Bookroo is a monthly book subscription for children that sends quality books sure to engage kids in reading. They offer three subscription options:
- The Board Book Club, which includes 3 books for ages 0-3 for $19.95 + $4.99 shipping/month,
- The Picture Book Club, which includes 2 hardcover books for ages 2-6 for $19.95 + $4.99 shipping/month, and
- The Chapter Book Club, which includes 2 books for ages 7-10 for $24.95 + $4.99 shipping/month.
This review is of the Chapter Book box for ages 7-10.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Bookroo sends the books individually wrapped each month which is such a nice treat.
About Bookroo
The Subscription Box: Bookroo Chapter Book Club
The Cost: $24.95 per month + shipping (save with longer subscriptions)
The Products: 2 books for kids ages 7-10 selected to inspire a lifelong love of reading
Ships to: The U.S. for $4.99, Canada for $16.00, and worldwide for an additional shipping charge
Good to Know: They are coming out with a middle-grade chapter book club for ages 9-12 soon!
Bookroo Chapter Book March 2021 Review
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This little flyer shares a recommended reading app for those readers who aren't quite interested in reading or are just starting out.
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Bookroo always includes an insert that gives a brief description of the books you receive and on the reverse, there is a parent guide. I appreciated that this warned us of some of the more outrageous stories from our book and also that they gave us some discussion questions to ask.
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Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar – Retail Value $7.99
From Amazon:
Accidentally built sideways and standing thirty stories high (the builder said he was very sorry for the mistake), Wayside School has some of the wackiest classes in town, especially on the thirtieth floor. That’s where you’ll meet Bebe, the fastest draw in art class; John, who only reads upside down; Myron, the best class president ever; and Sammy, the new kid—he’s a real rat.
While I have read stories by Louis Sachar, I have actually never read this book or any from this series, even though I am familiar with it. I was surprised to see such a classic in this box, but I do also appreciate that it's being shared with a new generation since it is one that seems to be beloved to many. This is a collection of thirty short, silly and wild stories. The first involved a teacher who turned all of the children into apples and then accidentally turned herself into one, too, but she accidentally gets eaten. I think it's a great easy read that kids will enjoy! Especially if they only have the stamina for reading just a few pages at a time.
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Wings of Olympus by Kallie George - Retail Value $16.99 (found here for $7.99)
From Amazon:
High on the slopes of mighty Mount Olympus, among the sun-splashed meadows and sparkling waters, glide the winged horses of the ancient gods. Here up high is normally no place for a lost, parentless girl like Pippa. But once every hundred years, the gods and goddesses descend to the mortal realm to choose jockeys for their winged horse race—and Pippa is one of the lucky children chosen to ride.
With her undersized, impetuous winged steed, Zephyr, by her side, Pippa has to confront the greatest challenge of her life: achieving victory in a race across the sky.
No one expects Pippa and Zephyr to win, or even finish, this death-defying race. A poor orphan who’s spent her life working in stables, Pippa doesn’t seem to belong in the world of the gods. And while she loves Zephyr with all her heart, he’s smaller than the other winged horses racing. But if Pippa and Zephyr don’t find a way to win, the gods will separate them—forever.
To stay with Zephyr, Pippa will have to work harder, train longer, and dare more bravely than her competition. In a race filled with petty, jealous gods and goddesses and a host of ruthless riders, Pippa must prove that love is greater than might.
This book contains plenty of Greek mythology and culture, with subtle definitions woven in so that children can easily follow along as they are introduced to this new vocabulary. Pippa, lover of horses, is a likable girl who we meet just as she loses her job taking care of the horses, but her luck quickly changes when she wakes up to find that she will be participating in the Winged Horse Race on Mount Olympus. She has no idea who has chosen her, but she is filled with excitement at the possibility of her horse being chosen to become Zeus's new steed.
I love the concept of this story and how it contains all of the fun myths of gods and goddesses along with a competition to add to the excitement. The story is broken down into short easy to read chapters and the author's descriptions are rich and imaginative. The relationship between the characters demonstrates caring and compassion and, of course, love, in the way she looks after her own horse. A cute, sweet book!
Verdict: I liked the range that this month's Bookroo selections provided, and I appreciated all of the parent information that was provided for me. That being said, I'm not quite so sure that the value is there considering our books retail for a total of $24.98 and this box costs $29.94 ($24.95 per month + $4.99 shipping). If you take into account the sale prices, it's even less. I think if we had broken even, I would have been happy, but since free shipping is not hard to come by these days, it doesn't seem worth it to be paying almost $5.00 alone in shipping.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive the April box.
From Bookroo:
If you order between the 5th and the 15th of the month, your box will ship in our monthly batch the business day following the 15th. If you order between the 1st and the 4th, or the 16th and the 31st, your box will ship the weekend following your purchase. All subsequent boxes will ship with our monthly batch the business day.
Value Breakdown: At $29.94 ($24.95 + $4.99 shipping) for this box and a total retail value of $24.98, this is what you are paying approximately for each book:
- Sideways Stories from Wayside School: $9.58
- Wings of Olympus: $20.36
Read all of our Bookroo reviews and check out our Kids Subscription Box Directory for other fun boxes your child might enjoy!
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