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-sized 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 as the full boxes but will have only 3-5 gender neutral lifestyle items.
The Cost: $55.00 per month for the full-sized box + free US shipping (on a 12-month subscription). 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.)
We are almost halfway through December and Christmas is almost here! I am literally counting down the days to winter break, and cannot wait for all of the celebrating to be had! With cookie exchanges, holiday parties, a Nativity pageant, and our family get-togethers, our schedules our packed, but not so much that we forget about reading! This month's beTWEEN the Bookends came in the midst of the flurry; but with such exciting inclusions, Charlie dropped what he was doing to check out his Christmas-themed book and goodies! Filled with awesome new books and fun lifestyle items, this box was perfect for December. Read below to see what we discovered.
First Impressions
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As the full-sized 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. "In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy." -William Blake
Spy Penguins by Sam Hay - Retail Value $13.99
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Adventure-loving penguin Jackson dreams of being a secret agent like his Uncle Bryn, who works for the Frosty Bureau of Investigation. Jackson and his gadget-inventing best friend Quigley might officially be too young to join the FBI, but they aren’t going to let that stop them! They just need to come up with the right plan to prove that they are worthy. But when one of Q’s inventions goes dangerously wrong, Jackson suddenly finds himself dropped right in the middle of an FBI stakeout. There’s fishy business afoot at the city’s aquarium; rare fish are vanishing and not even the FBI can work out what’s going on. It’s up to Jackson and Quigley to solve the crime!
Perfect for winter, this "Spy Penguin" book is not only hilarious, but a fact-based, fun mystery as well! Charlie took to it quickly, and really got a kick out of the "icePad" inclusion. With larger font and a few pictures, this book is a great transition from series like Junie B. Jones. A little longer than previous books at 256 pages, this one is worth 3 AR points; so Charlie was totally ready to read this one. A great inclusion that was the start of a series, which are our favorite!
Galaxy Zack: A Green Christmas! by Ray O'Ryan - Retail Value $17.99
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Christmas is just a few days away and Zack Nelson can’t wait to get back to Earth and spend it with his relatives in Vermont. He’s looking forward to sledding and having a white Christmas! But when a cosmic storm hits Nebulon, the Nelsons have to cancel their travel plans and spend Christmas on their new home planet. Zack is distraught....until the storm hits.What are those green flakes falling from the sky? Could they be...snow? A white Christmas would have been nice, but maybe a green one is even better! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Galaxy Zack chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.
Among all of our holiday plans, we definitely didn't have time to get sick, but lo and behold, Covid hit our house. Though pretty mild in symptoms, Charlie felt like garbage and spent a few days lounging on the couch. He was so excited to get the BeTWEEN the Bookends box, and started reading the Galaxy Zack book right away. He was delighted to see the themed Christmas book, and enjoyed the fun space twist and characters. A little easier to read than the penguin book, this too was fast paced and fun. Including many illustrations, it is worth 1 AR point, and has Charlie totally hoping for a "Green Christmas!"
Bath Bomb
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Even when Charlie isn't sick, he loves bath bombs. This 8 year old loves them so much, he even has them on his Christmas list! You can imagine his delight when he opened up this gingerbread scented one - it was quite strong, but perfect for an under-the-weather kiddo. His hot bath smelled like a batch of cookies baking, and it brought a really big smile to a pale little face as it foamed and bubbled!
Narwhal Boba Toy
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Another one of Charlie's favorites are fidgets. He's quite sensory-oriented and utilizes squishy ones while he's reading to help him concentrate. I have been impressed with the quality of this guy, too. We've had a few squishy ones that he's exploded on accident. So far, with a ton of squeezing, the narwhal is still intact.
Exclusive Fuzzy Socks
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Is there anything more satisfying than slipping on a pair of fuzzy socks after a warm, relaxing, bath-bombed bath?! I think not, and Charlie agrees! He loves fuzzy socks, and was so excited to put these on after his bath. Cute and comfy, these have quickly become his favorite, and I love the little embroidery addition on the tops!
Magnetic Bookmark
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Paper bookmarks are great, but Charlie is definitely more apt to use "fun" ones that slip on the corners, are characters, or are magnetic. Featuring Christmas clipart, this bookmark fit the theme perfectly, and has kept my sweet boy from dog earring the pages of his books!
Monthly Sticker Pack
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We love stickers, and this month's sticker pack was really cute. With 3 fun stickers, Charlie liked the polar bear and penguin the best, and added them to his thermos. A fun inclusion that is very versatile!
Hot Cocoa
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I swear, this box was made with Charlie in mind. He love, love, loves hot cocoa, and we literally just bought packages of this exact brand and flavor as part of our family's Christmas gifts. He asked for one, but we had bought just enough, so he was ecstatic to see the very same brand and flavor in his box. Creamy, sweet, and packed with vanilla flavor, he loved this cocoa and it really pepped him right up!
Snowman Keychain
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Again, Charlie is a fan of keychains and has a dozen of them on his backpack. He loves looking at them and feeling them, especially when he has to ride the dreaded school bus. This guy is perfect for a winter box and features a rubbery, textured snowman with the cutest face. Easy to add on to a zipper pull, this really spruced up his backpack for some extra Christmas cheer!
Penguin Dig Craft
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The last item was one of Charlie's favorites, but we actually are saving it to do outside (or in the garage). At first I thought this was a bath bomb, but it is actually a dig set. Charlie loves these, but makes an insane mess when he digs, so we've learned our lesson. I'm assuming this is a little penguin, and am excited to watch the excavation, so we've carved out some time after basketball to see just what's inside this bubblegum pink plaster.
Verdict
Christmas is coming, and with that is an extra-packed schedule. To help cheer up a sick Charlie, beTWEEN the Bookends Early Reader box came just in time. With two awesome HARDCOVER titles and some really fun (and relaxing) lifestyle items, this month's theme was well-received. If you have a kid that loves reading, or is struggling to find books they enjoy, we highly suggest this box, as it makes reading enjoyable and fun.
The beTWEEN the Bookends Early Reader full-sized box costs $55.00 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 $5.50 a piece. Because of the thoughtful curation, fun theme, and enjoyable products, I feel the $55.00 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 January box.
What did you think of the beTWEEN the Bookends full-sized box?
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