PaperPie Review (2026): Formerly Usborne Books & More, the $10 Join and the Pay

If you've ever been to a book party where someone pulled out a stack of lift-the-flap books and sticker books, there's a good chance they were selling for Usborne Books & More. That business has a new name now: PaperPie.

So is PaperPie worth joining in 2026? This PaperPie review covers how it relates to Usborne, what it sells, what it costs to start, how Brand Partners get paid, what its parent company's SEC filings say, and a 2024 case about earnings claims.

Quick answer: PaperPie is the renamed Usborne Books & More, the direct sales division of Educational Development Corporation (EDC) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. You can join for $10, earn 25% on most of your sales, and build a team. The books are real and the start is cheap. But the division has shrunk fast: average active Brand Partners fell from 12,300 to 5,800 in a year, and the last disclosure statement it links puts the 2021 average at $559.49 for the year, before expenses.

I've been inside 8 network marketing companies since 2004, and I always start with the company's own words. For this review I read EDC's latest annual report and quarterly report, its October 14, 2026 results release, PaperPie's join page and the disclosure statement it links, Usborne's own FAQ, PaperPie's full online catalog, and a 2024 case from the Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council. You can browse every company I've reviewed on one page.

Here's what I found.

Is PaperPie Still in Business?

Yes. In October 2026, paperpie.com was selling books and toys and its join page said "For only $10, start your story today." Its parent company, Educational Development Corporation, is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol EDUC and still files reports with the SEC.

The most recent one came out on October 14, 2026. For the quarter that ended August 31, 2026, EDC reported net revenues of $4.1 million, compared with $4.6 million a year earlier, and an average of 5,100 active PaperPie Brand Partners, compared with 5,800. You can compare PaperPie with other companies in the full MLM company directory.

What Happened to Usborne Books & More?

It's the same business with a new name. Usborne's own US help page puts it simply: EDC "operated a direct-selling division called Usborne Books & More, which was later renamed PaperPie." It adds that "PaperPie is owned and operated by EDC, not by Usborne," and that Usborne "has never owned or operated PaperPie."

In a 2024 case summary, PaperPie told the Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council that the division "rebranded at the beginning of 2023 as part of a contract negotiation with Usborne Publishing." Usborne books are still a big part of what PaperPie sells, but the catalog also includes EDC's own brands.

What Is PaperPie?

Who's Behind PaperPie?

PaperPie belongs to Educational Development Corporation. EDC's annual report for the year ended February 28, 2026 says it owns Kane Miller children's books, Learning Wrap-Ups and SmartLab Toys, and that it is "the exclusive United States Multi-Level Marketing ('MLM') distributor of Usborne Publishing Limited ('Usborne') children's books."

Craig White is EDC's President and Chief Executive Officer, according to the company's March 2026 SEC filing about its new bank line. EDC has two divisions: PaperPie, which sells through Brand Partners, and a publishing division that sells its own brands to retail stores. Under its agreement with Usborne, EDC's publishing division can't sell Usborne books to retail stores, so EDC sells them through PaperPie.

What PaperPie Sells

PaperPie sells children's books, learning games and educational toys. I read the full product feed that paperpie.com's own shop loads, and in October 2026 it listed 1,992 products (leaving out 10 join packages). Prices ran from $3.99 for a level 1 reader to $154.99 for a 14-book library collection, and the middle price was $11.99. 976 of those products were Usborne titles and 913 were Kane Miller.

A few examples from the shop in October 2026:

PaperPie also runs book fairs with schools and libraries through PaperPie Learning, and fundraisers. These are books a lot of families genuinely love, and nothing about this review changes that.

Is PaperPie an MLM?

Yes. EDC's own annual report says the PaperPie division "uses a multi-level direct selling organizational structure to market our products using independent sales representatives ('Brand Partners') located throughout the United States."

The same report lists eight levels: Brand Partner, Team Leader, Advanced Leader, Senior Leader, Executive Leader, Senior Executive Leader, Director and Senior Director. Leaders earn override payments on their team's sales.

Is it a pyramid scheme? By its own description, PaperPie pays Brand Partners on product sales to customers, and the books are real products that families buy. I don't use that label for a company like this. What matters for you is where the money actually comes from, and the numbers below are the best place to look.

What It Costs to Join PaperPie

PaperPie's join page, read in October 2026, said:

• The start: "For only $10, start your story today."
• Optional bundles: The Starter Stack for $43 and The Full Shelf for $65, each with books, a 2026 catalog and account credit.
• Website fee: your eBusiness account is covered for the first 6 months. "After that, it is just $8 a month to maintain your eBusiness sites."
• No inventory and no monthly minimum: "there are no monthly sales quotas or minimums that must be met to work as a PaperPie Brand Partner." The page adds that "basic sales minimums are required to receive overrides on team sales and maintain Leader levels."
• Who can join: you must be a US resident over 18, and "One Brand Partner account is allowed per household."

That's one of the cheapest starts I've seen in direct selling. The real cost is the $8 a month after six months, plus your time.

How PaperPie Brand Partners Get Paid

The join page lays out the basics:

• 25% commission "on most sales immediately." Brand Partners also get 25% back on their own orders.
• A 4% cash bonus "available every single month" once you hit a monthly sales goal.
• Team Leader: "promote to Team Leader and begin earning an additional 8.5% on your personal and team sales!"

EDC's annual report adds the structure. Brand Partners who recruit a set number of people become Team Leaders and earn "monthly override payments" on their group's sales. Higher titles earn one-time cash bonuses at each promotion and more overrides, and "the maximum override payment a leader can receive is calculated on the sales of their Central Group and three levels below."

What PaperPie Brand Partners Actually Earn

PaperPie's join page links a disclosure statement. The file is labeled 2022, and the numbers inside cover 2021, so they're dated. Still, it's the one the company points new recruits to:

• 94.36% of active Brand Partners were at the starting Brand Partner level.
• "The average annual income for all PaperPie Brand Partners in 2021 was $559.49."
• The numbers "represent gross income and do not include any expenses incurred."

The table's averages cover Brand Partners who had sales. The $559.49 overall average also counts active Brand Partners with no sales, which is why it's lower than the starting-level row.

For a newer check, EDC's annual report shows the PaperPie division paid $6.3 million in sales commissions in the year ended February 28, 2026, with an average of 5,800 active Brand Partners. Divided evenly, that's about $1,090 per active Brand Partner for the year (my math, before expenses, and leaders take a bigger share). I don't make income claims, and you shouldn't make any based on the top rows.

The Shrinking Numbers, From EDC's Own Filings

This is the part most PaperPie reviews skip. EDC reports its Brand Partner count every quarter, and the trend has been hard:

PaperPie division revenue fell from $29.9 million to $19.3 million over the same fiscal years. EDC's annual report blames inflation, its distribution agreement with Usborne "whereby Usborne actively sells their products through discounted retailers in the U.S. market," the rebrand, and out-of-stock items while its lender restricted purchasing.

There are signs of a turn. In the October 14, 2026 release, CEO Craig White said active Brand Partners "increased by over 19%, from 4,300 to 5,100" in the first half of the fiscal year. EDC also sold its Tulsa headquarters and warehouse, the Hilti Complex, for $32.2 million, paid off $30.9 million of bank debt, and leases back the space it uses. In its annual report EDC said that in prior periods it had identified "substantial doubt" about continuing as a going concern, and that after the sale and payoff it concluded it "has sufficient liquidity to meet its obligations as they become due for at least twelve months."

One more risk to know about. EDC's quarterly report for the period ended August 31, 2026 says it "did not meet the minimum purchase requirements and did not supply the letter of credit required" under its Usborne agreement, which gives Usborne the right to end it. Usborne "has not notified the Company of termination." If that ever changed, EDC says it could keep selling its remaining Usborne stock for at least twelve months. Usborne titles are about half of the catalog.

The 2024 DSSRC Case on Earnings Claims

The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC), a self-regulation program administered by BBB National Programs, opened a monitoring inquiry into PaperPie, Case #147-2024. It "pertained to 11 earnings claims disseminated by Company salesforce members," such as posts promising "financial freedom" and a "six-figure income."

Separately, "Usborne Books & More" is on the FTC's October 25, 2021 list of companies that received Notices of Penalty Offenses about money-making opportunities and about endorsements. The list itself says: "The fact that a company is on this list is NOT an indication that it has done anything wrong."

DSSRC said it "appreciated the good faith efforts taken by PaperPie to facilitate the removal of four of the 11 earnings claims/posts at issue," and recommended enforcement against two active Brand Partners whose posts were still up. The case closed on February 7, 2024. This is a self-regulatory case about Brand Partners' social posts, not a government action. EDC's annual report says it is "not a party to any material pending legal proceedings."

What PaperPie's Social Media Shows Right Now

These are the accounts linked from paperpie.com, read on October 15, 2026.

For a company that sells through social media parties, the official accounts are modest. Most of the PaperPie content you'll find is run by Brand Partners.

The Good: What PaperPie Gets Right

• A very cheap start. $10 to join, with no inventory and no monthly sales minimum to stay a Brand Partner.
• Products people actually want. Usborne and Kane Miller books have real fans, and the prices are ordinary book prices.
• Public numbers. Because EDC is a public company, its Brand Partner counts, revenue and risks are in SEC filings anyone can read.
• A clear commission rate. 25% on most sales, stated on the join page.

The Concerns: What You Need to Know

• A shrinking division. Average active Brand Partners fell from 12,300 to 5,800 in a year, and revenue fell by about a third.
• Old income numbers. The disclosure statement the join page links covers 2021.
• Modest typical income. In that statement, 94.36% stayed at the starting level and the average for all Brand Partners was $559.49 for the year, before expenses.
• The Usborne agreement. EDC missed its minimum purchases and Usborne has the right to end the deal, per EDC's own filing.
• Competition from regular stores. EDC itself says Usborne sells its books "through discounted retailers in the U.S. market."
• Earnings-claims posts. The 2024 DSSRC case, described above.

Product Alternatives

If you love Usborne books but don't want to join anything, you don't have to. Usborne's own FAQ says it also sells in the US "through traditional retail channels via a relationship with HarperCollins," so many of the same titles are on Amazon. Your public library is free, too.

The Amazon prices are the buy-box prices on each listing as of October 15, 2026, and both were in stock. Prices change, and editions can differ slightly, so check before you buy. The point isn't that one store always wins: PaperPie's prices are ordinary book prices, and its hostess rewards and 25% Brand Partner discount can beat retail.

PaperPie vs Other Home-Party Companies

If you like the idea of selling children's books, my Barefoot Books review covers a book company with its own home-based seller program. For other party-plan businesses, see my Stampin' Up! review and my Pampered Chef review. Compare them on what it costs to start, what you have to sell to stay active, and what their income disclosures show.

My Verdict: Is PaperPie Worth It in 2026?

One More Thing...

PaperPie runs on parties: a host invites friends, and the Brand Partner uses that guest list to find the next host. The problem is that most people run out of hosts long before they run out of effort.

When you learn to reach people online who are already looking for what you share, you stop depending on your warm market. And that skill works with any product.

That's what The Sponsoring System teaches. It's a free email series where I share the digital marketing that actually works for networkers. If you want it, start the free series here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PaperPie the same as Usborne Books & More?

Yes. PaperPie is the new name for Usborne Books & More, the direct sales division of Educational Development Corporation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Usborne itself is a separate UK publisher, and its own FAQ says PaperPie "is owned and operated by EDC, not by Usborne."

Is PaperPie legit?

Yes, it's a real business. Its parent company, Educational Development Corporation, trades on Nasdaq and files reports with the SEC, and its shop was selling books in October 2026. Whether the business side is worth it for you is a separate question, covered above.

Is PaperPie an MLM?

Yes. EDC's own annual report says the PaperPie division "uses a multi-level direct selling organizational structure," with eight levels of Brand Partners and override payments on team sales.

How much does it cost to join PaperPie?

In October 2026 the join page said you could start for $10, with optional add-on bundles at $43 and $65. After six months, your website and back office cost $8 a month.

How much do PaperPie Brand Partners make?

Not much, on average. The disclosure statement PaperPie links on its join page covers 2021 and says the average annual income for all Brand Partners was $559.49, before expenses. 94.36% of active Brand Partners were at the starting level that year.