Good & Cheap childrenbook in Shanghai

critic

If you will come to Shanghai, remember to shop for children books from Xinhua Bookstore.  Not sure if they are available in Canton or Shenzhen.

Some good value books you can consider:

- Piano books, e.g. John Thompson Rmb 8
- Word cards (4 Color, picture), Rmb 5-8/box
- Super big poster, card paper is Rmb 4,  very good foam (pop-up) quality s Rmb 8.  To teach time, fruit, food, words, transportation etc.
- Big clock (with movable long & short arms) to teach time in cute pear, apple shape. Very hard carton paper, Rmb 8
- Oxford Story Tree (4 color, picture) Combined 10 or more stories in one book, Rmb 20/book. Bilingual.
- VCD/book to learn Mandarin, book from Rmb 8, (I bought a set of 4 VCD, only Rmb 22, my son likes it and learn some Mandarin after watching for a few times)
- Children encyclopedia box set, hard cover, A4 size, 4 color, glossy paper. Rmb 68.8/4 books
- Many books to teach young children to draw, Rmb 8, beautiful illustration

xellos

Hi Critic

很高興聽到你已經在上海安頓下來.

我對你所提到的vcd to learn mandarin, oxford reading tree story book, Children encyclopedia box set and word card 都很有興趣，可否提供多些資料，因我想叫我老公去買。

我對有些媽媽在台灣訂購以下的flash card很有興趣，如中英文圖卡，黑白圖案卡和和那套點圖卡（因覺得貴了些，所以仍在考慮中）

[url=http://www.3-3edu.com.tw/3-3shop/ProductClass-1.asp?ProductClass_1=&roductClass_4=視覺]三之三圖卡[/url]

請問你有沒有見過呢？因我想給我個三個月大的ＢＢ開始受訓 。在生大仔時，因經驗不夠所以只給他自由發揮，有感浪費了他的時間（我認為是），所以希望現在努力一些。希望你多給些寶貴意見

critic

xellos,

I went to Xinhau during lunch to double check for you. They have thousand of word cards, with all kind of catagories but size is small, approx. 6cm x 9cm. Some are only Rmb 3/box.  They have Chinese word cards (no picture) or with pictures.  The quality for Rmb 3 is OK.  (They don't have maths card, I suggest you to print from Tina's website - it's free)

Children encyclopedia box set, Rmb 68.8/set, 4 books.  It's located everywhere in the shop, very easy to find.

Oxford Storyland. A complete series of 12 books, each book contains 3-4 stories. Original version from Oxford Publishing (The stories are different from Oxford Reading Tree) Rmb 20.8/book.

The VCD I bought for learning Mandarin is called "Crazy Pin Yin".  A pack with 4 VCD.

xellos

Dear critie,

Thanks your help and spend you lunch time to check it for me.  

I will visit Shanghai on this Thursday night, I hope I can find those things.

Thanks a lot again.

critic

xellos,

Will you go to Shanghai Book City? They have one floor for children books. I prefer to go to Xinhau because it's easier to find what we need.

Take a look at the children material for learning Mandarin.  I've bought a set of pin yin cards & chart. Very useful. I also bought some books (to teach myself), they are for children year 3-6 to learn pin yin, less than Rmb10. Worth buying.  I have bought 5 sets puzzles, only Rmb 10/box, each set has 10 puzzles. It has a big real picture in the center, with Chinese/English and pin yin. Very beautiful.

I finally bought the BIG clock to teach him 'time', it is Rmb 5.5, very big and beautiful. It's a green apple.

I am starting to teach my son to read. We've started for 3 days. He has learned a few words by sight.  I don't use flash cards to teach him. I have read a book before coming to Shanghai.  The method is called "Inner words".

xellos

critic

再次要多謝你的資料。為了節省時間，如你所提意，我會先去新華。我會帶著仔仔同去，而自己最多只得兩個鐘頭在書店遊，為了可以多些時間去選購其他書本，所以不好意思地希望你如有時間可否解答我以下的問題或提意吓還有什麼東西可以買：

1.  你提到那套"Crazy Pin Yin"（一套有４隻vcd）是否我與我個3.5 yrs old son　都合用？
2.  你買的那些"拼音卡"是否與"Crazy Pin Yin"同一個出版社?
3.  每幅砌圖大約是幾多片呢?
4.  最後是希望知道多些你提到的"inner words"教學法，有沒有website或書本可以絡我了解一吓?

Thanks and best regards,
xellos

critic

1. 你提到那套"Crazy Pin Yin"（一套有４隻vcd）是否我與我個3.5 yrs old son　都合用？ Yes, it is suitable for age 3-6.

2. 你買的那些"拼音卡"是否與"Crazy Pin Yin"同一個出版社? No, but the theory and method are the same.

3. 每幅砌圖大約是幾多片呢? 5 pieces, suitable for age 2-5.

4. 最後是希望知道多些你提到的"inner words"教學法，有沒有website或書本可以絡我了解一吓?  I forgot the name of the book. The author combined and explained the pros & cons on different reading program and finally designed this one. Inner word = you have to ask the child what he wants to learn and you teach him that word.

Example, on the first day, I told my son that I am going to teach him to read & write his name. We sit down at a corner, use a A4 paper with black marker. I show him how to write his name and teach him how to say his name. Then, hold his little finger to trace the letters.

On the next day, we repeat the word he has learned and started with a new word.  I ask him what he wants to learn. If he has no idea, I will raise a simple question, "who do you love the most?"  He said, "mama."  So, I teach him mama.

One the 3rd day, we repeat again the words he has learned,make sure he knows all of them before introducing a new word.  If he does not know any of them, it means I have chosen a wrong word, I will throw that word away.

After he has known 10 words, we can start to make short sentense with the words he has learned.  Example, he has learned his name, loves, mama, daddy. We can make use of those words to make short sentence, make a small book.

5-10 mins/day is enough.  Just start with one word a day.

小樹熊

critic,

已安頓了嗎?  雖然你未必記得我，但係向你去上海前打算一齊訂一大箱書返時用及在好書分享處的留言，我一向都有留意

與囝囝適應上海的生活嗎?  但小心當地的食物比較油膩。

我只是想打個招呼咋，祝你新生活愉快

critic

小樹熊: thanks for your note!

I have received the boxes of books before moving to Shanghai. I personally think it's good value. It has a wide varity of assortment and 90% are brand new. Most are soft covers. I did not continuous to recommend here as I found some moms are very concerned if they are not brand new and for which age group.   Since they are assortment, some are not suitable for my son yet -too difficult.

He is not doing OK here, he refuses to go to nursery. He cries a lot in the school. He did not go to school for one week now.  I will force him to go tomorrow. I'm not sure if the teachers are caring or just because he does not understand Mandarin.

Come to Shanghai to buy books if you have time, I think KA or China Eastern always run a package of HK$1300-1400 for 4 days 3 nights.

xellos

critic

多謝你的回覆,我會盡量周圍看一看。

我對你所提到的教學方法很有興趣，而且我覺得更適合我個大仔，因他起碼知道自己想要學什麼；而bb，我就試flash card先。

聽見你個仔仔現在不想上課，其實我都明解。搬去新環境，又不是自己聽開的語言，加上所有的朋友仔都沒有，對他來說已經是很大壓力，當他的擔憂仍未消除時，他自己要親身面對他的考驗∼上堂，所以才有這個表現，如果他適應得快還可以，否則要很小心留意他的行為，因怕他性格會變。而且上面的老師其實是比不起我們香港的老師細心，大家都明白”物離鄉賤”和”同聲同氣”，她們不會好心機去照顧我們的小朋友，加上大家的文化背景不同，她們始終仍然不明白我們要的是什麼。

我一年前都有機會一家一起搬去上海，但經我們一再視察，加上我當時剛巧又有了ｂｂ所以才決定留在香港，我個大仔更因怕要去上海而拒絕學國語（他那時只得2.5yrs old)，現在也是很抗拒，每當老公要教他說國語時他便立即發脾氣。現在我很頭痛他這個行為。

他有你這個好媽媽，他應該很快適應到，試吓再比多些時間伴。

小樹熊

我諗你都要慢慢o黎，帶他出多d街比佢接觸多d當地人，又者比佢睇多點點當地的兒童節目 (唔知有冇呢?)，隔鄰屋有冇小朋友呀?  有就更加容易比佢識到新朋友仔，等佢慢慢適應吧，始終小朋友都唔迫得、唔急得啊，驚嚇怕他

你上次訂的那箱書是經e-bay bid 返o黎嗎?  因為我都成日有上去睇，大多數都係d小朋友大個了才拎上去放，有好多質數及故事內容似乎唔錯，一大箱咁賣，有d100本、有d200本，睇到我心郁郁，但係運費好貴，為到1.3美金一磅，一箱書一般都成80、90磅 (至少啊、因為好多係broad book)，加埋bid價差不多1500蚊一箱書，需然除返開都係好低。

但係好多放書者都嚴麻煩，怕要搬咁重去寄，而且好幾次的回覆都係話唔包冇損壞，因為得個紙箱裝住咁重的書。

我依家都仲係得閒一去e-bay貢o下，成日都係心郁郁想買一大箱書，但仲問咁多次d賣家都唔係好願意   

點都好啦，希望你囝囝快d適應到啦。

bobonat

critic

你好?我會和囡囡(19mths yrs)九月尾去上海,到時去上華看一看的,請問是在那一區的,我會住虹橋區,上次我都有在書城買了認字咭,和disney vcd,但vcd她沒有興趣而且深了點是教生字和句子的.你提到 Piano books, e.g. John Thompson Rmb 8 是否適合2yrs.

danielboy

critic,

My husband goes to Shanghai for business trips occasionally.  Would appreciate if you could give me the precise location of Xinhua.  Thanks.

xellos

Critic

我今天去過書城，Ｄ書真的很平而且很靚但我找不到你提到的 "Crazy Pin Yin" VCD,可否告知是什麼出版社？

因我打算如有時間便去黃浦區的新華再看看．

cyanmama

請問係上海徐匯區定邊區呀，因我十月會去上海呀，到時可以去睇下

critic

xellos,

are you still in Shanghai?  If you can't find the "Crazy Pinyin", try to ask the shop assistant to recommend other one. There are tons of good VCD to teach Pin yin and they are cheap.  If case you can't find any, I buy for you in my next trip.  I believe the Crazy Pin Pin is more suitable for age 3 - 4 above.

To the other moms,

Sorry that I can't tell you the exact address because I always take MTR & walk. I never pay attention to the address. The biggest & clean one is located in "Nanjing Walking path".  If you are staying in hotel, just ask the concierge to give you the direction.

The John Thompson piano books has different grading. Some are suitable for age .

If you want to buy VCD etc... No need to rush, you can request the sales assistant to show the demo copy.

critic

小樹熊 :

I did not buy the books from EBAY, but I think the seller also sell on EBAY. If you want to bid from EBAY, you can request them to send by M-Bag, which is the cheapest way. As long as each book is approx. HK$10. I think it's worth. Postoffice will deliver to your home (if you're around), I have to pick up from postoffice which was very very heavy.

P.S. I'm glad to receive PM from moms, as they said they did not hear from me for long time, actually I'm still around. You can check my son diary from:

International School in Shanghai

xellos

critic

I'm in HK now. I already visit the big one in Nanjing West Road, the one next to 綠楊村酒樓, still can't find the "Crazy Pin Pin".  They also have the Children corner, so many books.  I brougth the:

- Longman's Listening with Ting-ting (小學英語分級聽力)  
- 數學概念童話(韓國圖書)
- 2 sets of DK's Eye Wonder, and
- John Thompson piano books 1 with VCD

for the excise book, I like to Book City (in the children corner), they have much, cheap and very good.  I brough
-  a set of 趣味數字（$5/per each)
-  some chinese story books with pin yin
-  some english story books with VCD to tell the story in mandarin and english.  The publisher is 西安外語音像教材出版社（$12.8/per each, those are in the primary excise corner)~e.g. 拖拖先生的图书馆(附光盘) ~我最喜歡這幾本書，圖晝很靘，可惜我只買了四本，它們只是散裝，每本書都有各自的書名，所以我不能清楚說出是什麼系列，但它近似ladybird的小書

In Book City's 6th Floor, they have training corner, I brough some pin ying vcd in there, so cheap.

XinHua and the Book City, they have difference type of books.  If I have enough time I will visit both book shop again.

Critic, thank's your kind to help, my husband is always in Shanghai, I can ask him to buy it for me.  If you have time, can you let me know the details inf. of the "Crazy Pin Yin"?  

How's your children, is he ok to go to school right now?

Amyyiu

煩請問Book City在哪里? 因為我國慶會去上海，我也很想買一些書給囡囡。謝謝!

critic

Shanghai Book City is located in Fuk Chow Road (Cantonese translation) Most taxi drivers know where it is when you tell "Shanghai Book City."  If you take metro, stop at People Square Station, out at exit 3.  There are many book shops in Fuk Chow Road.