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 17-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-sized boxes but will have only 3-5 gender neutral lifestyle items.
The Cost: $45.00 per month for the gender-neutral box + free US shipping (on a 12-month subscription). Save with longer subscriptions.
This review is of the beTWEEN the Bookends Early Reader gender-neutral 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.)
Summer vacation is in full swing and I love it! We've been super busy with baseball and various projects, but not having to wake up at 5:00 a.m. every morning is amazing (even if my husband gets a little jealous this time of year). That said, the summer slide is real—so my boys are lucky enough to have a written "summer school" routine to keep their big brains active. One of their daily tasks includes 30 minutes of reading a book of their choice. Charlie was especially excited to receive some new titles from this month's beTWEEN the Bookends box. Packed with engaging books and fun lifestyle items, this box was just what he needed to log his “mama-required” 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 turquoise tissue paper and sealed with a sticker featuring clip art of a boy and 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
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. "Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Simon Seahorse: I Spy.... a Shark! By Cora Reef - Retail Value $5.99
Simon and Olive love playing “I Spy” in Coral Jungle because there are so many things to see! There are different types of coral, seagrass, and all sorts of fish. But one day they spy…a shark! They swim away as fast as they can, but the shark catches up to them and introduces herself. And it turns out Simon and Olive—and all of Coral Grove—have a lot to learn about sharks. With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Not-So-Tiny Tales of Simon Seahorse chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.
Charlie is a very fluent reader but tends to prefer books that are quick reads. This particular book is geared toward emerging readers, so it was especially easy for him, but it still added to his reading minutes. The story was cute, and the illustrations made it fun. Because it was a quick read, Charlie felt accomplished after finishing it and really liked the characters Simon and the shark. Overall, a great addition!
The Giants go Camping by Jane Yolen - Retail Value $5.99
The giants go camping in the second book about the huge-hearted family from the bestselling and beloved team Jane Yolen and Tomie dePaola in this series for Aladdin QUIX, a line of fun-to-read, short chapter books. Dazzle, Grizzle, Grub, Grab, and Dab share the fun and surprises of a camping trip to the mountains.
This book was another easy read, but Charlie enjoyed it because the giants went camping - something he loves to do himself. It was a perfect fit for his interests. There was even a chapter about a hammock, which was especially exciting since Charlie just bought one with his own money! The book also included illustrations, which kept him engaged, and he was able to read it in one sitting, adding valuable minutes to his July reading calendar.
Cloud Doodles - Retail Value $15.00
Let your creativity soar with Cloud Doodles, where the sky is your canvas and every cloud is your muse. With just a few swoopy lines and some artful dots and dashes, you can turn a fluffy cumulus into a dancing elephant or a wispy cirrus into an ice-cream cone! Aim for fun, not perfection, and keep it easy-breezy.
This month, we received a third book and it was sooo cool! It combines creativity, art, and books into one fun little project. I used a black Sharpie pen, which bled through the page a bit, but I also pressed way too hard. We're heading to my mom’s this weekend, so this will be a great travel activity for the boys to work on during the 3-hour car ride. I can’t wait to see what they come up with!
Monthly Sticker Pack
Charlie loves stickers, and appreciated the variety this month, especially the dog reading on the beach! Perfect for envelopes, these add a fun little twist on some of the mail we send out and look cute one notebook covers!
Wet/Dry Beach Bag
As a mom, I love when we receive functional items like this wet/dry beach bag. It features an adorable quote - one that has definitely been true for us this summer—and includes a zippered closure and a snap mechanism for attaching it to a backpack or bike handle. It’s a decent size, big enough to fit a folded pair of swim trunks, but we especially enjoyed using it for snacks. Perfectly fitting the "Summer is Booked" theme, this was a great (and helpful) inclusion!
Flamingo Flingers
The next item we received was a set of stretchy flamingo flingers. I’ve personally owned the chicken version of these before and loved flinging them around, so getting the flamingo version was awesome! Slightly sticky in texture, they’ll stick to walls and even the ceiling if flung hard enough. Cute in design and perfect for makeshift dart games, the kids and I absolutely loved these toys!
Amazing Grow Tropical Bird
Like I have mentioned before, the kids really enjoy little crafty things. The next item we received was contained in a plastic egg and included a tropical bird crystal kit. When opened, there is a bird body with a paper head. It easily assembles and the magic liquid is added. Within the hour, the bird grows! It was so cool!
Easy to assemble, this was a really unique and fun kit that didn't take a lot of time. Charlie loved watching the toucan grow, and thought the fluffy crystals were so cool!
Kinetic Sand
One of Charlie's absolute favorite things is kinetic sand, and this sandcastle kit was amazing! With blue sand and multiple molds, it was a super fun set that let him create all kinds of castle blocks. Charlie has been playing with it in the mornings before his reading time and really enjoyed it - plus, it only made a slight mess!
Verdict
beTWEEN the Bookends is a fantastic way to keep kids engaged in reading, and this month Charlie absolutely loved everything included. His favorite items (besides the books) were the flamingo flingers, tropical bird, and kinetic sand. Overall, this month was great and we are hoping for more items just like this in August!
The beTWEEN the Bookends Gender Neutral box costs $45.00 per month (on a 12-month subscription track), including shipping. The books are valued at $26.98, and there was a great variety of lifestyle items. I find the $45.00/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 August box.
What did you think of the beTWEEN the Bookends gender-neutral box?
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