Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources where to get cheap math books?

OK, this is not directly related to gifted education but I thought some parents here might know the answer... I teach our parent-run math club at DD's school. We are about to have a year-end celebration and I want to give each kid a math book as a present for their hard work. I'm thinking about math puzzles, word problems, Martin Garnder type of books that are suitable for 5th graders. Thin paperbacks will do. Last year I was able to buy a bunch of such books that happened to be on sale on amazon. But no such luck this year. Does anyone have ideas where (online) I might find such books at a low price? I'm trying to go as low as $2 or $3 a book, to save money for our PTA.

Every year in April or May Prufrock Press has a $.99-up clearance sale. I have purchased some good stuff there but I haven't been on the list to hear about the sale in a year or two. I wonder how you get in the know.

Alibris.com often has books in new or near-new condition, but the shipping will get you. Do you have a Half-Price Books in your community?

This may not help for this year, but when planning ahead, a visit to a Target store in August-September for the back-to-school season will often turn up math workbooks in the $1 bins of seasonal items.

Another economical idea might be to make a DIY commemorative workbook: print a few free math worksheets and puzzles (scholastic is another source) and/or previous years' middle school and high school math talent search problem sets and answers, make your own customized, personalized, commemorative cover page (and a credits/sources page), to give the students a keepsake "workbook". The Do-It-Yourself approach may encourage kids to continue searching for resources on their own.

Not at the OP's price point or grade level, but people interested in inexpensive math and science books should sign up for the Dover Math & Science Club, which offers a 20% discount off of Dover's already low prices. Dover reprints out-of-print "classic" books.

I was going to suggest Dover Recreational Math books too. Then, I found that some titles are cheaper on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Moscow-Puzzle...428957413&sr=8-1&keywords=moscow+puzzles

Thanks, everyone. These are wonderful ideas to keep in mind! Not just for my math club kids, but for my own kids as well!

We don't have a homeschool bookstore here (there used to be a school supply/teacher resources store but it was long gone). So I rely on online stores mostly.

I love the Dover books myself. The Moscow Puzzles book, interestingly, is the one I had in mind if I can't find anything cheaper. It's a really fun book. Last year I gave the math club kids a Dover puzzle book (was able to buy it when amazon.com had a sale), and the kids loved it. Some read it from cover to cover and told the new kids in the math club about it. So the kids are looking forward to it. :-)