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 March in Minnesota, and I am in dire need of some signs of spring! With another threat of a snowstorm coming this weekend, our family is in need of any positives we can get, so this month's "beTWEEN the Bookends" box arrived just in the nick of time. My kids both love reading, but are running out of books they haven't Accelerated Reading quizzed on, so this box is perfect for us! Not only does this subscription contain new books and authors my kids have adored, but they also have received a ton of bookish goodies. Read below to see what we discovered in the March box.
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. 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.
March of the Mini Beasts by Ada Hopper - Retail Value $5.99
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What would happen if your next-door neighbor were a mad scientist? Gabe, Laura, and Cesar live on a quiet cul-de-sac. They are the whiz kids of Newtonburg Elementary and each specializes in their own subject. In fact, everyone in town lovingly refers to them as the Data Set. However, their quiet days of learning take a sudden turn for the exciting when they meet Dr. Gustav Bunsen—a mad scientist who throws the kids into a wild spiral of adventures. When Dr. Bunsen’s latest invention, a growth ray, hits several tiny animal toys, the mini beasts don’t just grow, they come to life! The DATA Set love their new tiny pets…until they continue to grow. Now there’s an actual elephant in the room—not to mention a chimp, a giraffe, and a dinosaur. When the beasts wander off, it’s up to the DATA Set to track them down. But will they catch the mini beasts before they grow big enough to start trouble in town?
Charlie loves off-the-wall mystery books, but hadn't heard of this series until now. With a mad scientist and crazy mini beasts, Charlie was into this book right from the get-go and was able to read this entire book in one afternoon. With large print and easy to read vocabulary, this was great for a 2nd grader, and was even AR testable!
The Bard and the Beast (The Kingdom of Wrenly) by Jordan Quinn - Retail Value $5.99
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Prince Lucas does not want to learn to play the lute. He would much rather be outside exploring with his best friend Clara. When a traveling bard pays a visit to the castle, he tries to convince the young prince that there is magic in music, but Lucas isn’t falling for it. And when the two go for a walk in the hills and stumble upon a ferocious monster, Lucas learns that the bard might just be telling the truth after all.
The next book Charlie received was one having to do with castles and monsters. Easy to read, like this month's first pick, this book was a pretty quick read, and also AR quizzable. Charlie enjoyed the illustrations and is really interested in the other books in this series.
Pocket Mirror
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Nothing says adventure like a pocket watch, and while we didn't receive one of those this month, we did get a pocket mirror engraved with a quote from Peter Pan. "To live will be an awfully big adventure" is a great addition to a fun product that was packaged nicely into a felt purple bag. While Charlie might not need a pocket mirror, this was a great addition to my purse!
Sticker Pack
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We love stickers, and this month's sticker pack was one of our favorites ever. Featuring a paper airplane, owl, and weather filled book, these cut out stickers can be adhered to just about anything. Cute!
Exclusive Pencil Set
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Another charming item sent this month was this exclusive pencil set. Featuring quotes from Charlotte's Web, Matilda, Anne of Green Gables, and Wonder, these pastel colored pencils have the best erasers, sharpen well, and are perfect for the upcoming Easter holiday.
Astronaut Pen
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While pencils are our favorite, we use a lot of pens at our house as well. With a thin fine-liner style tip, this black pen writes beautifully on birthday cards and the rubber astronaut on top makes for a great fidget. Functional and cute, it is easy to keep track of and writes really nice!
Kitty Astronaut Pencil Sharpener and Eraser Set
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This month we were supposed to received a picture frame, but because of a shipping issue we received a kitty astronaut pencil sharpener and eraser set instead. Definitely fitting the adventure theme, this cute combo has Grumpy cat vibes and was a perfect addition to Charlie's at school pencil box.
Unicorn Keychain
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Charlie isn't much into unicorns, but his mama sure is! Being the 12-year-old girl at heart that I am, I put this fuzzy pom unicorn keychain on my backpack and am totally the envy of all the 4th grade girls. It's so fluffy, I'm gonna die!! (Despicable Me)
Bath Soak by "Make Mine Homemade"
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Bath time is one of Charlie's favorites things in life and he has asked Santa more than once in his 8 years for bath bombs. While he isn't as familiar with bath salts as bombs, he was really excited to throw this cupcake scented salt into his tub. After a long day of basketball he said this was extra soothing and made his tub smell extra yummy. A great inclusion he is hoping to see more of in the future.
Popcorn
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Not listed in the pamphlet, we also received a small bag of Pirate's Booty popcorn. Aged white cheddar was the flavor, and Charlie gobbled it right up. Yum!
Eraser Fidget
The last item we received was an eraser fidget. This too wasn't listed on the content pamphlet, but was a really fun inclusion. With the ability to change into a cube, my sister 3D printed us a few of these guys, but not with the ability to erase. Charlie couldn't wait to bring this to school and add it to his pencil box. At this rate, he's going to need another box for all these fun goodies!
Verdict
With "I Love to Read Month" behind us, I was a little worried Charlie might scale back on his reading, but lo and behold, the beTWEEN the Bookends Early Reader box came just in time to save the day! With two new reads that were also AR quizzable, Charlie jumped right in and read them right away. Loving all of this month's bookish goodies, we had a great time during our unboxing. 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 $5.00 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 April box.
What did you think of the beTWEEN the Bookends full-sized box?
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