It's time to clean your body on our green gift giveaway!

We're happy to update you that we're adding another great green book to our green gift giveaway:

Clean Body: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing Yourself

You can get a free copy of Clean Body by Michael DeJong when you balance out 50 books by planting 50 trees with Eco-Libris. You can also choose one of the other five books we offer as a free gift: Raw for Dessert, Greening Your Small Business, The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book, Sweet Utopia and Sustainable Sushi.

All of these books are printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper and readers can choose from this list the book they would like to receive as a gift from us.

So what's Sustainable Sushi about? (from the publisher's website)
Clean Zen, clean green! Clean Body follows the successful Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing, by cleaning guru Michael DeJong. As with the first book, this is not merely about washing away the dirt: it embodies a mindset, a philosophy, an alternative to mass consumerism.

DeJong draws from Eastern belief systems - especially the element theory in Chinese medicine and Asian cooking - and harmoniously balances five pure essentials in his recipes, using baking soda, lemon, olive oil, salt, and white vinegar as the basis for his all-natural concoctions.

Including special, separate sections for men and women, Clean Body has ideas for everything from facial exfoliants and natural aftershave to moisturizers and creams for itchy skin, discolored knees, and smooth feet. EVERY part of the body, from head to toe, is covered.

You can read more about it on Pajama Mommy's review of this book, which was part of our green books campaign.

More details about our green gift giveaway and the other gifts we give to readers who balance out 25 books or more (gift cards for Strand Bookstore and BookSwim!) can be found on the campaign's page at http://www.ecolibris.net/gifts.asp

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

New video from RIPPLE Africa: Deforestation, bush burning and Forest Conservation in Malawi

Our planting partner RIPPLE Africa is working in Malawi, Africa and is doing an amazing job there. They've just published a new video, showing the effects of deforestation and bush burning, and also illustrates the woodland conservation program that RIPPLE Africa has initiated.

This film shows both sides of reality in Malawi - deforestation and frustration on one side and reforestation and hope on the other side, which we're proud to support. You can read more about RIPPLE Africa on their website - www.rippleafrica.org and learn on our work with them on the last assessment we published last year.




Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Celebrating the National Library Week: An interview with a librarian (and my mother)

This week (April 11-17) we're celebrating the National Library Week, an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians.

I wrote here many times how much love libraries and definitely a big part of it is due to the fact that my mother is a librarian. I interviewed her two years ago in celebration of this occasion, and I thought it would be appropriate to repost it in honor of this week and all of the librarians around the globe, including my mother who is doing it with a lot of love for the last 29 years!

Hi mom - how many years do you work as a librarian?

29 Years [updated to 2010, r.g.]

How much have libraries changed during these 29 years? when did you enjoy it more - now or back then?

The work of a librarian today is more technocratic because of the greater availability of information and also because computers takes a bigger part of the librarian's work. Personally, I enjoyed more the kind of work we did back then in the old days..

What do you think is the most important part in the work of librarians?

Good contact with the people who come to the library, which I think encourages reading, knowledge - you have to stay up to date with the latest books, and of course to read, read and read.

What do you like most and what do you like less in your work?

like to read books and recommend those that I liked. I don't like to lending DVDs and see that they get more and more popular at the expense of books.

What's more fun - working with grown ups or children?

Both - with the nice ones in both groups :-)

Do children really read more because of the Harry Potter series?

I don't feel that the series made a significant change. It also looks to me that kids are much less enthusiastic about the last book comparing with the first one.

How libraries fit in the 21st century digital world?

We will see more computerization of libraries that will influence many processes - registration, ordering books, the online connection between libraries that allows to 'import' a book from another library when you don't have it in your own, etc.

We already see more and more libraries with their own websites and online catalogs, which for example enable readers to check out at home what new books arrived to the library.

When you look 29 years backwards, if you could have choose again what would you like to do back then, would it be to work as a librarian?

Probably yes.

And finally, what do you think of Eco-Libris?
I think it's a great combination between the world of books and ecology, which emphasize the value of conservation of trees, which are disappearing from our globe at an alarming rate.

Thanks mom! and greetings to all the librarians that will celebrate the National Library Week.

And one last recommendation - check out the the most amazing libraries in America on Huffington Post. It's indeed amazing!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

RecycleBank's 10 Ways to Reduce Waste, Save Energy and Protect the Earth

Earth Day is just a week away and in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, our friends at RecycleBank has put together 40 simple yet effective ways to reduce waste, save energy, trees, and other resources, and help fight pollution and curb climate change all Earth Month long.

Below are the first ten tips. Each week during Earth Month, RecycleBank will post ten new tips online.

1. You'll be more likely to recycle consistently if you set up a recycling area in your kitchen or utility room. Post a list nearby of the items that are accepted for recycling in your local community.

2.Reuse or recycle as many of your empty health and beauty product containers as you can. If you can’t reuse them at home, containers such as your empty vitamin or supplement bottles can be recycled with your home recycling. Other cosmetic and toiletry tubes, bottles, and jars (from any brand) can be taken back to retail stores including Origins and MAC.

3. Choose toilet paper made from 100% recycled fibers. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, if every household in the U.S. replaced one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper with 100% recycled ones, we'd save 423,900 trees.

4. When decorating your home, choose items made from reclaimed materials - for example, a recycled glass vase from RecycleBank rewards partner Uncommon Goods, a rug made from old cotton t-shirts, or a basket made from telephone wire. It saves resources and extends the useful life of the materials.

5. Find out how to recycle items that you can't place in your curbside bin like batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and plastic bags. When in doubt, call your local solid waste management agency or go to earth911.org.

6. Leave grass clippings on the lawn after you mow rather than bagging and throwing them away. This saves energy and landfill space and the grass will decompose and return nutrients to the soil.

7. Got an old fur coat or hat in the attic that you inherited and never wear? Donate it to the Humane Society of the United States' Coats for Cubs program so wildlife rehabilitators can reuse it as bedding for injured or orphaned wildlife.

8. After birthday and holiday celebrations, save gift bags and boxes, ribbons, and tissue paper to reuse.

9. Recycle plastic packing peanuts by saving them for the next time you send a package, taking them to any UPS Store location, or calling the Plastic Loose Fill Council's 24-hour Peanut hotline (800-828-2214) to find other drop-off sites near you.

10. Invest in a set of rechargeable batteries and a charger for powering your digital camera, portable music player, remote control, and other gadgets. You'll reduce waste, save resources like steel, and save money in the long run.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Pick-a-WooWoo Publishers, our Australian partner, is presenting a long list of achievements!

We have a great partner in Australia - Pick-a-WooWoo Publishers that work with us to green up children's books they publish by planting trees, starting with "The Boy Who Was Born To Love Frogs" by Jacqueline Nicoll, which was released last October.

They sent us some good news we want to share with you - Pic-a-WooWoo have been recognized by Bookseller+Publisher as a significant contributor to MBS publishing and we will be mentioned in their May/June Magazine which goes out to all Booksellers / Schools / Libraries and their online network all over Australia!

This is great news and it's also an opportunity to share some other impressive facts about Pick-a-WooWoo:

1. They have gone from 5 titles in 2007 to a total of 21 books (plus e-books) at various stages of development.

2. They are the only publisher –Worldwide – focusing exclusively on Mind Body Spirit books for children. (Does not include self publishers) Do a Google Search on Spiritual Books for Children and just see!

3. Pick-a-WooWoo is the first Australian Publisher to join Eco-Libris – planting trees for each edition to offset our Carbon Imprint (625 trees planted for Born to Love Frogs)

4. Each of their titles is available via Print on Demand in the US, UK, Canada & Europe in partnership with Ingram Book Group and Lightning Source - Proudly Australian & Promoted Globally

5. E-books are the trend – and YES, every one of their Pick-a-WooWoo books are already available as an E-Book – children love them. If you would like to view one – just email them.

6. They’ve got the support of many spiritual leaders or pioneers & teachers. Shirley MaClaine, Anthony Grzelka - & awaiting testimonials from Deepak Chopra.

7. They have the services and support of the largest distributor of Mind Body Spirit books in Australia – Brumby Books and Music.

8. Their strong brand image and logo is now recognised worldwide as synonymous with Children’s Spiritual Books.

9. They have 17 books in the Pick-a-WooWoo series and growing. (Young Readers to Older Readers). As a series, each book tends to on-sell the others in the series which booksellers love and customers enjoy.

10. They have other mind body spirit books series (Grand Master Little Master) that teach enlightenment in a fun and adventurous way.They also offer FREE books as well.

11. And amazing novels for tweens/teens. Called the Colour Code - which already have been viewed by ABC filmmakers as a prospective film.

12. Pick-a-WooWoo has 11 authors (and growing) from all over the world...Incidentally - they had to close their submissions page 2 years ago due to the volume of authors wanting this genre of book to be published

13. And finally - as a leader in identifying and publishing children’s spiritual books they’re proud to offer ‘Other Books’ on their website. People have asked why they would offer to sell competitors books...Well they are different. They believe in abundance, co-operation and collaboration. They want to make it easy for everyone to find ‘Spiritual Books for Children’...this is their quest, our passion and if they can help other publishers, and self publishers, then they are walking our talk and ultimately helping the wonderful messages get to their earth angels (their children)

Kudos to Pick-a-WooWoo. We'll keep you updated with more news on our collaboration in the next couple of months!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Green Book of the week: Catch the Wind by Anne Johnson (and a giveaway!)

Today we review a green book that is presenting kids with the fascinating world of wind energy!

Our book is:

Catch the Wind (Discover Renewables)

Author: the folks at Mortenson Construction

Mortenson is a 54-year old family construction business that started building wind energy projects in 1995 and is now a leading builder and design-builder of wind power facilities in North America. This book is an effort to share our collective knowledge of this rapidly growing industry.

Illustrator: Shawn McCann

Publisher: Beaver Pond Press

Published on: October 2008

Ages: 4-8

What this book is about? (from publisher's website)

The notion of “green” has become a hot topic — and rightly so. Future generations deserve to live in a world that is in the same condition, if not better, than it is today. Wind farms are impacting our environment in an extraordinarily positive way. They produce clean, renewable energy that helps maintain air quality, preserves natural gas and reduces our dependency on traditional energy sources.

The creation of this book began with teacher requested wind energy materials for students. Educators are beginning to see science standards including content on renewable energy. There is a growing desire to learn about clean energy. So why not use our knowledge as a leading builder of wind farms to educate children about this growing industry?

Catch the Wind takes readers on a journey that will teach them about wind energy and the importance of making environmentally responsible choices. It was developed with input from educators and experts from within the wind industry. Children can follow Nels, an inquisitive boy, as he visits a wind farm with his father to discover the power of the wind. Diagrams of wind turbines and their components as well as key terms, defined in a glossary, make up the educational content of Catch the Wind. While exploring topics such as renewable energy, the history of wind power, and the steps to building a wind farm, Catch the Wind also raises awareness of wind power as a viable source of clean, renewable energy.

This book is a nonprofit effort courtesy of Mortenson Construction. Proceeds will be donated to nonprofit entities promoting the development and use of renewable energies.

What we think about it?

This book is a great resource for any kid who want to better understand wind energy. Actually, I believe many adults who will enjoy the story and learn from it as well.

We hear everyday news about renewable energy (here's an example from yesterday - U.S. Wind Capacity Grew by 10,000 MW), but how much do we really know about these new clean alternatives? and how much the new generation knows about them? With the growing use of clean energy, there's a greater need in effective educational tools that will provide basic information about clean energy. This book is definitely one them.

With its clear explanations, beautiful illustrations, photos, and of course a fun story, the book makes it very easy to understand wind energy, even for kids (and adults) who are not interested in "technical" stuff. Although this book is an imitative of a wind power company, it's far from being a commercial book and I think Mortenson deserve kudos for their initiative (it's also a nonprofit effort, where all the proceeds are donated to nonprofit entities). We can only hope to have similar books for kids on solar, geothermal, energy efficiency and other clean energy resources.

Bottom Line: If you're interested to teach your kids on wind energy, this is your book!

Disclosure: We received a copy of this book from the author.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!

We're giving away two copies of the book, courtesy of the author, and of course a tree will be planted for the copy!

How you can win? Please add a comment below with an answer the following question: How do you introduce kids to renewable energy? We'll be happy to hear your personal experiences. Submissions are accepted until next Thursday, April 16, 12PM EST. The two winners will be announced the following day.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

How about some green bookmooching?

We wanted to remind you of our partnership with BookMooch, a great book-swapping community, with a simple and user-friendly points system, where every time you give someone a book, you earn a point and can get any book you want from anyone else at BookMooch.

With more than 74,000 members from over 90 countires and about 500,000 book titles that are available, there's always a good book you can mooch. Once you've read a book, you can keep it forever or put it back into BookMooch for someone else, as you wish. And yes, it's totally free. You only pay for mailing your books.

BookMooch and Eco-Libris are partnering to offer Green Mooching, a special incentive for BookMoochers to balance out their books, and to Eco-Libris fans to start mooching some books.

So what's the incentive? For every 10 books you balance out with Eco-Libris you will receive one BookMooch point you can then use to mooch a book online for free. If you don't have a BookMooch account yet go get one :)

The process is very simple – Email us your BookMooch username after you make a purchase on Eco-Libris, or enter your BookMooch username in the comments box during the payment process. We will credit your BookMooch account accordingly.

And while you're visiting our website, don't forget to check our green gift giveaway, where you can also get free "green" books and gift cards for Strand Bookstore and BookSwim for balancing out 25 books or more.

Yours,