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 6-8 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: $45.00 per month for the full-size box + free US shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.
This review is of the beTWEEN the Bookends Early Reader 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.)
When I discovered the beTWEEN the Bookends subscription, I was so very intrigued with the different subscription options. Besides having three different age group boxes, they also have options for full size boxes or gender-neutral options. If that isn't enough of a variety, you can also sign up for just the books, or a mini box. The possibilities are nearly endless! After falling in love with the gender-neutral "Tween" box, my family couldn't wait to see how the full size "early reader" box compared. Read below to find out what we received.
First Impressions
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While the gender-neutral box is packaged with turquoise tissue paper, the full-size version comes wrapped in a fantastic fuchsia colored paper. Featuring a pigtail-donning cartoon sticker, we couldn't wait to dive in to see what was included.
Here's What's Inside
Welcome Note
This month's welcome note includes the theme title: "Party in the Pages", the included book titles, and all of the extra goodies - designating if they are from small shops or not. Along with this month's contents, also listed is the theme for next month's box, and the beTWEEN the bookend's social media info.
The Misadventures of Salem Hyde: Big Birthday Bash by Frank Cammuso - Retail Value $6.95
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A fun graphic novel, this 94 page book is recommended for kids 7-9. Featuring a little girl named Salem and her trusty animal companion, Whammy, their quest is foiled by mean old Shelly and Mr. Fink. Using a bit of magic, the misadventures start, providing a ton of laughs. My son just turned 7 and he really enjoyed this graphic novel, finding the humor relatable and interesting. He did mention he wished the illustrations would have included colors other than pink, but read it cover-to-cover just the same. His interest also peaked when he noticed on the back that there are more books in this series. This was a fun find, and one we probably wouldn't have chosen for ourselves, so a definite win. Also, in case you or your school participates in the Renaissance Accelerated Reader program, this book quiz is worth 0.5 AR points!
Beep and Bob: Party Crashers, Volume 2 by Jonathan Roth - Retail Value $5.99
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Another work of fiction, this early reader chapter book is perfect for younger elementary students. Really sticking to the "Party in the Pages" theme, Beep and Bob is based in space and involves a mystery! Being invited to a birthday party, Beep and Bob forget to buy Lani a birthday gift, and while they are worrying about that, are blamed for theft. To top it off, the ship is headed for the ice rings of Neptune. Can Beep and Bob save the space cruiser all while saving their integrity or will they go down with the ship?! Exciting and full of drama! Charlie is in 1st grade and is starting to read chapter books on his own. We found this book to have some difficult words, but with an experienced side kick, is doable. So far, he is really enjoying this book, and was interested in reading the first book in this series called "Too Much Space" when we finish this one.
Keep It Zipped, My Innermost Secrets Journal by Make Believe Ideas - Retail Value $9.99
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The last book we received was actually a journal rather than a book. Bright, shiny, and colorful, this zip-up journal made my inner 9-year-old girl heart swoon. Charlie took a look at it, and thought it was okay, but set it off to the side to check out the other items in the box. Charlie never did pick up the journal again, so when an eight-year-old neighbor girl came over with her brother for Charlie's birthday party, I knew it would be a match made in heaven. Aubree gleefully accepted the journal and literally filled out the entire journal during the three-hour party.
Scrunchie Shop - Bookish Themed Scrunchie - Retail Value $3.00
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Admittedly, I may or may not have wanted the full-sized box just so I could have the lifestyle items myself. Packaged delicately in a pink translucent satchel, I couldn't wait to tear off the tags and use this star and swirl scrunchie to throw my hair up in a messy bun. With a perfect amount of elastic, and an adorable small shop tag, Charlie happily parted with this scrunchie, and I have a fun new addition to my hair accessory bin.
The Works Custom Gifts - Colorable Magnets and Markers
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In the gender-neutral box Hank received similar wooden coasters, though featuring different quotes. The only difference is that this kit came with markers, and the coasters were turned into magnets with the addition of a little hot glue. Loving the quotes, Charlie asked if we could stain and poly these instead of color them with marker for a more polished look. I agreed and put them aside while adding "stain magnets" on the good old to-do list.
Pretty Little Lavish - Whipped Sugar Soap
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Honestly, I have never met a kid who loves bath time more than Charlie. Seeing as he requested bath bombs and bath potpourri for Christmas, I knew there was no way I would get to keep this small-shop-made whipped sugar soap for myself. Loving the bubble gum scent, Charlie eagerly used this up - smiling the entire time.
Pretty Little Lavish - Body Scrub
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Charlie ended up getting the stomach flu on Tuesday, so sadly he spent a chunk of his afternoon soaking in the tub. Having saved the small-shop-made cotton candy body scrub for a special occasion, I figured he could use that as a tiny pick-me-up. Honest to goodness smelling like cotton candy, Charlie loved scrubbing his little feet with the blue sugar, leaving them feel soft and smooth, cheering him up a bit in the process.
Salem's Bows and More - Monthly Sticker Pack
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Sticking with our party theme, we also received a set of vinyl stickers featuring party photo props. While the stickers did look like they were printed on a home-style printer, I really liked the scalloped edge of the gift box one and added it to my laptop for a pop of color. Charlie put the rest of the stickers in his sticker collection to be used for creating a birthday card. A fun and simple inclusion that fit the overall curation well.
Eraser, Pencil Grip, and Monthly Button Goodie Bag
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Charlie was really excited to open up this orange satchel of goodies. Included were three emoji erasers, three pencil grips, and a Slight Edge Creations Monthly Button. Functional, cute, and charming, these items are not only useful, but cheery, too.
Foxx Keychain
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Cueing my inner child voice: "Shut up!" I fell in love with this little fox keychain. Fluffy, glittery, and with little foxy eyelashes, I just couldn't resist my urge to squeal. Charlie looked at me like I was a bit nuts, and sweetly went and clipped it on my backpack, saying, "I think you'll appreciate this more than I will...." What a guy!
Flower Shaped Pop-It
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Last, but certainly not least, was Charlie's ultimate favorite: the rainbow flower pop-it. As I mentioned earlier, Charlie ended up getting sick on Tuesday, and was ill for about 30 full hours. In that time, he spent about 90% of his time laying on the couch with his new pop-it. Adding a little sunshine to a cloudy day, he held it in his little hands, keeping busy while he watched TV and slept.
Verdict
Now that we have experienced both the beTWEEN the bookends gender neutral box and the full-sized box, I can say we are equally impressed with both curations. The full-sized box does contain a lot of feminine items that Charlie wasn't overly excited about, but it worked out as his mom (lucky me 😊) happens to be an 8-year-old girl at heart. Between the two of us, and our neighbor girl, we utilized all of this month's goodies, and found the theme, curation, and contents high-quality, functional, and fun. We can't wait to see what kind of theme Jillian comes up with next!
The beTWEEN the bookends Early Reader Full-Sized box costs $45.00 per month, including shipping. Because most items were small shop created specifically for this box, I wasn't able to calculate an accurate value estimate. Because of the thoughtful curation, fun theme, and enjoyable products, I feel the $45.00 price range is fair for the quality of this box and the amount of items.
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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 April box.
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