Adopted sibling relationships can be very complex and multi dimensional, especially between an adopted child and a biological child. Made in China by Vanita Oelschlager, was inspired by such a sibling relationship, to be an aid for parents to address the subject with their children.

Recently reviewed in the Akron Beacon Journal, Made in China covers a topic that an ever expanding demographic can relate to. The Journal notes that in 2007 there were 20,700 children adopted by American families, and from 1971-2007 about 375,000 were from other countries, most (about 215,000) from Asia, according to the U.S. State Department.

Made in China is a book that can appeal to children and parents even if there are no adopted siblings in the family. It is a book about relating to the differences in others, and its stunning illustrations will capture any reader.

On Aug. 4, from 10am to 4pm, this free event for booksellers and book buyers will take place at the Nassau Inn in Princeton, NJ. TitleWave is a day that includes a presentation of picks of the list by Ken Abramson and the BookStream staff, appearances by new and upcoming authors, and a chance to network with fellow booksellers.

To reserve a spot call Carolyn Bennett at 866-416-1112 x209 or send an email to carolyn.bennett@bookstream.com

Could giving away free book samples drive more book sales, like giving away samples of deli meat makes grocery shoppers want to buy more? The cosmetics industry, for example, has used free samples of their products to grab customers for years, maybe the book industry should take note.

It is no secret that the culture inside a Borders or Barnes & Nobles bookstore is to hang around for hours in the comfy chairs reading books, like getting free samples before you buy. This has contributed largely to the popularity of these book chains, helped books sales and customer loyalty.

Now book publishers and authors can utilize the Internet for a similar effect. In his blog psfk, Dan Gould notes Neil Gaiman’s book American Gods, which was put up online in its entirety for free by its publisher, in an effort to promote his upcoming work The Graveyard Book. Despite being available online for free, actual book sales went up. The Internet is not killing print, in fact it can help if used in creative ways.

In the face of harder economic times and high gas prices, online sales are experiencing a nice boost. Retailers are seeing a drop in store sales, but an increase in online sales. So it seems online book sales could be recession proof after all.

While going into a physical retail location will always be a popular option, more people are turning to the Web for careful research on purchases, closest locales, and Internet-only offers. Gas prices are driving even computer illiterates to become more Internet savvy in order to save money. A recent New York Times article notes that e-commerce sales are expected to surpass $200 billion in 2008, up from $175 billion in 2007, according to Forrester Research.

Online book sales could see gains despite the recession. Publishers and book marketers alike should strive to capitalize on the Internet’s strengths. Internet marketing campaigns, search engine optimization (SEO), online social networks, and blog ads will prove particularly worthwhile in the times ahead.

The Great American Bargain Book Show (GABBS) is on from Aug. 1-2 at Atlanta’s Cobb Galleria Centre. GABBS is an overstock, remainder, bargain and value book show where you can save on new books and other products and gift items. The discounts on books range from
75% to 90% off of retail.

ABC Network’s hit Lost TV show now has a book club. The TV show book club will be, “home to any and all literary references made on the show–from Stephen King to Kurt Vonnegut.” At a time were television can be seen as eclipsing the book world, it seems this media could actually give something back in terms of book sales.

The Lost book club features books mentioned in various episodes of the show. Clicking on the book cover leads you to a short description, its reference point in the show, an opportunity to watch that clip of the show, a discussion with other members, and a buy button to purchase the book. So far it seems there are only 32 books to choose from, but the series isn’t over yet.

Green book production is a vital next step in reversing global warming. We can all do our part at home recycling bottles and paper, but the next step is to get whole industries involved in being more eco-friendly. Eco-Libris is trying to do just that by getting the publishing industry to go green with their program to plant one tree for every book printed.

So far Eco-Libris has planted more than 60,000 trees. Eco-Libris offers publishers who partner with them more than the opportunity to do something good for the earth, but also a strategy for green book marketing. They provide “One tree planted for this book” stickers (printed on recycled paper) to use as promotional items, and assist with online marketing efforts by presenting your titles on their website and in online social networks. This could create buzz around your books targeting the green market.

The trees planted from this program are in high sustainable areas of Latin America and Africa, where the communities can benefit from them and deforestation is a critical problem. Take the lead in green book production, while gaining a marketing edge, and addressing readers concerns about the environment.

The eBook will be the next One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) design. The OLPC XO 2 is the next generation laptop to be released in 2010 that will hopefully revolutionize child literacy.

Founded by Nicholas Negroponte, the OLPC’s mission is to create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing them with a rugged, low-cost, low-power laptop. The OLPC XO 2 has dual touchscreens on a single spine that includes a keyboard and ebook functionality. This new design could get more books into to children’s hands around the world.