beTWEEN the Bookends is the first monthly book and lifestyle box created for kids by a teen herself! Boxes follow a monthly theme and contain age-appropriate books and lifestyle items that have been read and hand tested by Jillian, the 16-year-old creator. Full-sized boxes contain 2-3 books and 6-8 lifestyle items, while mini boxes include 1 book and 3-5 lifestyle items. The new gender-neutral boxes will contain the same 2-3 books as the full-sized boxes but will have only 3-5 gender neutral lifestyle items.
The Cost: $45.00 per month for the gender-neutral box + free US shipping (on a 12-month subscription). Save with longer subscriptions.
This review is of the beTWEEN the Bookends Early Reader gender-neutral box.
These boxes were sent to us at no cost to review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
How in the world is time flying by so quickly? I waited 9 months for summer vacation, and here we are, already a full month in. Though busy, my family has been having so much fun relaxing and spending time together, but are in need of some new books. This month's beTWEEN the Bookends box showed up at the perfect time, and has helped get Charlie add some reading minutes to his summer reading sheet. Filled with awesome new books and fun lifestyle items, this box was perfect for reaching those reading goals, and becoming a more fluent reader. Read below to see what we discovered.
First Impressions
The contents of this box are packaged neatly in turquoise tissue paper and sealed with a sticker featuring clip art of a boy and girl. The anticipation of seeing what's underneath this tissue paper always has us on the edge of our seats. We just can't wait to check it out!
Here's What's Inside
Welcome Pamphlet
To start off the box, we go through the included pamphlet. Describing the month's theme and the contents of every Between the Bookends version, this little book lets us know exactly what the box contains, along with a bookish quote, social media info, and a hint about next month's theme. "One benefit of summer was that each day we had more light to read by." - Jeannette Walls
Judy Moody and Friends "Countdown to Trouble" - Retail Value $8.99
Three books in one? How RARE is that? Included in one convenient bind-up you’ll find:
Frank Pearl in The Awful Waffle Kerfuffle - Frank Pearl is in it to win it. He’s not sure what, exactly, but he wants to win something. Stink Moody in Master of Disaster - Stink takes a star turn — and helps stave off cosmic calamity. Triple Pet Trouble - the unusual Moody pets (Jaws, Mouse, and Toady) are the center of attention for Dr. Judy, pet vet!Charlie is definitely a fan of Judy Moody books, and while he has read a couple of them in the past, all three of these were new to him. Featured in one large book, with large print, this was way easy for Charlie (it looks like this book was geared towards kids 4-6), but he enjoyed the quick read. With fun illustrations, cute stories that Charlie can relate to (winning fair ribbons), and three books in one, this was a great inclusion for reading on the patio!
The Princess and The Pup by Sam Hay - Retail Value $8.99
Evie’s happily ever after is almost here. Her parents are allowing her to help out around the diner, she’s made a couple of fantastic friends, and Fudge, the adorable stray puppy she found, only has a few days left in his trial period, before they can officially adopt him. Sure, there’s been a few crashes and mishaps along the way, but Evie the Wonder Waitress has become a pro at dealing with dog related chaos. Or so she thought…right up until Fudge crashes into a film set on the beach! Not only does he befriend Princess, the adorable puppy star of the show, he also gains the attention of the show’s animal trainer, who is always looking for smart talented pups to train! If Evie can’t hide Fudge away, she could lose him forever… Fortunately, help is just a wish on a magical storybook away!
Last year, we had a yellow lab pup named Buxton join our family. While he's not quite a puppy anymore, he sure is sweet, just like the pup in this book. That paired with the cooking competition, and Charlie was convinced that this would be a book he would like. Clever and funny, this book was a better fit for Charlie's age range, but was still quick to read because it was so engaging. The mystery paired with the fantasy aspect were really fun and fit well together, keeping Charlie intrigued throughout the entire book.
Cotton Candy Slime
Charlie love, love, loves all of the slimy things of the world, so he was thrilled to receive this container of cotton candy slime. Soft and fluffy in texture, this version wasn't sticky or messy, and had a lovely yellow hue. While the packaging said it was banana scented, I thought it smelled rather musty, and played with it without sniffing. A great fidget and hand busier, Charlie kneaded away this stuff for quite a while before setting it aside until the next day. So far he's played with it multiple times today and loves the squishy feel!
Monthly Sticker Pack
Charlie loves stickers, and appreciated the bright colors and fun animations that were included this month. With fun, summery art, Charlie kept all three for his school notebooks, which will need to be decorated sooner than we'd like!
Fun in the Sun Eraser Wheel
Again, Charlie is a very sensory-oriented kid, so he was very excited to see this scented eraser keychain added to the mix. With six different scented erasers, he had a great time opening up each section to experience the scent each color provided. To be honest, the fruity ones smelled all the same to me, but the hot dog eraser did have a weirdly distinctive hot dog smell. The erasers themselves seem to work pretty well, and Charlie has already set this aside for his 4th grade pencil box. Fun!
Foldable Sunglasses
Another item Charlie was fascinated with, was this pair of collapsible sunglasses. Charlie loves shades, but has a habit of losing them while he's fishing. These are great for everyday wear, and fit in the pouch of his lifejacket, so he always has them available, and they aren't scratched up because of the portable case! With blue and purple lenses, Hank told him he's got "real drip" so maybe that'll help him catch some big walleyes. 🤣
Donut Drink Innertube
This box is seriously on a roll. Charlie has loved every item included so far! Will that continue? So far, yes!! This next item was delivered deflated (obviously) so Charlie wasn't sure what it was, until we quickly pumped it up. Here we have a bitten donut drink innertube and Charlie was obsessed! Adorned with frosting and sprinkles, this little guy fit a can of Cherry Coke perfectly. We headed to the cabin two days ago and because he was worried about losing the floaty in the lake, made a moat on the beach and floated his Propel around in the moat while playing yard games. What a fun inclusion!
Water Balloons
Seriously?! The last item we received was definitely Charlie's favorite. If you haven't tried these water balloons before, you need to! Made by Infinity Toys, we received 3 bunches of water balloons that fill in 60 seconds. Just screw the plastic balloon end onto your hose, and fill. When filled appropriately, they pop off the straw tying themselves. It's seriously like magic! 111 balloons in 60 seconds - it's crazy! Last week we played a few rounds of water balloon hot potato, and I spent 8 minutes filling about 7 balloons, so this was a real time saver. How fun!!
Verdict
beTWEEN the Bookends is a fantastic way to keep kids engaged in reading, and this month Charlie was obsessed with his box. Not only did he like both book inclusions, but he LOVED all of the lifestyle items. While I think the water balloons were his favorite, the donut inner tube came in at a close second. But even then, the sunglasses, slime, and eraser set weren't far behind. This curation was our favorite of all time - and perfect for summer! We can't wait to see what's in store for August!
The beTWEEN the Bookends Gender Neutral box costs $45.00 per month (on a 12-month subscription track), including shipping. Because the books alone are valued at over $30.99, I find the $45.00/month cost extremely reasonable, as the lifestyle items help shape this box into an entire experience.
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Other Things You Should Know
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? beTWEEN the Bookends tends to ship the first week of each month. Order now to receive the August box.
What did you think of the beTWEEN the Bookends gender-neutral box?
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