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: $50.00 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.
These boxes were sent to us at no cost to review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
It's February, and the feelings of love are in the air! With Valentine's Day just around the corner, this month's "beTWEEN the Bookends" box swooped in with the perfect theme: "Love What You Read". Besides Valentine's Day being near, February is also "I Love to Read" month, so our entire month is dedicated to our love of reading! Hip Hip Hooray! Not only does this subscription contain new and exciting books, but you also get a ton of bookish goodies. Read below to see what we discovered in the February box.
First Impressions
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. Cute!
Here's What's Inside
Welcome Pamphlet
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Before starting to dig into this month's goodies, we took a look at the included pamphlet. Describing the month's theme and the contents of every Between the Bookends version, this little book lets us know exactly what the box contains, along with a bookish quote, social media info, and a hint about next month's theme.
Princess Ponies: An Enchanted Heart by Chloe Ryder - Retail Value $5.99
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It’s Valentine’s Day, and Pippa is so excited to get a surprise visit from her best friend, Princess Stardust. But Stardust needs Pippa's help. . . Troublemaker Divine has cast a spell, and the ponies of Chevalia have forgotten how to love and started fighting! Together, Pippa and Stardust must search the forests, fields, and volcanoes of Chevalia for a way to break the curse. Can they remind the ponies how to be kind before Valentine’s Day is ruined?
Perfect for Valentine's Day, this princess pony story is one about adventure, team work, and love. Complete with a bedazzled horseshoe charm, this book is perfect for kids age 7-10. With large font, a few illustrations, and an easy to follow narrative, this book was a great inclusion.
Ellie, Engineer by Jackson Pearce - Retail Value $7.99
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Ellie is an engineer. With a tool belt strapped over her favorite skirt (who says you can’t wear a dress and have two kinds of screwdrivers handy, just in case?), she invents and builds amazing creations in her backyard workshop. Together with her best friend Kit, Ellie can make anything. As Kit’s birthday nears, Ellie doesn’t know what gift to make until the girls overhear Kit’s mom talking about her present--the dog Kit always wanted! Ellie plans to make an amazing doghouse, but her plans grow so elaborate that she has to enlist help from the neighbor boys and crafty girls, even though the two groups don’t get along. Will Ellie be able to pull off her biggest project yet, all while keeping a secret from Kit?
Charlie is all about Junie B. Jones, so he was pretty excited to see this Ellie, Engineer book likened to one of his faves on the back of the book. Reminding us slightly of the "Monkey with a Toolbelt" series, this was obviously more serious, and STEM based, but the illustrations were quite similar. Charlie found this book interesting and fun to read, and was intrigued by the doghouse plans. Because we have a puppy coming our way soon, Charlie wants to get out his tool belt to create just like Ellie.
Elephant Sticky Notes
Super cute and functional, these little elephant sticky notes are perfect for marking pages in an unfinished book, or writing a list of to-dos. Charlie appreciated the usefulness of these elephant notes, but asked if he could gift them to his teacher for Valentine's Day. What a sweetheart!
Monthly Sticker Pack
Between the Bookends is known for sending monthly stickers, and this set doesn't disappoint. Featuring three different vinyl stickers, the clipart and sayings are adorable and fit with the theme of the box perfectly.
Magic Sequin Notebook
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When Charlie pulled this magic sequin notebook out of this month's box, he was obsessed. He loved drawing designs in the magic sequins on the front, but ultimately decided he wanted to give this inclusion to his teacher for Valentine's Day as well. Though I really would have liked this notebook, I know his thoughtfulness will be greatly appreciated by his teacher when she opens up this gem.
Room Spray from Cosmetics for College
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Personally, I love lavender and lemon, so I was excited for this room spray. Charlie wasn't quite sure about this product, so he happily gave it to me. Spritzing on my pillow before bed helps me relax, and after researching Cosmetics for College, discovered it benefits a good cause. A great inclusion for me, but maybe not for my 7 year old.
Lip Balm Duo from Cosmetics for College
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With winter in full force, Charlie's lips are extremely chapped. Debuting Valentine sayings, these lip balms look like they can be given away, but Charlie decided to keep them. We appreciated the fact that these were made with coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax, and flavoring, but without dye. Hydrated lips, here we come!
Spa Headband
The look Charlie had on his face when he opened this was priceless. Never seeing a spa headband before, he wasn't quite sure what to make of this blue polka dot fuzzy headband, but quickly suggested we save it for when we get our puppy. Since I'm pretty sure our puppy won't need a spa headband, I added this to my school prize collection to acknowledge a student for positive academics and behaviors.
Wristlet Keychain
The teachers have been commenting at school how the fashion trends of the 90s and early 2000s are coming back, and this keychain shows just how true that is. I had a keychain eerily similar to this version in about 2001, and I admittedly am okay with this piece coming back (but not some of the others!) With cute font, and a sweet quote, this multi-colored keychain hooks easily on a backpack or purse, and gives off groovy vibes that just can't be beat.
"Love What You Do" Pencil Case
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After attending a college and career fair with my junior and senior students, one of the biggest pieces of advice given was to go to school for something that you love to do, not necessarily the money. I can definitely attest to this, and found this pink pencil case a great reminder. Very feminine in color, Charlie wasn't into it, but inner 12-year-old Becca sure was! Made from pink vinyl, it has a brown liner and zipper that slides easily to and fro. Fitting regular sized pens and pencils perfectly, this helped me organize my desk and keep things neat and tidy.
Hand Out Hearts from "The Works Custom Gifts"
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The last item we received was this set of hand out hearts. Lasered with different positive sayings, these are meant to be handed out to spread the love. Our school is a PBIS school so when a positive behavior is observed, we hand out a paw and explain what behavior was exhibited to earn said paw. These wooden hearts will be a perfect substitution on Valentine's Day, and something a little more substantial to bring home and keep forever.
Verdict
With "I Love to Read Month" underway, Charlie has been a reading machine and beTWEEN the Bookends Early Reader box has helped him discover new genres he otherwise may have overlooked. At the beginning of second grade, Charlie hated reading. He struggled finding books he was interested in, and grew frustrated. I utilized this subscription box to slightly bribe him to read "just a little more" and he now has the highest AR point total in his grade! This box is always a surprise, and while this version is specifically aimed towards girls, Charlie gifts the girly items he doesn't want, and keeps the other things. Through this subscription we have discovered new authors and brands that we otherwise would have probably missed. If you have a kid that loves reading, or is struggling to find books they enjoy, we highly suggest this box, because it really makes reading fun.
The beTWEEN the Bookends Early Reader Full-Sized box costs $50.00 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 $4.54 a piece. Because of the thoughtful curation, fun theme, and enjoyable products, I feel the $50.00 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 March box.
What did you think of the beTWEEN the Bookends full-sized box?
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