LitJoy Crate is a monthly book subscription box for kids and teens. Each month you are guaranteed to receive at least one book (sometimes more), 3 to 4 book related items, and unique monthly themes. They have crates for ages 3-7 (picture books), ages 8-13 (middle grade), and 14+ (young adult).
This box was sent to us at no cost to review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of the Kid's, $29.99 a month + shipping, box.
About LitJoy Crate
The Subscription Box: LitJoy Crate
The Cost: $29.99 a month + $8.99 US shipping. Save with 3 and 6-month subscriptions.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first subscription box!
CODE: MSA10
The Products: At least one book (sometimes more), 3 to 4 book related items, exclusive/special edition items, and unique monthly themes.
Ships to: U.S. for $8.99, Canada for $14.99, and International for $24.99
LitJoy Crate Kid's January 2018 Review
An info card highlighting the month's Valentine's Day theme was included to help you and your little reader navigate everything inside the box. I always find this to be super helpful!
First things first, my favorite part, a letter to your little reader. This month's card is from the author and illustrator. I love this personalized touch that is always so exciting to read with my son. I love that this book was written all about true love!
Valensteins By Ethan Long - Retail Value $16.99 (found here for $9.91)
We love Halloween and Valentine's Day in my house so this perfect was a huge hit for us! The illustrations were what caught my attention first, they are so accurate and I love that they look like cartoons. My son also thought it was super silly that the characters that we normally see as adults were kids in this book! The greater meaning of the book though is all about true love, how to show it, and that it doesn't matter what anyone thinks if you love someone, you just love them. The story was silly, it had us laughing with every page, and in the end, our Frankenstein friend let love win.
Sequins Heart Pillow - Retail Value $3.48
This little pillow is so cute and endless fun to swipe the sequins back and forth from red to silver. My son wasn't too interested in this at first, but once we read the book he thought it was really cool! He decided to put this heart with his stuffed animals, like Fran, he wanted his loved ones to have a heart too!
Jolly Rancher Jelly Hearts - Buy a 25-pc bag for $9.99
The Valentine's Day theme continues with this yummy treat! These special Jolly Ranchers are little heart-shaped gummies that are sweet and super tart. You can even turn each packet into their own Valentine with a to and from area to give to someone you L-O-V-E!
Frankenstein Plushy Keychain – Estimated Value $4.99? (value based on similar product)
I think this is my favorite themed item in this month's box! This little keychain is handmade by Little Bella and you really can see the love and care that went into making this little guy. My son still thinks this is Hulk, but either way, he loves it! This really is the perfect item to match this month's book.
Sticky Wall Valentine - Buy a box of 12 for $6.49
Cutest little Valentine ever! This heart-shaped character has sticky hands and feet, making it stick to the wall, paper, or really anything you want it to. This was the first item that my son grabbed from the box and could not get enough of it! He was tossing it against the wall, onto the floors, you name it. Unfortunately, my very excited toddler snapped off the sticky pieces a bit beyond repair, but he had so much with it while it lasted!
Valentine Box - Estimated Value $0.40 (value based on similar product)
The activity pages featured each month are always so much fun. This month's pages are all dragon themed to match the books. I have found that having these pages around for a rainy day or even to take with me to a restaurant are a great distraction for my son. They are super fun and literally save the day when in need of something quick for him to use his imagination with.
Monster Magnet Craft Kit - Buy a pack of 6 for $47.99
I love when a craft kid is included in this box! I am always looking for interactive projects like this for my son, and it is even better when the craft relates to a book we just read. This craft was meant to be a monster magnet, but as you can see, my son went a little off the grid with his design. Hey, you have to let the little artist in them shine, so I really try to only assist rather than direct. I think this little monster turned out great either way, and we had a blast making him! I never got a chance to add the magnetic back because my son wanted to introduce the monster to his Superheroes, they became friends, and so the story goes.
Activity Pages - Estimated Value $3.00?
Each month you will receive a set of activity pages that relate to the book and overall theme for the month. This is another item that I look forward to because it is activities that are always so much fun and an easy way to keep my son's attention as he relates each project back to the book we just read. The pages are super thick and sturdy and the activities are always so much fun!
Verdict: I really love LitJoy Crate and look forward to it each month! It is something fun for my son to enjoy, and it provides me with a few extra activities that I can do with him each day. This month was all about love in anticipation of Valentine's Day and we couldn't get enough of the featured book! I do have to say that I was a little sad to see that we only received one book and that it looks like the box was updated that you will most likely only receive one book each month (sometimes more). That means that you are going to receive more products that relate to the book, but for me, I would be happy with two books, one toy, and then the activity pages or a craft. The monthly cost of this box is $38.98 ($29.99 a month + $8.99 US shipping fee) and I received a total of eight items which is an average of $4.87 per item. With more paper products and smaller items, the overall value came in below the cost of the box plus shipping. I would love to start seeing more books or larger themed items to go along with the book of the month.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive the February box which ships on 2/20.
Coupon - Use code MSA5 to save $5 off your first box!
Value Breakdown: At $38.98 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:
- Valensteins: $17.53
- Sequins Heart: $3.59
- Jolly Rancher: $0.40
- Plushy Keychain: $5.15
- Sticky Wall Valentine: $0.56
- Valentine Box: $0.41
- Monster Craft Kit: $8.25
- Activity Pages: $3.09
Check out all of our LitJoy Crate reviews and the Book Subscription Box Directory!
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What did you and your little reader think of this month’s LitJoy Crate?
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