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 November 2018 Review
Their packaging recently changed and they included this insert stating that they are using eco-friendly materials, which is great!
The included booklet introduces the theme, which is The Gilded Age this month, and also gives a brief description of who each book is meant for in the family. They include a link to their website which provides 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. These are perfect 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 and I just love the Dr. Seuss quote on the last one!
Each month you get a little toy or something to go along with the theme and this month we received these two postcards. I love the one of the little girl sitting quite unlike a little lady; it's such a great illustration of youth and innocence to me!
Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polaacco - Retail Value $17.99 (found here for $10.98)
This was the book for the younger readers in the family and I thought this story was the perfect way to give younger children a bit of history and introduce them to the idea of immigrating from Europe. Fiona and her family are moving from Ireland to Chicago and this story details their journey in such a simple way that would be easy to expand on for older children who are more curious about it. Fiona's family is coming to America to work for a wealthy family, but they soon discover that it's not quite the lifestyle they are used to. Fortunately, Fiona has incredible lacemaking skills, which were taught to her by her mother, and she impresses the dressmaker in the city allowing them to begin saving up for a new home. Suddenly, a fire takes over their current home and Fiona and her sister are separated from their parents. This is such a beautiful story with a happy ending as Fiona's lace brings the family back together again.
The Art of the Swap by Kristine Asselin and Jen Malone - Retail Value $16.99 (found here for $11.89)
This book is meant to be the family read aloud and I thought it was a great concept for middle-grade readers. Hannah lives in an old mansion with her parents who are the caretakers of this beautiful, old estate. Tours are given out regularly and one of the most interesting tales is of the famed Mary Cassatt painting of Margaret, the girl who used to live there with her wealthy family, which was stolen before it was ever revealed to the public. The story comes from the perspectives of both girls and the real adventure begins when a mirror allows the girls to switch places and explore each other's very different worlds. What a fun concept and a great way to introduce younger readers to a different time period in history!
I think Amazon described it best:
Freaky Friday meets Downton Abbey in this middle grade mystery that features a modern day twelve-year-old switching bodies with a Gilded Age heiress in order to solve a famous art heist.
These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly - Retail Value $10.99 (found here for $5.59)
This book is meant for the older child or teen in the family. Just a warning, the opening chapter mentions cigarettes and gin and the story also involves a death/possible suicide.
The story begins with Jo Montfort working in the newsroom on the latest layout for her school's paper. She dreams of being a "real reporter" but is relegated to editing stories of kittens and how to brew a proper tea. Her friend jokes that she is a Montfort and will marry early and well, but Jo wants more for her life, revealing a lot about the strength and character of our heroine. This jovial scene soon changes for the worse when her best friends come to inform her that her father has died from an accident while cleaning out his revolver. While Jo is shocked and saddened at the news, she soon becomes impassioned when she overhears a reporter, a very handsome one named Eddie, telling his colleagues that it was actually a suicide. She presses him for more information and this leads her on the path to uncovering what really happened, which is much more than she bargained for. This historical work is a thriller, mystery, and romance all in one, which makes for an exciting read!
The Gilded Years: A Novel by Karin Tanabe - Retail Value $16.00 (found here for $10.20)
This book is for the adult in the family and the story behind it is incredibly interesting! The author attended Vassar College and came across the story of Anita Hemmings in a stack of alumni magazines. Anita was the first African- American woman to attend Vassar, yet she was so fair-skinned that no one knew this about her until her roommate revealed this fact late in her senior year. This novel intertwines fact and fiction as you are transported back in time to a world where it is common for women to study Latin and Greek and leave college to be married. In this world, Anita hides her true self from those around her in order to fit in so that she can receive the education she deserves. I love that the author was inspired to bring this true story to light and that in order to make it a more complete story since her research only took her so far, she turned it into this historical fiction piece.
I also think that this book will be more relevant to popular culture soon considering I found this tidbit on Amazon:
SOON TO BE ADAPTED FOR FILM in A White Lie, a major motion picture, starring and produced by Zendaya in collaboration with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.
Verdict: This was such a great Family Reading Crate selection for providing an introduction to historical fiction at any age. I'm always impressed with their ability to find novels and stories that go along with the chosen theme at different reading and comprehension levels. It makes it such a great subscription for a family book discussion or as part of a homeschool curriculum. While my kids are younger, I love the idea of having a family read-aloud one day when they are old enough to appreciate chapter books. I have always been an avid reader and so far my children seem to love books, so I'm hoping it will be a passion we can explore together in the future with the help of these carefully curated collections of books! Once again, the retail value exceeds the $34.99 ($26.99 + $8.00 shipping) cost of the box at $61.97 (although the sale prices this month are much better than usual, yet still total more than the subscription itself).
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:
- Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polaacco: $10.16
- The Art of the Swap by Kristine Asselin and Jen Malone: $9.59
- These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly: $6.21
- The Gilded Years: A Novel by Karin Tanabe: $9.03
Check out all of our Family Reading Crates reviews and Book Subscription Box reviews for more kid’s book options!
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