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.)
Not that I want to wish my life away, but folks, we are 8 weeks away from summer vacay and I absolutely cannot wait! Our spring has been terrible, and we still have snowbanks taller than our cedar hedges, but today it actually hit 50 degrees! With Earth Day right around the corner, Charlie was super excited to dive into this month's "beTWEEN the Bookends" box to see just what it might contain. 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 April 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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To start off the box, we go through 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. "Love the Earth as you would love yourself." I love me some John Denver!!
Amelia Bedelia Cleans Up by Herman Parish - Retail Value $5.99
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Amelia Bedelia and her friends are determined to find a cool clubhouse, maybe even a tree house for their explorers' club! One day they discover an empty lot with a huge tree in the middle of it. It's the perfect spot for club headquarters. The lot is a mess, so they pitch in and clean it up. And that's when the trouble really starts.
Amelia Bedelia is one of Charlie's favorite book characters, along with Junie B. Jones, and Jack and Annie. These fast paced books are perfect for ages 6-10 (though I love them at 34), and are AR quizzable. Entertaining and a hoot to read, this "Cleans Up" version is great with Earth Day coming up! Charlie loved the tree house aspect, and really enjoys this series as one of the characters shares his name!
Secret Explorers and the Lost Whales by SJ King - Retail Value $5.99
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Meet The Secret Explorers! This group of brilliant kids comes together from all four corners of the globe to fix problems, solve mysteries, and gather knowledge all over the planet - and beyond. Whenever their help is needed, a special sign will appear on a door. They step through to the Exploration Station and receive their mission... In The Lost Whales, marine life expert Connor needs to use his underwater expertise to help save a pod of humpback whales that have lost their way. Along with space expert Roshni, he sets out in a submarine to search for a way to steer the whales back on track, but encounters unexpected problems along the way, including lost baby whales and a fleet of boats. Will The Secret Explorers manage to succeed in their mission?
Another hit was this Secret Explorers book. Charlie is my adventurer, and this book was perfect for his curious little mind. With a bunch of fun kids saving a pod of humpback whales, this book was fast paced and had a lot of educational information packed in. With great diverse characters, this book was a win, and includes 14 other books in the series! Watch out Mail-A-Book, we are going to keep you busy!
Wooden Soap Dish
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The first lifestyle item we received was one we first thought was a coaster. Similar to a trivet, this wooden square has slots on the bottom and foam stickies on the feet. After reading the pamphlet, we discovered this was a soap dish meant for the next lifestyle item. With a cute bookish quote, Charlie was happy to place this on the sink next to the faucet with his new bar of soap!
Earth Themed Soap Bar from "Beach Bum Body Shoppe"
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Here is the soap I mentioned above. Sticking to the Earth Day theme, this circular soap smells like fruit and looks just like a globe! Made by a small shop, these items are always our favorite, and this particular one makes Charlie excited to wash his hands. Yay!
Window Cling
At first glance, we thought this little frog was a sticker, but upon inspection we discovered it's actually a window cling! Holding a "Earth Day Every Day" sign, this little guy is really adorable, and Charlie was excited to put it on his bedroom window.
Seed Growing Pencil Set
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Charlie is definitely my gardener, and literally just bought two Easter lilies with his birthday money, so you can imagine his excitement when he came across these seed pencils. Featuring wood shafts, you are able to sharpen and write with these guys until you get to the ends, which then contain seeds. Plant the ends in a pot of dirt and watch Lavender, Lucky Clovers, Sunflowers, and Baby's Breath grow! Charlie has been spending an awful lot of time at the pencil sharpener lately, and I think it's because he just wants to plant these instead of write with them!
Sticker Sheet from Pipsticks
Along with gardening, Charlie also loves collecting stickers. These recycling robot stickers not only are shiny, but super whimsical too! We loved the nuts and bolts stickers, and Charlie asked if we can save these to put on his next year's school folders.
Earth Keychain
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Keychains are always a hit in our house as the boys use them to customize their backpacks. Charlie likened the look of this earth keychain to an eyeball, and was all for it. With a silver ring and ball shape, this guy was quite heavy and really neat looking. Two seconds after it came out of the box it was already on the backpack!
Broccoli Sheet Mask by TONYMOLY- Estimated Value $1.15
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Sheet masks are one of my favorite ways to relax and rewind, but they honestly scare the wits out of my kids. Charlie hates when I wear these and thinks I look like a mummy, so he definitely didn't want to try this broccoli version out for himself. Mom got to keep this hydrating mask, and my skin really did feel rejuvenated after using! Thanks Tony Moly!
DIY Bracelet Kit from "Willow Bead Co."
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The last item we received was this small shop beading kit. Containing an elastic cord, multi-colored round beads, and letter beads, you can design your own bracelet with the words "Go Green". Charlie loves little kits like this and eagerly put it together. Cute in design and fitting perfectly with this month's theme, it was a win!
Verdict
Because we are getting closer and closer to the year end party, you can bet Charlie is trying to rack up the AR points to get to go to "The End of the Year Reading Party". With two new fantastic books included in this month's beTWEEN the Bookends Early Reader box, Charlie was super excited to get to reading, and was excited it included gender neutral books that were AR testable. Loving all of this month's bookish goodies, Charlie loved going through each item, and found everything included useful. This box is always a surprise, and one that keeps my kids love of reading going strong! 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, as 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 May box.
What did you think of the beTWEEN the Bookends full-sized box?
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