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.)
Love is in the air, and while my 10-year-old son still thinks girls have cooties, he was really excited to see just what this month's beTWEEN the Bookends box had in store. Featuring new books and a heap of awesome lifestyle goodies, this box always impresses. Read below to find out what we received in this month's "Love What You Read" themed February 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 Pamphlet
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Now that we are a couple month's into the new pamphlet layout, the boys have gotten used to the change, and actually appreciate seeing exactly what other boxes include. With a slew of lifestyle items, they tend to create a wishlist, and have yet to be disappointed by what's included in their respective boxes. Featured on the back is a romantic book quote written by Christopher Morley: "There is no mistaking a real book when one meets it. It is like falling in love." What a true statement! Also featured is a hint for next month's theme, and with the rocket and atom clipart, the boys are already excited to see what March's box may contain!
The Collectors by Jacqueline West - Retail Value $7.99
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Van has always been an outsider. He’s hard of hearing, collects trinkets, and lives with his single mother—an opera singer with a huge personality. Then one day, Van notices a girl stealing pennies from a fountain, and everything changes. He follows the girl, Pebble, and uncovers an underground society full of wishes and the people who collect them. Not all wishes are good and even good wishes often have unintended consequences, and the Collectors have made it their duty to protect us. But they aren't the only ones who have their eyes on the world’s wishes—and they may not be the good guys, after all.
Jacqueline West spins a story about friendship, magic, and the gray area between good and evil. The Collectors is for fans of Cassie Beasley’s Circus Mirandus and Jonathan Auxier’s The Night Gardener. Booklist calls it, “A brilliant fantasy adventure exploring the consequences of getting what you wish for.”
Hank is all about books in the fantasy genre. He loves the Harry Potter series, and can appreciate a little mystery now and again. The Collectors was an interesting read as it features a kid that is hard of hearing, and Hank has been exposed to that as he has a classmate that is deaf and uses sign language. Choosing to read this during the day time as he was a little worried about bad dreams, he really enjoyed this book and could tell why it was awarded the Schneider Family Book Award. I personally loved the inclusiveness of this book and found the magic and mystery extremely engaging, making this a must read for others!
Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunch - Retail Value $17.95
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Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England. When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes he —not even her father, the town prosecutor.
Hank always reads the back of the book before he reads it, and after discovering this book involves murder, he was out. Tending to be a butterfly and roses type of kid, he enjoys fantasy books, but didn't want to cloud his mind with killers. <-- those are his words, not mine. Because I too tend to stick to happy-go-lucky books, I too was out, but did try to coax him into just giving it a try. This was a non-negotiable for my son and he happily donated it to his classroom library for someone else to enjoy. This was the first book that he hasn't read from this subscription, which are really fantastic odds. While we didn't read it, I'm certain it will catch the eye of one of Hank's classmates, and I'll get the scoop from them to see how it really was.
Elephant Sticky Notes
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One of Hank's favorite items this month was this pack of "To Do Memo" elephant notes. Small in size, but mighty in usefulness, these are perfectly handy for creating lists. With check off boxes to boot, Hank has created his Top 5 basketball card wish list, and keeps it tucked in his basketball card book. Donning a bird and apple, these are perfect for kids and adults alike, and would make a fantastic teacher gift come Valentine's Day ... just sayin'!
Monthly Sticker Pack
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Also included this month was a Valentine vinyl sticker pack. With three bright colored stickers, these waterproof stickers are not only cute, but feature fun sayings. The reading kitty was my personal favorite, but Hank liked the stack of books. A fun inclusion that certainly helps to decorate notebooks, all while encouraging kids to pick up a book.
Basketball Hoop Pen
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Hank is an absolute sport nut, so when he pulled this basketball hoop pen out of this month's box, he was literally jumping for joy. Featuring an enclosed dome on the top of the pen, there is a little tab you push to pop the plastic basketball up and (hopefully) into the hoop. While a little top-heavy, this was one pen that Hank refuses to give up or share.
Zipper Monster Pencil Case
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Another fun inclusion that came in quite handy was this zipper monster pencil case. With a slew of zippers, including a white one for his teeth, this goggly eyed monster is funky and functional, holding a stash of pencils or pens. Also including a keychain on the zipper, you can attach it to a backpack. Because we have a problem keeping track of pencils at our house, Hank suggested we fill this bad boy with a freshly sharpened set and have it in our homework drawer, so they no longer have to go on a wild goose chase to find a pencil. Smart boy!
Hand Out Hearts from Small Shop "The Works Custom Gifts"
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The last inclusion in this month's box was a really fun one that I enjoyed more than Hank. Featuring sweet laser cut sayings on wooden hearts, these are meant to be passed out to deserving people. Because I am in education, this reminded me a bit of our PBIS "acknowledgement" paws, but on a more permanent scale. With quotes such as "You are Brave", "You are Kind", and "You are Special", Hank handed these over to me to give to my students during Valentine's week, to brighten a few students' days in a neat and personalized way.
Verdict
As I have mentioned before, as a mom and educator, reading is extremely important to me. My kids have heard it over and over again: "If you can read, you can do anything." Because I want to ensure my kids are successful at this skill (and enjoy it), I find beTWEEN the Bookends to be a fantastic fit for our family. Including intriguing books and lifestyle items, Hank is always excited to dive into this box and see what he discovers. While he wasn't interested in the hardcover book this month, he did enjoy "The Collectors", and every single lifestyle item will go to use. A perfect curation for Valentine's Day, "Love What You Read" was a great theme and really fun to open. We continue to be throughly impressed with this box, and can't wait to see what they have in store for March.
The beTWEEN the Bookends gender neutral box costs $37.00 per month, including shipping. Because the books alone are valued at over $25.00, I find the $37.00/month cost very reasonable as the lifestyle items help shape this box into an entire experience.
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
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 Tween Gender Neutral box?
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