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.
Note: beTWEEN the Bookends is launching a new website and raising prices for new customers on June 1 -- to lock in the lower rates, join before then! (existing customers will continue to get the current rate)
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 "Party in the Pages" curation we received last time, we couldn't wait to see what kind of goodies this box was packed full of. Read below to find out what we landed.
First Impressions
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As the full-size box is curated with girls in mind, this version comes wrapped in bright pink tissue paper featuring a pigtail-donning cartoon sticker. Super cute!
Here's What's Inside
Welcome Note
This month's welcome note includes the theme title "Plant Your Story," 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 Bookends social media info.
Phoebe G. Green: Farm Fresh Fun by Veera Hiranandani - Retail Value $6.99
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Working in education, I love books. Besides my love of books, I also love gardening—vegetables and flowers to be exact. Because my kids have grown up with these values, finding books that incorporate these traditions, plus life lessons, is exactly what we look forward to! My 7-year-old is addicted to Junie B. Jones and her naughtiness, and he thought this field trip book to the farm was hilarious. Easy and fun to read aloud, our entire family enjoyed this book and are looking forward to checking out other books written by Veera!
Nancy Drew: The Tortoise and the Scare by Carolyn Keene - Retail Value $5.99
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I grew up reading Nancy Drew, and the boys and I are currently listening to Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch on audio book, so this was a perfect inclusion! Gearing towards kids 6-9, this version is easier to read and shorter than the originals, but includes Bess and George, being very nostalgic for adults! When a field trip turns into a mystery, Nancy and her friends are on the case! Will it be solved? Read and find out!
Mann Made Sleep Mask
Handmade by a small shop, this rainbow laden sleep mask is perfect for little nappers. Sewn with thin cotton, the elastic band is stretchy and fits my 7-year-old just fine. While my kids don’t usually use sleep masks, I did stash this in my car for when Charlie complains about the sun shining in his eyes when he’s trying to snooze. And in case a sleep mask just isn't on your list of needs, you could always use it as a blindfold for those "pin the tail on the donkey" games at birthday parties!
Salem’s Bows and More Monthly Sticker Pack
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I am a gardener and appreciate greenery, so this month’s sticker pack was right up my alley. Charlie has taken up a passion for plants as well, and seriously has a little Bulbasaur planter with a cactus in it - no joke! So, when he opened these stickers, he laughed out loud in excitement, adding them to his writing journal cover.
Slight Edge Creations Monthly Button
Coordinating nicely with this month’s sticker pack, we also received our monthly button, featuring a little fox planter holding a cactus. I love the pastel colors and appreciate the springy design. Great addition to a jean jacket or backpack!
Little Rea’s Boutique Flower Hair Bow
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Because the full-size box is geared more towards girls, we also received a flower hair bow with an alligator clip. Also made in a small shop, I love, love, love the handmade details and look of this little treasure. Because Charlie won’t be using this bow, he gifted it to me, and of course I wore it to school!
Spring Themed Pen Set
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Being in first grade, Charlie doesn’t have a lot of pens of his own, so he was excited to have this pack all to himself. With bright colors and cheery frogs, they have black ink and write surprisingly well. I may have accidentally brought one of these dandies to school, and I got a ton of compliments on the eccentric little thing! (It kind of gave me a 90s Lisa Frank vibe, and I am sooo here for that!)
Avocado Keychain
This household loves us some pop-its, and Charlie just so happens to also be a collector of keychains, so you can imagine his delight when he found this gem in the box. Immediately clipping it onto his backpack, I don’t mind this particular version because when you push in the buttons it doesn’t make an obnoxious sound, and it looks so cute!
Three Mini Rubber Ducks
I swear they curated this box almost perfectly for my 7-year-old. Not only did it come with a pop-it keychain, but also three mini rubber ducks. We received three different duckies, including a football one, a “love” one, and a cloud one. They're tiny in size, and we added them into the tub as the babies to our larger ducks for all the bath time fun. I’m so thankful my guys love baths and am hoping it continues through their teen years!!
Dr. Seuss STEM Building Kit - Retail Value $4.95
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Another really neat item we received this month was a 36-piece plastic disk set. Featuring an assortment of colors and Dr. Seuss characters, these interlocking pieces can be used to create shapes, towers, bridges, and more. Being small and packable, I have these in my purse in case of a boredom emergency, and the kids love them.
Butterfly Kisses and Dandelion Wishes DIY Set
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We're a family of mega gardeners, and Charlie was really excited for the addition of the seed bomb kit in this month’s box. Really easy, and a lot of fun. We let the paper strips soak in water and mixed them with the seeds to form bombs, that once dry and be planted wherever your heart desires. Charlie is a fan of container gardening, so he tossed a few in a pot, while Hank asked to save his for our flower bed. We can’t wait to see what flowers grow!
Humble Bath Co. Fruit Loops Bath Truffles
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Lastly, we also received this adorable set of bath truffles that smell exactly like fruit loops! We were familiar with these from the "Hungry for a Good Book" themed 'Tween' box, so Charlie couldn't wait to soak in some suds and watch this truffle fizz. This item was not listed on the content card, I'm not sure if this was a mistake or a bonus, but I can tell you it sure made my little guy happy.
Verdict
My last experience with the full-size beTWEEN the bookends Early Reader box was amazing, but this month's "Plant Your Story" theme hit it out of the park! The number of contents jam-packed into this box was amazing, and as my son and I both love small, quirky items, we were both impressed. Charlie is just starting to read chapter books by himself, so the inclusion of farm themed books was perfect for a newbie like himself, and I was sooo excited about the Nancy Drew pick...ah the nostalgia! Besides the books, we found all of the extras high-quality, functional, and fun, which in turn has us extremely excited to see what next month's "Stretching into Summer" theme might include!
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, but dividing it by the items we received equals to about $3.75 a piece. Because of the thoughtful curation, fun theme, and enjoyable products, I feel the $45.00 price range is definitely fair for the quality of this box and the number 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 June box.
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