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beTWEEN the Bookends Tween Review: “A Little Luck and A Lot of Books” March 2025
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 in the full boxes but will have only 3-5 gender neutral lifestyle items.
The Cost: The Full-Sized box is $55 per month + free US shipping ($50.00/mo for the 12-month subscription track) while the Gender Neutral box is $45 per month. Save with longer subscriptions.
This box was sent to us at no cost to review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Marchhas been just as busy as December! With so many birthdays, sporting events, and spring break, Ive been trucking through! Hank’s class recently won a reading challenge and earned a trip to a local park with pizza, so he’s gearing up for next month’s challenge! To help him contribute to his class’s total reading minutes, this month’s beTWEEN the Bookends box arrived just in time. Packed with exciting new books and fun lifestyle items, this box was exactly what he needed to rack up minutes while becoming a more fluent reader. Keep reading to see what we discovered!
First Impressions
The contents of this box are packaged neatly in bright pink tissue paper and sealed with a sticker featuring clip art of a pigtail-donning 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
Each month, we receive a pamphlet describing all the items included in the box. It is color-coordinated and beautifully laid out. Featured on the back is a quote by Agatha Christie: "One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood." Also included is a hint about next month’s theme—I’m guessing "spring reading"!
Owen Godfrey is spending his summer in Paris studying science fiction writer Jules Verne, the brilliant mind behind Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days. When Owen and his new friends find what appears to be a dusty copy of Verne’s collected works in an old bookshop, they’re intrigued by the hidden codes written inside. As one clue leads to another, the trio gets swept up in an epic treasure hunt spanning the city—from the depths of the catacombs to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and by way of skateboard, boat, car, and even a hot air balloon! But they quickly realize they’re not the only ones searching for the hidden riches, and that there are others who will stop at nothing to get to them first. This fast-paced larger-than-life adventure is filled with action, high stakes, and three friends who are dead set on cracking the Jules Verne mystery.
This was the first book that Hank tried out this month, and he truly enjoyed it. While the main character is female, there were plenty of male characters that kept Hank engaged, and he loved the mystery likening it to Mr. Peabody and Sherman. While he hasn't finished this book yet, he will be in the next couple of days. Geared towards kids 10-14, this was the perfect age range, and was a great choice for March!
Melissa is a nobody. Wilf is a slacker. Bondi is a show-off. At least that's what their middle school teachers think. To everyone's surprise, they are the three students chosen to compete for a ten thousand-dollar scholarship, solving clues that lead them to various locations around Chicago. At first the three contestants work independently, but it doesn't take long before each begins to wonder whether the competition is a sham. It's only by secretly joining forces and using their unique talents that the trio is able to uncover the truth behind the Ambrose Deception--a truth that involves a lot more than just a scholarship.
What an intriguing book! I work in a K-12 school that my kids attend, and there have been a few D1 offers for some seniors, so scholarships are definitely on my 6th graders radar. This book is geared towards kids 8-12, and was a great fit for both of my boys. Even though this book is 368 pages, it is a face read because it's just so intriguing!
Designed to ignite exciting discussions between little rebels and their siblings, friends, and grown-ups, Questions for Rebel Girls is packed with more than 300 entertaining and thought-provoking questions inspired by real rebel women from the best-selling Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series — including some questions submitted by young fans of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.
This month, we received a third book, specifically geared toward girls. It’s packed with fun illustrations, engaging real-life stories about awesome women, and playful fonts. Hank wasn’t super interested in this book, so I brought it to my classroom to read with my 6th-grade girls during our lunch group. A great way to introduce young girls to inspiring women in history, this book sparked meaningful discussions and encouraged us to both ask and answer questions!
Positive Potato
Who couldn’t use a little extra positivity? Winter in Minnesota feels like it lasts forever, and while I love all the fun outdoor activities, our family is definitely over the cold and dreary weather. To help keep our spirits up, we got the cutest little knit potato with a note that says: "Positive Potato: I may be a tiny potato, but I believe in you. Go do your thing!" Hank enjoyed this fun inclusion and was happy to toss it around. A cute little addition, it brought some light to his day, and he has tucked it into his backpack for a small dose of positivity.
Monthly Sticker Pack
Hank enjoys stickers, and appreciated the variety this month. He liked the quote sticker the most, but put all of this months inclusions in the sticker folder for future use. These stickers have been used in many ways throughout our subscription, and we always appreciate receiving more.
Pear Shaped Notepad
I have to say, this might just be the coolest notepad I’ve ever seen! It’s shaped like a pear—seeds and all—and when you clip the pages together, it forms a perfect little 3D fruit. They even included a stem and a tiny fruit protection net! Not only is it adorable, but it’s also super functional—perfect for jotting down notes and guaranteed to be a conversation starter. Honestly, it’s my favorite thing on my desk right now, and everyone who sees it is so jealous. Sorry, Hank—this one’s all mine! 🍐✨
Lucky Bath Dust With Surprise
The next item we received was an envelope filled with magical bath dust, complete with two little plastic animal surprises. Hank generally takes showers, but Charlie loves baths. Being the nice brother he is, Hank offered it to Charlie, who was thrilled! Scented like dessert, it created extra-soft water and made bath time even more fun!
Shamrock Push Pins
The next item we received was perfect for March, as it included shamrock-shaped push pins. This was a repeat from a previous month, and when we first received them, I thought they were an odd inclusion for tween kids—even girls. As an educator, I liked them for my bulletin board at school, but otherwise, I wouldn’t have much use for them.
Flower Fuzzy Socks
The last item we received was a pair of light green fuzzy socks. These socks featured a white flower design and were ultra cozy! I totally would have kept them for myself, but my size 10 foot wouldn’t fit comfortably. While Hank wasn’t interested in this addition, Charlie was, and he has already worn them multiple times!
Verdict
beTWEEN the Bookends is one of our favorite subscription boxes of all time. This month's box theme featured some useful items that Hank and I really enjoyed. Like I mentioned above, this is the full-sized box which is aimed towards girls, but fits a mother/son duo just fine. The included lifestyle items were a great mix of fun and functional all fitting the "A Little Luck and A Lot of Books" theme well. Overall we thought this box was curated nicely and loved the useful items, especially the potato, notepad, bath dust, and socks. We already can't wait to see what's in store for April.
The beTWEEN the Bookends Full Size box costs $50.00 per month (on a 12-month subscription track), including shipping. Because the books alone are valued at over $33.00, I find the $50.00/month cost reasonable, as the lifestyle items help shape this box into an entire experience.
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 14 year old creator. Full size boxes contain 2-3 books and 6-... read more.
I am a wild and crazy mom of 2 boys and work in the public education system as an Indigenous Support Advocate. I love all things outdoors, beauty, crafts, and food. Living the simple life in the country, we spend a lot of time hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting. Oh, and I absolutely adore my high school sweetheart aka my husband of almost 17 years!
I am a wild and crazy mom of 2 boys and work in the public education system as an Indigenous Support Advocate. I love all things outdoors, beauty, crafts, and food. Living the simple life in the country, we spend a lot of time hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting. Oh, and I absolutely adore my high school sweetheart aka my husband of almost 17 years!
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Our reviewers research, test, and recommend the best subscriptions and products independently; click to learn more about our editorial guidelines. We may receive commissions on purchases made through links on our site.
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.