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.)
August is blowing by, and I am in awe at how fast summer vacation goes. With school on the horizon, we have still been working really hard on continuing our reading goals, and this month's beTWEEN the Bookends box surely helps us keep accountable! Filled with awesome new books and fun lifestyle items, this box was perfect for reaching those 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. "Think not that your word and yours alone must be right." - Sophocles, Antigone
The Mythics: Marina And The Kraken by Lauren Magaziner - Retail Value $16.99
It’s Pairing Day in Terrafamiliar! Marina has been waiting for this moment—anxiously—for as long as she can remember. Because today’s the day she gets to bond with her animal familiar for life, like every other ten-year-old in the land. Except after the ceremony ends, Marina doesn’t have one. And she’s not alone . . . four other girls also didn’t get their animal companions. The leaders of Terrafamiliar realize something special is happening: Marina and the other four girls—Kit, Ember, Pippa, and Hailey—are called Mythics. In times of unrest, the Mythics must earn their Mythies—mythical beasts—in quests of courage. But danger lurks everywhere as there are others seeking this mysterious power. And only the Mythics can save Terrafamiliar!
What a great read! Charlie loves books about animals, and this fiction novel is packed with them! The first book of a series, this does have female lead characters, and Charlie loved them all. Fast paced, exciting, and a great choice for kiddos 7-10, we read this book quickly, and really enjoyed it. There also were a few illustrations added, which was a bonus! Overall, this was a great read and one we are excited to pass on!
Alien In My Pocket: Blast Off! by Nate Ball - Retail Value $15.99
With engaging illustrations on every spread, a page-turning plot, a do-it-yourself experiment on building your own rocket, and fun science facts throughout, this is the perfect chapter book for young readers! And it’s all from the amazing brain of MIT graduate Nate Ball, host of PBS’s Emmy Award-winning Design Squad series. When a four-inch-tall alien crash-lands through Zack McGee's bedroom window, Zack is sure he's about to become the first victim in a new War of the Worlds. But when the alien turns out to have weapons that are more ticklish than terrifying, Zack realizes that rather than protect the world from the alien, it's up to him to protect the alien in his pocket from the world. The adventure begins in this thrilling new chapter book series, complete with a do-it-yourself science experiment!
The next book we received was another series starter, and Charlie loved it! Featuring aliens, illustrations, and an exciting plot, this book not only is entertaining but also aligns with common core science! Featuring hands-on science experiments, and funny stories, this is definitely a series Charlie wants to complete!
Moon Pen
In school the kids have to write with pencils everyday, so they tend to gravitate towards pens at home. This month, we received a pen that will not get lost, and is super cool! The small, delicate nib writes a very fine line, and the top features a round globe of glitter heart confetti! With a bendable plastic crescent moon on top, this pen is really sweet and fits in with the mythology box perfectly!
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!
Moon and Mercury Notepads
Paper is always a need in our house, and these Mercury and Moon notepads have Charlie covered. With light pastel designs, the pen writes against them nice, and Charlie can write all the notes he pleases. How cute!!
Foaming Body Wash
Anything that has a dragon on it, Charlie is into, so he was excited about this foaming bath wash. Scented like limes, this body wash does hold a slight scent even when washed off, which is pretty fun. Charlie enjoyed the foaming aspect as it's a new texture for him in the body wash world, and was excited to take his nightly shower.
Bath Pouf
Check this out! To pair with the foaming soap, Charlie received this awesomely blue and turquoise bath pouf! We prefer these over wash cloths, because they get soooo extra sudsy, and now he has a brand new one! Complete with a ribbon hanger on the top, we have three hooks on the back of the shower to hang our poufs, and this dual colored one is prettier than anything I've ever found in store!
Lucky Cat Keychain
This keychain was hilarious, and came at the perfect time, as my dad was going to the casino. Charlie lent him the "Good Luck" charm, and my dad came home a bit of a winner! While it wasn't exactly Charlie's cup of tea, grandpa felt pretty special to be thought of, and the inclusion was a funny one! This silicone bracelet style keychain features a bell, kitty charm, and clip, for a versatile mix. Cute in design, this item fit in with the theme well, and makes me giggle every time I picture my dad jingling around.
3D Dragon
The last item we received was definitely Charlie's favorite - the 3D printed dragon. The silver-colored guy is quite long and bends at every vertebrae. These toys fascinate me as they print in one session - my sister has a printer and has printed me a larger dragon, but it took so long to print, the kids didn't get one. Now Charlie has one of his very own, and has been hauling it EVERYWHERE! A great quiet toy for the car, these guys are so cool, but are fragile, so be careful!
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 enjoy both book inclusions, but he LOVED all of the lifestyle items. The dragon was definitely his favorite, but he was also excited for the notepads, body wash, and bath pouf. This curation and theme was super fun, and helped us enjoy our last few weeks of summer vacay! We can't wait to see what's in store for September.
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.
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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 September box.
What did you think of the beTWEEN the Bookends gender-neutral box?
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