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 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.)
Summer break is in full swing, and I’m soaking it up! Between baseball games and fun projects, we’ve stayed busy—but sleeping past 5:00 a.m. is the real win (even if my husband’s uber jealous). To keep those brain muscles flexing, the boys follow a little “summer school” routine. Part of that includes 30 minutes of daily reading, and Hank was especially pumped about the latest beTWEEN the Bookends box. Filled with awesome books and cool surprises, it turned his reading time into something he actually looks forward to—keep reading to check it out!
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 that describes all the items included in the box. It’s color-coordinated and beautifully laid out. On the back, there’s a featured quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” There’s also a fun hint about next month’s theme—I’m guessing camping days, which Hank will be thrilled about!
Not Starring Zadie Louise by Joy McCullough - Retail Value $7.99
Zadie loves Tae Kwon Do, comic books, and outer space. She also loves visiting the community theater that her mom runs, especially the lighting grid over the stage and the stage manager’s booth, which is filled with levers and buttons like a spaceship control panel. So when the family’s finances suffer a blow and Zadie has to give up her usual activities to spend the summer at the theater, she doesn’t mind too much. After all, she’s always wanted to tech a show. She knows she’d be great at it, but her mom and the new stage manager are totally opposed to the idea of having a kid do tech. Instead, Zadie’s stuck handing out snacks and folding flyers. But the future of the theater rides on this show, and Zadie is determined to help. She’s going to make Spinderella the hit of the season—unless she accidentally turns it into a disaster.
The first book Hank received this month was a coming-of-age story about a family facing financial struggles, where everyone has to pitch in—including the kids. Zadie, the young main character, wants to help out, even though her parents aren’t too thrilled about it. Hank found the story really engaging, and since it’s geared toward kids 8 and up, he appreciated that it was a quick and easy read. He especially enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the theater, which he didn’t know much about aside from what he’s seen in the Sing movies. Overall, he thought it was a solid story and was happy to check off his reading minutes with it!
Stand Up, Yum Chung by Jessica Kim - Retail Value $8.99
On the outside, Yumi Chung suffers from #shygirlproblems, a perm-gone-wrong, and kids calling her "Yu-MEAT" because she smells like her family's Korean barbecue restaurant. On the inside, Yumi is ready for her Netflix stand-up special. Her notebook is filled with mortifying memories that she's reworked into comedy gold. All she needs is a stage and courage. Instead of spending the summer studying her favorite YouTube comedians, Yumi is enrolled in test-prep tutoring to qualify for a private school scholarship, which will help in a time of hardship at the restaurant. One day after class, Yumi stumbles on an opportunity that will change her life: a comedy camp for kids taught by one of her favorite YouTube stars. The only problem is that the instructor and all the students think she's a girl named Kay Nakamura--and Yumi doesn't correct them. As this case of mistaken identity unravels, Yumi must decide to stand up and reveal the truth or risk losing her dreams and disappointing everyone she cares about.
The next book Hank received is about a Korean girl who’s ready for a change in her life. In the first chapter, she’s getting the same old perm her mom always makes her get—and since Hank actually wants a perm, he was pretty intrigued by the whole process! While that’s not the main focus of the book, it was fun to see him so interested right from the start. He hasn’t finished it yet, but he’s a few chapters in and has already noticed that some of the character’s challenges mirror things he’s seen his classmates go through. It’s not his usual type of read, but it’s a great book for helping him understand different perspectives and family dynamics—overall, full of meaningful life lessons, and funny!
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!
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’s definitely felt true for us this summer—and includes a zippered closure plus a snap for attaching it to a backpack or bike handle. It’s a great size, big enough to hold a folded pair of swim trunks, though we especially enjoyed using it for snacks. Perfectly fitting the “Summer is Booked” theme, it was a thoughtful and practical addition. Best of all, it held all of this month’s items, making it easy to tote everything around!
Flamingo Flingers
The next item we received was a set of stretchy flamingo flingers. We have 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, and may or may not have played "tag" with them! 🤣
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. Hank loved watching this colorful parrot grow, and thought the fluffy crystals were so cool!
Monthly Sticker Pack
Hank enjoys 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 on notebook covers, which we will be needing to buy soon for the upcoming school year. Ekkkkkk!!
Ice Pop Bath Dust
Hank enjoys a relaxing bath every now and then, so this bath dust was a perfect addition after a long night of baseball. White in color, it smells like a sweet popsicle and made for an extra-soothing soak in the tub. It fizzes just like a bath bomb, but the fun part is that it can be used for multiple baths. Just a heads-up—you might need scissors to open the package!
Popsicle Mold
The next item we received was a popsicle mold kit, which came at the perfect time as it’s been really hot here this week! We gave it a try using some leftover juice, and the molds, made of silicone, featured adorable smiley face and dog designs. They’re a bit on the thin side, so things got a little messy at first. After clearing a flat spot in the freezer and letting them set overnight, the popsicles turned out cute, although one of the sticks did break off the smiley face mold. We’ve figured out how to make them work better next time, and Hank can’t wait to try again - they were the perfect cool treat on a hot day!
Rope Bracelet
The last item we received was a cute blue, white, and pink rope bracelet. This dainty accessory cinches to fit a variety of wrist sizes and looks great on. Hank loves color—he has pink and blue basketball shoes—so he thought this was a fun addition, and I did too!
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 "Summer is Booked" theme well. Overall we thought this box was curated nicely and loved the useful items, especially the flamingo flingers, bath dust, popsicle mold, and rope bracelet. We already can't wait to see what's in store for August!
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 $31.98, I find the $50.00/month cost 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 Full Size BeTWEEN the Bookends Tween box?
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