown up now, he could splash forever in the waves. Beckham's confidence was boosted by watching his big brother and Ryker is fearlessly game for anything that his brothers are doing.

45 minutes later, they were soaked, covered in sand, and happy as can be. We dried and brushed off the sand by the car and went home naked (except for me).