Free Stuff for Kids, 16th ed.

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Publication of this 16th edition proves, if nothing else, that Canadian
kids (or their parents) still like to drive a hard bargain. Once again,
purchasers should note the subtitle: “The best free and
up-to-two-dollar thing’s kids can send for by mail.” Still, for just
$2 and a self-addressed stamped envelope, kids can look forward to
receiving a tree-growing kit, a dinosaur bone, a genealogical kit,
young-adult books, kids’ magazines, temporary tattoos, cat stickers,
foreign stamps, an amethyst rock specimen, fancy wrapping paper, and
some weird stuff too. Free goodies are in the minority, but for the
price of a stamp, kids can send away for a water-conservation activity
book, an “Oh Canada!” bookmark, a geology poster, a fishy-facts kit,
sticky stones, wildlife stamps, and wildlife posters.

Part of the ethos of this book is to teach children how to follow
step-by-step instructions. They are warned that suppliers can get a
little cranky if they receive the wrong kind of letter or poorly written
return addresses. The publisher promises that all offers in the book are
legitimate. For a rainy day, nothing beats an activity book that
encourages careful reading, good penmanship, and not a little
daydreaming. Highly recommended.