Little Feminist Book Club is a monthly book subscription box for kids ages newborn to nine years old. Each month you will receive one to two books selected to help diversify your bookshelf for $22.95 per month + $2.95 flat rate shipping. Plus, you will also receive hands-on activities and tools to help your book come to life. Subscriptions are offered for ages 0-2, 2-4, 4-7, and 7-9. From Little Feminist:
Only 31% of children's books feature a female character, and only 13% feature a person of color.
This review is of the Book Club for ages 4-7 years.
This box was sent to us at no cost to review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
Little Feminist Book Club comes in a distinctive cardboard holder with drawings on it. I get excited every time it arrives and then I remember I didn't order any records this month. The packaging looks the same. My daughter, however, also gets excited, because she knows it's for her.
In addition to the book(s), Little Feminist includes an introduction to the material (which has an activity on the reverse side. See below) and a bookmark with thought-provoking questions.
What's Inside The Box
Between Us and Abuela by Mitali Perkins - Retail Value $17.99
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Between Us and Abuela tells the story of two children in the United States visiting the U.S.-Mexico border to see their abuela (grandmother) on the other side. It is only for a short time during one day of the year and they are under the watchful eyes of the border police, but the brief time is spent so joyously that "the fences are invisible." Before they are forced to leave, they try to pass their abuela gifts they handmade, but the guard say they can't allow things to pass through the fence. The grandson is heartbroken he can't give his abuela his drawing, but the granddaughter thinks of a cunning idea to get the present to her without going through the fence.
At the back of the book, the author explains that the story is fictional, but the meeting of families on the border is a real event that has been happening since 1993 in San Diego. She says she tried to imagine a family celebrating Christmas separated by the border.
My children are blessed with both sets of grandparents and the fact that they live very close. They see them every week and love going to their houses. I cannot imagine our lives without the grandparents and was saddened by the idea that there are many families that have lost their grandparents, live far away, or, perhaps, live not so far away, but cannot be with them for one reason or another. My daughter was perplexed by the idea of a fence between families and asked if the grandmother was in jail. She doesn't fully grasp states, let alone countries, but simply wondered why they couldn't all be together if no one was in jail. I personally enjoyed the story of family and love turning the fences invisible and the little girl's positivity and creativity overcoming a physical and emotional barrier.
From Macmillan Publishers:
It's almost time for Christmas, and Maria is traveling with her mother and younger brother, Juan, to visit their grandmother on the border of California and Mexico.
For the few minutes they can share together along the fence, Maria and her brother plan to exchange stories and Christmas gifts with the grandmother they haven't seen in years. But when Juan's gift is too big to fit through the slats in the fence, Maria has a brilliant idea. She makes it into a kite that soars over the top of the iron bars.
Here is a heartwarming tale of multi-cultural families, and the miracle of love.
What Do You Think Card
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Each book comes with a 'What Do You Think' card that provides questions that you can ask your little reader about the book. They are nice in the way they help you ask direct questions. Something that might actually get a real answer rather than "It was good" or "I liked it." Like I said earlier, my daughter couldn't wrap her head around a border fence and not being allowed to see or give gifts to her grandmother. She found it unfair.
Little Feminist In Action: Feel Better Strategies
This month's Little Feminist In Action page wants your little reader to write or draw something for someone special and send it in the mail. We actually do this relatively often and with Christmas coming up, we have done more than usual. They are always a hit and the recipient always responds with how wonderful it was to be thought of in such a way.
Verdict
Little Feminist Book Club picked a great book this time. This month's was one of my favorite yet and I think I can say the same for my daughter. She was the most engaged yet or, at least, the most curious as to what was happening in the story. I liked that the author told a nice, hopeful story about a real-world issue without really even mentioning it. I guess I felt a little proud that the activity this month was something we do often. It made me feel like a good parent. Also, the questions they provided were ones that we asked while reading the story. So we didn't really need them after, which felt like we're starting to think like Little Feminists. Overall, I was very pleased with this month's choice.
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
Subscribers – current or future – will have to be understanding of the fact that Little Feminist Book Club is not a subscription that saves you money. The cost of the sub will always be a little more than the book itself. This subscription's true value is the quality of the books and the complementary paperwork, which is carefully chosen and sent to your front door. If you are focused on dollar amounts, this subscription may not be for you. Yes, you can get this one on Amazon for a few dollars less, but the difference is not so much that you can't afford to support this subscription or the actually publisher.
One thing of note: Little Feminist offers four ways to purchase: monthly, three months, six months, and 12 months. They cost $22.95, $21.95, $19.95, and $18.95, respectively. Shipping is always $2.95. So if you were certain you'd like this subscription for a year, it would be $4 cheaper per month and much closer to the book's retail value.
To Wrap Up
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, order before the 25th to receive that month’s selection. From Little Feminist:
Once you purchase a book subscription your first box will be shipped within a week. From then on, your book box will be sent the first week of every month.
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist.
Do you subscribe to Little Feminist Book Club Box? Comment below with what you thought.
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