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: The Gender-Neutral box is $37.00 per month + free US shipping while the Full-Size box is $44 per month. Save with longer subscriptions.
This review is of the beTWEEN the Bookends Tween Gender Neutral 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.)
I don't know about you, but after an exhaustingly busy summer and fall, I am ready for the cooler temps and some couch snuggling. While we are still extremely busy with sports and school, our weekends are a bit more relaxed and tend to include a lot more inside activities such as game time and my favorite: reading. With Thanksgiving upon us, we have been chatting about what we are most thankful for, and one of my kids' favorite parts of the day is cuddle time right before bed. During this 20 minute sesh, we curl up in my bed, pray, discuss our favorite part of the day, what made us sad, and what we learned, followed by story time. While it takes only a few moments, a lot of deep conversations happen during this time, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Because we recently finished up an "I Survived" novel, we were thankful to receive a couple of options for our new bedtime book through our beTWEEN the Bookends subscription, and of course they didn't disappoint. Read below to find out what we received in this month's "Thankful for Books" themed November box.
First Impressions
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The contents of this box are packaged neatly in turquoise tissue paper and sealed with a sticker featuring clipart of a boy and 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 dive in!
Here's What's Inside
Welcome Note
This month's welcome note shares with us all that is included in this "Thankful for Books" themed box. Not only are two books included, but as are five lifestyle items, including four exclusives. Along with this month's contents, also listed is the theme for next month's box and all of beTWEEN the bookend's social media info. (I can't wait to see what's in store for the "Snow Many Books" December box!)
Raising Lumie by Joan Bauer - Retail Value $7.99
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Olive Hudson desperately wants a dog. But that doesn't seem to be a possibility right now. Newly orphaned, she's moving in with the half sister she hardly knows and their life is too chaotic to include a dog. But then something wonderful happens: Olive gets a chance to raise Lumie, a guide dog puppy. Discipline. Rules. Lots of hugs. Only the best of the best puppies continue on to become guide dogs, and of course Olive wants Lumie to be chosen. But if she is, that means that Olive will lose her. Once again, the incomparable Joan Bauer tells a touching story that is full of heart and warmth and unabashed idealism.
Raising Lumie is about a pup that is being trained to be a guide dog for the blind. While 12-year-old Olive understands the task at hand, will she be able to say goodbye? As I mentioned before, we do a read aloud session before bed each night and were in need of a new story. This month's box came just in time, and the boys chose "Raising Lumie" as the new nightly read. While we haven't gotten through the entire book yet, we are all enjoying this easy to read, touching story. Anyone looking for a big dose of good feeling should pick up this book, and we can't wait to find out just what happens in the end.
Forever Neverland by Susan Adrian - Retail Value $15.99
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Clover and Fergus are the great-great-grandchildren of Wendy Darling (yes, that Wendy). And now Peter Pan wants to take them to Neverland for the adventure of their lives! But Clover is a little nervous--she's supposed to look after her brother. Fergus is autistic, and not everyone makes him feel welcome. What will happen to him in this magical world? Fergus isn't nervous at all. To him, Neverland seems like a dream come true! He's tired of Clover's constant mothering and wants some independence, like Peter and the Lost Boys have. He wonders, Why can't the real world be more like Neverland? Neverland is fun and free, but it's also dangerous and even scary at times. Unfamiliar creatures lurk in the shadows, and strange sounds come from the waters. And then the mermaids start to go missing. . . .In an imaginative and thoughtful continuation of the story of Peter Pan, Susan Adrian explores Neverland with a fresh perspective and indelible warmth, offering a new adventure based on a beloved classic!
Forever Neverland is a seriously magical book. Featuring a boy that is autistic on a daring adventure, we loved the continuation aspect of Peter Pan that Susan delivered with this fun novel. As an educator, I love seeing books that include characters of all walks of life, and will definitely be suggesting this to my students at school.
Washi Tape Trio
As an avid scrapbooker and book lover, I as a 34 year old woman can definitely appreciate the inclusion of this adorable book-themed washi tape. My 9 year old son however, was a bit perplexed with the point of these magical rolls. When I mentioned he could decorate his notebooks and pretty much anything else with these fun strips, he cocked his eyebrow and said I could have them. While not a win for him, I certainly can't wait to decorate my planner with this cute tape.
Pencil Pouch
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My son is a typical first born, and mostly keeps his backpack in order, but has a growing number of pencils accumulating at the bottom of his bag. To help keep things organized, he put all of his utensils in this handy dandy pencil pouch and now can easily find a writing tool when he needs one quickly. Donning a fun turquoise print and bookish quote, it's geared toward book lovers of all genders, and is totally functional.
Water Bottle Holder
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So personally, I loved the washi tape and the pencil pouch, but this water bottle holder is a little lost on me. While cute, I just haven't found myself in a position to need a water bottle holder in my (or my children's lives). Hank typically uses a huge Gatorade bottle, that doesn't fit in this neoprene pouch, and has really never been in the market for a holder with a strap. I could see this maybe being useful on a long walk or at a parade, but because I tote around such a huge bag, I don't think I would ever use this. What did you think of this inclusion? Do you have any suggestions for this unique piece?
Playing Cards
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We love games at our house, and cards are so versatile! This particular version are illustrated with the stages of the writing process, and feature four different colors (and characters) for each suit. Because they don't exactly have suits, you have to come up with some rules before using these cards, as "King's Corner" got a bit confusing for us when we played. Fun inclusion, but a standard deck would have been a little more user-friendly.
Hot Air Balloon Bookmark - Retail Value $1.40
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Straying from the typical paper ruler, this month we received a metal bookmark that is also a stencil and a ruler. With an adorable laser cut hot air balloon pattern, you can trace clouds, the sun, stars, and airplanes - all while keeping the page in your favorite book. A simple inclusion, but a really fun one that Hank couldn't wait to use. Currently, it is keeping our place in the "Raising Lumie" book, and is already being fought over for future books.
Verdict
As a parent and an educator, the number one priority I have for my kids education-wise is the skill of reading. As I have seen over and over again, without reading you cannot keep up with any other core classes. My kids are very different. Hank loves to read, while Charlie doesn't. beTWEEN the Bookends has been a game changer when it comes to making reading fun. Because of the relevant books and awesome lifestyle items, both of my kids are excited about reading, and working really hard to improve their comprehension and fluency. This particular box was pretty good, but Hank mentioned he enjoyed last month's "Halloween" themed box more. While some of the items this month weren't a good fit for him, they will make for great reading rewards for a couple of my students at school. We can't wait to see what they have in store for next month!
The beTWEEN the Bookends gender neutral box costs $37.00 per month, including shipping. Because the books alone are valued at over $23.00, I find the $37.00/month cost very reasonable as the extra lifestyle items help shape the receival of this box into an entire experience.
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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 December box.
What did you think of the BeTWEEN the Bookends Tween Gender Neutral box?
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