<p>For less inexpensive books we have always been successful with half.com. Have purchased oldest DD and DS's college texts from there at a fraction of the price at the bookstores. We use the ISBN search to ensure accuracy of editions. DD's calculus text was $125+ and we paid $14.95 on half.com. Just received an AP review book for $.75+shipping (says used but looks brand new).</p>
<p>Even the used, beat up books still look better than the textbooks our local hs issues every year. Last year's AP Bio book actually had MOLD growing on it. And they handed them out that way knowing they had mold on them. School did purchase new ones this year due to some cranky, pain-in-the-backside mom complaining about the mold!!! I had to practice my whiney-naggy voice for DAYS!!</p>
<p>Hope everything goes well with the school cur,</p>
<p>Today's NYT has a long article about virtual courses including (gasp) virtual PE! It has references to different sources for such courses, including APs. Might be of use to you.</p>
<p>The cheap books I've purchased have all been in very good to excellent shape. Some looked like the covers had barely been opened. Some had minor dog-earing and a few marks in them, but they were very serviceable. If the pages are all there (and still in the binding) and there isn't much scribbling in the book, I figure it is fine. Don't pay extra for the CD if the book originally came with one. The CDs are mostly worthless. EPGY doesn't use any of the CDs in their courses.</p>
<p>Admin at EPGY has improved over the past couple years, but you probably want to start talking with them now. They are notorious for being slow. Tutors and tech support, on the other hand, are very responsive.</p>
<p>ISBN is the Library of Congress identification number. Each book has its own unique ISBN; different editions of the same title have different ISBNs. This is very useful for figuring out if the book you are thinking of buying is the same edition that has been assigned. You can look up the ISBN on the left page usually facing the title page of the book.</p>
<p>Marite's post reminded me that Mary O'Keefe and her daughter, Alison, who was a gold medalist at IMO, used to tutor a distance calculus course through PA Homeschoolers. Her daughter is at college now, so I don't know if they are still offering the course, but you may want to search on line for the website.</p>
<p>I thought PAHomeschoolers required the student to be home schooled not a student in a school that wanted to take a class. Guess I will look into that again also.</p>
<p>Eagle - Unless they have changed their policy recently, you are correct. Pa Homeschoolers is for homeschoolers, not school kids who want to take a class.</p>
<p>Why bother with paying EPGY, CTD or CTY when you can just buy the Thinkwell's CD directly for $100 or so. My daughter used the online textbook and got a 5 on the BC test. Ed Burger, the teacher on video and a professor at Williams, is great.</p>
<p>We are looking at Thinkwell for my son this year for Calc BC. Regarding the online book, does it allow for generating tests and tracking grading? With EPGY they have the tests, quizzes and grading integrated into the system so you know how the student is doing as they progress. It is one of the things I like about EPGY.</p>
<p>To prepare for the AP test, the best way is to use old tests; this is what teachers do. The College Board releases old tests. I'm not sure how to get hold of them, but you could go to College Board, click on "For Educators" and sign up on AP-Central. There are lots of resources and tips available there.</p>
<p>Thinkwell's CD provides a quiz for each section and subsection of material and keeps track of each quiz. We supplemented with Schaum's Outline of Calculus and Princeton Review's AP Calc book. We had used EPGY for Algebra I, but found it very expensive. Then we used Northwestern University's CTD program for Algebra II and Pre-Calc. CTD graded tests but most of it was done via the textbook so we thought we would give the Thinkwell's a try. We had met Ed Burger through friends and thought we could give his CD a try. Its really very good.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. I believe that we will do Thinkwell with similar supplements as you describe. One reason is that my son is interested in Williams College where Ed Burger teaches so this may be a good way to see his teaching style.</p>
<p>I'm not familiar with Thinkwell, but I do know Ed Burger (I'm a Williams math major), and he seems like a really awesome professor. Very dynamic and interesting to talk to, and also very very well-reviewed by students. I really wanted to take Abstract Algebra with him this semester, but it didn't work out, sadly. If he's the person who designed this CD, it's probably pretty good.</p>