Sandvik Publishing was founded in Norway in 1965 by a new father who was looking for advice in raising his newborn baby. Since then the company has grown into a major publisher of children's book clubs in Norway and throughout Western Europe. They entered the United States market by launching “Baby's First Book Club” in 1992 and recently took over responsibility for Scholastic's children's book club business. With such well known brands as Dr. Seuss, Getting To Know... Nature's Children and My First Steps To Learning, Sandvik Publishing is now the United States' largest operator of book clubs for children.
Below you can find a list of the clubs operating under Sandvik's wing, along with a short description of each outfit.
Dr. Seuss & His Friends – offers some of the most tongue-twisting, rib-tickling, laugh-out-loud tales ever written, featuring characters such as the Cat in the Hat, Horton, Grinch, Sesame Street characters and much more.
(Ages: Birth - 6)
Getting to Know... Nature's Children – series of 29 books on animal's kingdom. Each book covers 2 fascinating animals (giraffes, lions, kangaroos, wild horses, polar bears...) with plenty of facts and stunning photos.
(Ages: 9 - 11)
My First Steps to Learning – series of 33 books, each of which features a captivating letter or number character that introduces basic reading and math.
(Ages: Birth - 3)
Signing up for any of Sandvik's book clubs is a pretty simple affair: you just need to provide your shipping and billing information, confirm that you are over 18 and, well, there's not much more to it. However, you need to understand that completing the signing-up/ordering process does not actually make you a member of the club yet. It just means you have agreed to review the club's introductory package, which usually consists of several books and other paraphernalia (activity books, growth charts, workbooks, sticker sheets, T-shirts, backpacks etc.) that complement the club's main subject.
Pretty much all the stuff that's included with introductory offers is free; in most cases you have to pay for a single book only, and sometimes just for shipping expenses. After reviewing the contents of the introductory package, you will have a decision to make: if for any reason you are not happy with it, just return the designated book (usually that's the book you've paid for, but if they've all been free it will be labeled in some way) with a note marked "cancel," and Sandvik will refund/credit the purchase price. Nothing more will be sent and you can still keep all the other books and gifts you've received – it's Sandvik's way of saying thanks for giving the club a try. True, the return postage is on you, so there is a small expense in it for you after all, but the free stuff invariably makes up for this big time.
When you decide to keep and pay for the designated book, then and only then have you become a member of the club.
Approximately 4 weeks after you've received your introductory package – provided you didn't cancel – your first regular shipment should arrive. The number of books in the package depends on the club you've signed up for. 2 or 3 books are usually a norm. The following month another shipment will arrive, and so on for as long as you'll wish to remain a member. Note that with some clubs you are required to accept a certain number of shipments (usually four) before being able to cancel your membership.
In some cases, however, the second shipment contains all the remaining books from the series. Getting To Know... Nature's Children and My First Steps To Learning are such examples. This way your child receives the entire collection of books to enjoy and learn from at once, while you continue paying for a single book a month at a designated price – usually that's around $10, give or take a dollar.
Complete details about each of the clubs' operating procedures can be found on our dedicated summary pages.
Exclusive Free Previews
After purchasing two club shipments, or making a certain number (one or two) payments towards your chosen book collection, you will also be automatically enrolled in your club's separate Free Preview Program and receive, periodically (one to four times a year), seven-day free previews of special books or other items intended to supplement your club's standard offerings.
You will always be notified first with details, price (this can be anywhere from $12 up to $25 plus shipping and handling), a reply form and a toll-free number. You'll need to respond (send back the reply form) within 10 days if you do not want to receive a supplement. Or, do nothing and it will be sent. In case you are not allowed 10 days for response, or if you don’t want the selection, you may return it at Sandvik's expense.
Note: a purchase made in a Free Preview Program does not count toward your agreement to accept a certain number of regular book club shipments (if your club has such a stipulation, that is). For Free Preview Programs, there is no minimum purchase required; you may cancel at any time. However, regular club accounts and Free Preview accounts must be canceled separately; see your Free Preview invoice for cancellation instructions.
Sandvik offers plenty of opportunities to cancel your book club membership. The first chance you get is upon receiving the introductory package. If you don't find the merchandise to be to your satisfaction you are free to cancel any further shipments by returning the single designated book to Sandvik with a note marked "cancel." You will need to pay for shipping expenses, however, in return you get to keep all the free stuff that regularly comes with introductory packages, usually a few books plus other suitable gifts.
After that, most clubs let you cancel pretty much any time you desire; cancellation instructions, in fact, are included with each shipment. Some clubs carry a minimum purchase policy (usually 4 shipments), in which case you'll need to fulfill your obligation before being able to cancel, however, you can still return any shipment you don't want to keep for a full refund. This is true even with programs where you get the entire collection of books with the second shipment – but you still may return any single book that's not to your liking, for any reason.
Which is in keeping with Sandvik's guarantee that says: if you're not 100% satisfied with any of the items you purchased, just return them at your expense and Sandvik Publishing will replace them, credit your account or refund the purchase price, less shipping and handling - whichever you prefer.
There is a whole lot to like about Sandvik's (formerly Scholastic's) bundle of book clubs for children. Whether you want your child to acquire basic reading and math skills, learn about essential Christian values or just have some plain good old-fashioned fun with the timeless Dr. Seuss characters, Sandvik is likely to have just the thing for you. An additional boon is, the programs offered through Sandvik's clubs aren't usually available anywhere else – even many of the classic Dr. Seuss books are difficult to come by unless you are lucky enough to stumble upon them at some or another used books facility.
The only thing missing from Sandvik's offer is a club that would carry bestselling books by renowned authors for children such as Jane O'Connor, John Grogan, Maurice Sendak... basically, books you can find on popular bestseller lists. For that kind of stuff you will have to head over to Children's Book of the Month Club.
All the other bases, however, are covered nicely. Best of all, with regard to their guarantee and returning policy, joining one of Sandvik's book clubs is practically a risk-free venture. Worst thing that can happen is, you end up with a bunch of free stuff in exchange for the hassle and small cost of returning the designated book.
