beTWEEN the Bookends Tween Review: “Planting New Friendships” April 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 review is of the beTWEEN the Bookends Tween Full Size Box. 

This box was sent to us at no cost to review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)

We made it through March and are breezing right on through April! While we've learned that junior high sports schedules are no joke, things have been a bit calmer than March—except for the fact that MCA testing is starting. Blah!! These tests can definitely be stressful, so Hank's reading minute goal has been adjusted a bit. That being said, he’s still reading, and this month’s beTWEEN the Bookends box arrived just in time to give him some fresh stories! Packed with exciting new books and fun lifestyle items, this box was exactly what he needed to log more minutes and keep building his reading fluency. 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 Audrey Hepburn: "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." Also included is a hint about next month’s theme—I’m guessing "Road trip to reading."

Serena Says by Tanita S. Davis - Retail Value $9.99

JC shines like a 4th of July sparkler. She has the best ideas, the biggest, funniest laugh, and the party starts when she arrives. Serena St. John is proud to be known as her best friend. Everything changes when JC returns from the hospital with a new kidney—and a new best friend. Out of the spotlight of JC’s friendship, suddenly things aren’t quite so sparkly in Serena’s world. Lonely Serena works on perfecting her vlogs, hoping to earn a shot at becoming a classroom reporter. If she can be smart and funny on video, why can’t she manage that in real life? If only she could always pause, edit, or delete conversations. It would be so much easier to say the right thing at the right time . . . instead of not saying what she should, or, even worse, blurting out a secret that wasn’t hers to share. Life doesn’t have a pause button—but as Serena discovers her voice through vlogging, she learns that she’s not just there to reflect JC’s light—she’s fully capable of shining on her own.

It is MCA month here in Minnesota, and Hank has been busy preparing. While he hasn’t had as much time to read as usual, he did start this book. With a strong female lead, this book featured diverse characters and really focused on friendship and self-awareness. He was intrigued by the vlogging aspect and learning about kidney transplants. Hank hasn’t yet finished this book, but so far he is into it!

ChupaCarter by George Lopez

In this illustrated contemporary fantasy, twelve-year-old Jorge is lonely and resentful after being sent to live with his grandparents. His first day at his new school doesn’t go well after catching the attention of his belligerent principal and the school bullies, so Jorge might be a little desperate for a friend. But the only kid who shares his interest in junk food and games turns out to be a young chupacabra—a legendary monster whose kind is known for being bloodthirsty livestock killers. The truth is, Carter is anything but savage—he's kind, a good listener, and has great taste in sneakers. Being friends with a mythical creature should be amazing, but when local cattle turn up dead and his principal suspects the truth, Jorge is torn. Should he trust that his friend is innocent and protect him from exposure, or reveal his dangerous existence and change the world forever?

George Lopez has been a favorite of mine since his sit-com days, so I was pleasantly surprised to find he is a children’s book author! Like I mentioned above, Hank has had less time to read lately, but he gripped onto this book as soon as he popped open this box. Loving hardcover books especially, he was happy to receive a book written by such a funny male author and was fascinated with the furry critter on the cover. With some spanish phrases and illustrations, this made for a really fun read that Hank finished pretty quickly. We were both excited to find out this was book one in a four book series!

Journal

This tiny suede-like yellow note catcher is packed with plenty of lined pages for notes, stories, and little drawings. Featuring a ribbon bookmark and an elastic closure band, it stays securely shut and fits easily in Hank’s backpack.

Flower Pen

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We’ve received quite a few writing utensils in this subscription, and we’ve loved every single one! This month’s version features a long, skinny stem with a small flower on top. With its fine nib, the black ink writes neatly and was another welcome addition.

Monthly Sticker Pack

Hank enjoys stickers, and appreciated the variety this month. He liked the raccoon and fox sticker best, 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.

Custom Tapestry

I’ll be honest—Hank wasn’t very excited to receive this custom tapestry. While the design is pretty, it definitely wasn’t something he was interested in. This box is geared more toward girls, but the tapestry was also included in the gender-neutral version. It's a decent size, featuring a girl seated on a park bench beneath what appear to be cherry blossoms. Like I said, it’s a lovely design, but we’re just not sure what to do with it. Something like a pillowcase might have been a better fit.

Flower Bookmark

The next item we received was a metal feather bookmark, complete with a chain featuring a leaf charm, a pearl-like stone, and a floral marble. Hank offered the bookmark to me, and I was stoked! This beauty slides onto the page alongside the spine of the book and looks so pretty!

Plantable Seed Pencils

The next item we received was perfect for April as it included seeds!! May is the big planting month in Minnesota, so these will have to wait a tiny bit, but it gives us time to use the pencils first! This set includes four pencils that instead of erasers on the top have seed pouches. Including lavender, clover, sunflower, and baby's breath, this is a really neat inclusion that we can't wait to start using!

Butterfly Necklace

Like I mentioned before, this box is geared towards girls, so the extra items we receive either go to me or get brought to the school for prizes in my classroom. This little gem was added to the prize bin and made a 6th grade girl's day. With a gold chain and pretty enamel butterfly, this was a sweet inclusion and one that is so perfect for a tween girl.

Lemon Coin Purse

The last item we received was a small lemon coin purse. Hank was not in need of this item, so he passed it along to me. I also didn't need to add this to my purse, so we put it in the prize bin at school. A 7th grade girl chose it as a gift for improving her attendance during quarter 3, and she loved it! Yay for fun and useful things!!

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 "Planting New Friendships" theme well. Overall we thought this box was curated nicely and loved the useful items, especially the flower pen, journal, bookmark, and seed pencils. We already can't wait to see what's in store for May.

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.

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 May box.

What did you think of the Full Size BeTWEEN the Bookends Tween box?