Family Reading Crate is a book box designed with the whole family in mind. Each month you will get about 4 books based on a common theme and one of these will be hand-picked just for the adult in the family. You will also receive a booklet with discussion questions and a few items that tie into the books including collectible bookmarks.
This is offered through Build Your Library a secular literature-based homeschool curriculum website.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Family Reading Crate
The Subscription Box: Family Reading Crate
The Cost: $26.99 + $8.00 shipping
The Products: A selection of 4 books (one of which is for an adult), discussion booklet and a few other items related to the box theme
Ships to: US
Family Reading Crate June 2018 Review
The included booklet introduces the theme, which is Diversity and #OwnVoices this month, and also gives a brief description of who each book is meant for in the family. There is also a link to their website with some activities and printables as well as suggestions for books and movies all related to the month’s theme. These are great extension ideas to use with the whole family.
Also included are discussion questions for each of the kids’ books. These range from direct questions about the content to making inferences to personal opinions about the story. I can definitely see how they could be used as points for family discussion or even as writing prompts as part of a homeschool curriculum.
Instead of discussion questions for the adult book, there is a book review by the curator of the box.
We received these 3 collectible bookmarks in our box.
This month we received a blow-up globe. We don’t have a globe at home, so this was something fun to receive and fit the theme of Diversity well.
We Came to America by Faith Ringgold - Retail Value $17.99 (found here for $12.59)
This book is meant for the younger readers in the family. I am familiar with Faith Ringgold’s work and I thought that this book based on a poem by her was a great read. My kids enjoyed it with the repetitive phrasing and the bright, colorful pictures. It was a great way to introduce children to the idea of diversity, culture and America’s history of immigration.
The heavier topics seemed much lighter since it was paired down to such basic language and imagery. I love how Ringgold highlighted all of the wonderful things that can come from someone bringing their culture with them such as music, art and food. This provides such a good basis to build on for older children learning about history and culture, but is also simple enough that younger children will enjoy it too.
The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi - Retail Value $16.99 (found here for $10.48)
This book is meant to be the family read aloud. I think this would be a fun family read as it touches a bit on diversity and culture, but also has this great entertainment aspect as well!
This novel features a girl named Farah, a young Bangladeshi girl who is constantly expected to take care of her younger ADHD brother. The book begins on her birthday when she is given an exciting present by her Aunt Zorah, a board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand, only it turns out that game was never meant for her at all. Her birthday turns into a thrilling adventure when her brother is drawn into the game, literally, and Farah and her friends have to enter the game in order to save him. This is a Jumanji style scenario but involves them being transported to a world similar to Bangladesh in culture. It’s exciting and fun and I think that when my kids are a bit older, we will get to enjoy this one together!
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman - Retail Value $17.99 (found here for $9.89)
This book is meant for the older child or teen in the family. From Amazon:
National Book Award and Golden Kite Award Winner
A captivating novel about mental illness that lingers long beyond the last page, Challenger Deep is a heartfelt tour de force by New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman.
This book is about a 15-year-old boy whose mind is constantly switching between reality and this alternate universe in which he is a crew member for a ship. The way the book flips back and forth between these two worlds has you trying to figure out how they are connected, or if they even are.
The main character, Caden, expresses himself through his artwork and displays a level of paranoia that eventually translates to schizophrenia. The book is hard to follow because there is so much going on, which I think is the point, as you are experiencing the world through his frantic mind. The novel is filled with so much imagery, metaphors, and ideas that it would create a great dialogue for discussion. It would also be great for a lesson in empathy in regards to mental illness as you try to understand what Caden is going through.
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon - Retail Value $17.99 (found here for $10.10)
This book is for the adult in the family and I really enjoyed reading it! It’s a young adult novel about an Indian girl named Dimple who is attending a summer program before she begins her first year of college. She is thrilled that her traditional, Indian parents are allowing her to attend, but she soon learns that they had other intentions as well. The first day she meets Rishi who is under the impression that they are to be married and she learns that their parents have arranged all of this behind her back. Rishi is very accepting of the traditional Indian way of marriage, but Dimple is reluctant and only interested in her career. It’s a modern romance based on traditional Indian ideals and it was really easy to become engaged in their story.
Verdict: I really enjoyed the books in our Family Reading Crate this month. I appreciated that their idea of diversity wasn’t solely about various cultures, but also covered those dealing with mental illness. A monthly delivery of books for the whole family is such a great idea and I like that they are all based around a central theme. These books can create such a powerful family discussion with everyone able to contribute their own ideas after reading their book selection. The total retail value of the books came to $70.96, which is great for a $34.99 ($26.99 + $8.00 shipping) box!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes! As of publication, this box is still available to purchase!
Value Breakdown: At $34.99 (price + shipping) for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:
- We Came to America by Faith Ringgold: $8.87
- The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi: $8.38
- Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman: $8.87
- When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon: $8.87
Check out all of our Family Reading Crates reviews and Book Subscription Box reviews for more kid’s book options!
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What do you think of this month’s Family Reading Crate?
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