beTWEEN the Bookends Tween Review: “To Read Is To Travel” May 2025

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.)

May is here, and we’re counting down the days to summer vacation! Honestly, it feels like we just kicked off the 2024–2025 school year, and now we’re already nearing the end. That said, the kids are beyond excited for some well-deserved rest, relaxation, and a little extra sleep! While summer is amazing for so many reasons, the “summer slide” is a real concern. Thankfully, this month’s beTWEEN the Bookends box arrived just in time to help Hank stay sharp with his reading skills—all while keeping things fun and engaging! Packed with exciting books and cool lifestyle items, this box was exactly what he needed to log some reading minutes and continue building his fluency. Keep reading to see what we discovered!

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 the items included in the box. It is color-coordinated and beautifully laid out. Featured on the back is a quote by Lao Tzu: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Also included is a hint about next month’s theme—featuring a tea drink and plants, I'm not even quite sure what to make of it!! I can't wait to see!

Ginny Off The Map by Caroline Hickey - Retail Value $15.45

There are two things Ginny Pierce loves most in the world: geography facts and her father. But when her dad is deployed overseas and Ginny’s family must move to yet another town, not even her facts can keep her afloat. The geography camp she’s been anxiously awaiting gets canceled, and her new neighbors prefer her basketball-star sister. Worst of all, her dad is in a war zone and impossible to get ahold of. Ginny decides that running her own camp for the kids on her street will solve all her problems. But can she convince them (and herself) that there's more to her than just facts? With a fierce heart and steadfast determination, Ginny tackles the challenges and rewards of staying true to herself during a season of growth. This thoughtful novel explores the strength that develops through adversity; Ginny must learn to trust her inner compass as she navigates the world around her.

Hank has been really busy with baseball lately, so unfortunately, reading has taken a bit of a backseat. We’ve been keeping up with our daily audiobook during the drive to and from school and still read before bed, but we haven’t had the chance to sit down and finish this book. He’s started it and enjoyed the geography aspect so far, but hasn’t had the time to really dive in and get into the story yet.

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll - Retail Value $7.99

Ever since Ms. Murphy told us about the witch trials that happened centuries ago right here in Juniper, I can’t stop thinking about them. Those people weren’t magic. They were like me. Different like me. I’m autistic. I see things that others do not. I hear sounds that they can ignore. And sometimes I feel things all at once. I think about the witches, with no one to speak for them. Not everyone in our small town understands. But if I keep trying, maybe someone will. I won’t let the witches be forgotten. Because there is more to their story. Just like there is more to mine. Award-winning and neurodivergent author Elle McNicoll delivers an insightful and stirring debut about the European witch trials and a girl who refuses to relent in the fight for what she knows is right.

As I mentioned above, Hank hasn’t had much time to read lately, so he hasn’t had a chance to check out this title. That said, a girl in my class, who is neurodivergent, saw the book on my desk. She read the back and was amazed to find that it was about a girl with autism, just like her! She asked if she could have it to read, and I gladly handed it over. By the next day, she had already started it and was so incredibly thankful!

U-Fidget

Both of my boys absolutely loves fidgets, and this one was fabulous! After a mishap with a liquid-filled fidget landed us at the emergency eye doctor, I was especially happy to receive a safer, non-liquid filled option. With multiple colors and various ways to manipulate and fold the triangles, you can create tons of fun designs and shapes. It fits easily in a backpack, and it even kept my husband entertained! A definite winner!

Custom Pin Banner

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The next item we received this month is this cute pin banner created by "The Works Custom Gifts." Featuring the quote, "A Book is a Dream That You Hold in Your Hand," and the beTWEEN the Bookend characters, this banner is about 8" wide and hangs from a wooden dowel. Because Hank has knee walls in his room, there isn't a lot of wall space to hand items such as these, so I nabbed this up to hang up in my classroom. The saying is excellent and will be the perfect addition to my wall near my bookshelf!

Monthly Sticker Pack

Hank enjoys stickers, and appreciated the variety this month. He liked the robot reading sticker best but put all of this months inclusions in the sticker folder for future use. These stickers have been used in many ways throughout our subscription, and we always appreciate receiving more.

Custom Moon Enamel Pin

Check out this cute pin! Featuring the moon, stars, and cloud design, this enamel pin is adorable. Made exclusively for beTWEEN the Bookends, this sturdy guy gives me all the 90s vibes. I personally will still rock a pin on my jean jacket occasionally, but Hank just wasn't sold on that idea, so he decided to pin it to his bedroom curtain.

Bobo's Apple Pie Oat Bites

Hank is a 12-year-old boy but has the appetite of a 20-year-old man. He eats like an absolute horse and is constantly snacking throughout the day. Since he’s involved in a ton of sports, he needs a lot of calories, and this apple pie oat bar was perfect for him. With a great mix of tasty ingredients, it made an excellent after-school snack that helped boost his energy. He really enjoyed the apple pie flavor and even asked if we could buy a package to keep on hand in my classroom. Hooray for a delicious treat!

Travel Body Scrub

The next item we received was more up my younger son’s alley than Hank’s. Charlie is all about bath time, and he was excited to see this body scrub included in his brother’s box. With a fruity pineapple scent, this scrub was perfect for cleaning his dirty little feet and legs after a session in the sandbox. While great for travel, it worked just as well at home and kept my house floors clean for an extra day! Yippee!!

Spaceman Light

The last item we received was definitely Hank's favorite, especially after he saw that Charlie received one too. This small moon light features an astronaut sitting on top and lights up his bedroom just the right amount. Giving off a warm yellow glow, it was the perfect addition to his bedroom nightstand, creating just the right ambiance. So much cooler than a traditional plug-in night light, it provides a gentle glow to keep all the scary shadows away!

Verdict

beTWEEN the Bookends is one of our favorite subscription boxes of all time. This month's box theme featured some useful items that Hank and I really enjoyed. Like I mentioned above, this is the full-sized box which is aimed towards girls, but fits a mother/son duo just fine. The included lifestyle items were a great mix of fun and functional all fitting the "To Read Is To Travel" theme well. Overall we thought this box was curated nicely and loved the useful items, especially the nightlight, fidget, and apple pie bites. We already can't wait to see what's in store for June!

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 $23.44, I find the $50.00/month cost 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 June box.

What did you think of the Full Size BeTWEEN the Bookends Tween box?