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 16-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 in the full boxes but will have only 3-5 gender neutral lifestyle items.
The Cost: The Full-Sized box is $55 per month + free US shipping ($50.00/mo for the 12-month subscription track) while the Gender Neutral box is $45 per month. Save with longer subscriptions.
This review is of the beTWEEN the Bookends Tween Full Size 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.)
It's August, and we are having all the feels here! With only a few weeks of summer vacation left, we are trying to soak in every minute of relaxation we can, all while sticking to our reading goals that we set at the beginning of summer. We definitely haven't done as well as I had hoped, but this month's beTWEEN the Bookends arrived at the perfect time to help us finish strong! We couldn't wait to see what kind of books and lifestyle items it would contain. Read below to find out what this month's fun theme included.
First Impressions
The contents of this box are packaged neatly in bright pink tissue paper and sealed with a sticker featuring clip art of a pigtail-donning 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 check it out!
Here's What's Inside
Welcome Pamphlet
Each month we receive a pamphlet describing all items included in each box. It is color coordinated and laid out very nicely. Featured on the back is a quote by Sophocles, Antigone - "Think not that your word and yours alone must be right." Also included is a hint about next month's theme - I'm thinking school?!
Oh My Gods by Stephanie Cooke and Insha Fitzpatrick - Retail Value $12.99
Karen is just an average thirteen-year-old from New Jersey who loves to play video games with her friends and watch movies with her mom. But when she moves to Greece to live with her eccentric, mysterious father, Zed, suddenly everything she thought about herself—about life—is up in the air.
Starting a new school can be difficult, but starting school at Mt. Olympus Junior High, where students are gods and goddesses, just might take the cake. Especially when fellow classmates start getting turned to stone. Greek mythology . . . a little less myth, a little more eek! And if Karen’s classmates are immortal beings, who does that make her?Hank is a fan of graphic novels, so this was a good fit for him. While the main characters are girls, he did give it a chance and ended up liking the storyline. The twist of gods and goddesses made this read more exciting, and the mystery aspect kept him engaged. A winner for this month's theme for sure!
All Four Quarters of the Moon by Shirley Marr - Retail Value $17.99
The night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, making mooncakes with Ah-Ma, was the last time Peijing Guo remembers her life being the same. She is haunted by the magical image of a whole egg yolk suspended in the middle like the full moon. Now adapting to their new life in Australia, Peijing thinks everything is going to turn out okay as long as they all have each other, but cracks are starting to appear in the family. Five-year-old Biju, lovable but annoying, needs Peijing to be the dependable big sister. Ah-Ma keeps forgetting who she is; Ma Ma is no longer herself and Ba Ba must adjust to a new role as a hands-on dad. Peijing has no idea how she is supposed to cope with the uncertainties of her own world while shouldering the burden of everyone else. If her family are the four quarters of the mooncake, where does she even fit in?
Once Hank finished the graphic novel, he started this book, and found it a lot deeper than the previous pick for the month. Fascinated by the differences of our culture to Peijing's, Hank learned a lot and empathized with her! While he hasn't finished this book yet, he is pretty far in, and so far really seems to be enjoying it!
Moon Pen
In school the kids have to write with pencils everyday, so they tend to gravitate towards pens at home. This month, we received a pen that will not get lost, and is super cool! The small, delicate nib writes a very fine line, and the top features a round globe of glitter heart confetti! With a bendable plastic crescent moon on top, this pen is really sweet and fits in with the mythology box perfectly!
Monthly Sticker Pack
Hank always enjoys stickers, and this month's versions were really bright and happy. With fun colors and great design, these were great for adding to our sticker collection! Useful for decorating folders and pencils boxes, you can never have too many stickers!
Moon & Mercury Notepads
Paper is always a need in our house, and these Mercury and Moon notepads have Hank covered. With light pastel designs, the pen writes against them nice, and Hank can write all the notes he pleases. How cute!!
Foaming Body Wash
Anything that has a dragon on it, Hank is into, so he was excited about this foaming bath wash. Scented like limes, this body wash does hold a slight scent even when washed off, which is pretty fun. Hank enjoyed the foaming aspect as it's a new texture for him in the body wash world, and was excited to take his nightly shower.
Bath Pouf
Check this out! To pair with the foaming soap, Hank received this awesomely blue and turquoise bath pouf! We prefer these over wash cloths, because they get soooo extra sudsy, and now he has a brand new one! Complete with a ribbon hanger on the top, we have three hooks on the back of the shower to hang our poufs, and this dual colored one is prettier than anything I've ever found in store!
Make Your Own Crystal Ring Set
Because this full size box is geared towards girls, each month we get some girly goodies that Hank doesn't obviously love. This is a beautiful thing for a mom like me, who is a 12 year old girl at heart! I love crafts, and this tiny kit was so fun and cute. With easy to follow instructions, we received two pink jade beads and a piece of wire. I easily wrapped the beads with the wire and created this fun little ring. While it's a little small for my big fingers, it turned out really cute, and I have an elementary girl in mind to receive this once school starts back up!
Astrological Rope Bracelet
The next item we received was this rope bracelet. As you can see by the photos, it is not tied together, so I'm not exactly sure how it is supposed to connect. My wrist is way too big to try tying this onto, and the ends were too short for Hank as well. Featuring the goat, this is my youngest sons's Chinese zodiac animal, so that was perfect, but because it doesn't seem to be real functional, we've been using it as a bookmark instead.
Lucky Cat Keychain
The next item we received was this funny good luck keychain. Featuring a silicone kitty, jingle bell, and bracelet, this keychain has it all! My parents were headed to the casino the day we received this box, and Hank was eager to give this to my mom for a bit of good luck. While it didn't work, my dad was always able to find her due to the jingling sound this keychain makes! Cute!
3D Dragon
The last item we received was definitely the favorite. This 3D printed dragon is sooo stinking cool. My sister has a 3D printer and has made us tons of fidgets, but because these dragons take a while to print, I am the only one that had one of the magnificent creatures. But now Hank has one of his own! This bright green guy is quite delicate, so you must play gently. A great end to the mythology box, this was a super cool inclusion!
Verdict
beTWEEN the Bookends is one of our favorite subscription boxes of all time, and this month Hank really enjoyed both book inclusions. Like I mentioned above, this is the full-sized box which is aimed towards girls, but fit a mother/son duo just fine. The included lifestyle items were a great mix of self care and fun, and all fit the monthly theme well. Overall we thought this box was curated nicely and loved the useful items like the soap and bath pouf, along with the awesome 3D printed dragon! We already can't wait to see what's in store for September!
The beTWEEN the Bookends Full Size box costs $50.00 per month (on a 12-month subscription track), including shipping. Because the books alone are valued at over $25.98, I find the $50.00/month cost extremely reasonable, as the lifestyle items help shape this box into an entire experience.
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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 September box.
What did you think of the Full Size BeTWEEN the Bookends Tween box?
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