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.)
We’re already two weeks into September, and I am still in shock that school is already back in session! It's crazy how fast time flies—and even crazier how much of it we spend waiting around at sports practices. This month’s beTWEEN the Bookends box arrived at the perfect time to help those long waits go by faster. Charlie loves the engaging books and fun lifestyle items, and it’s a great way to add extra minutes to his September reading calendar while 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. "I've always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school. Firsts are best because they are beginnings." - Jenny Han
The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: Emma McKenna, Full Out by Kate Messner - Retail Value $6.99
Emma McKenna can’t wait for third grade at the brand-new Curiosity Academy. She’ll have a cool teacher who wears high-tops and science earrings. She’ll meet interesting classmates from all over Peppermint Falls. Best of all, she’ll get a fresh start after last year’s talent-show disaster left her with that awful nickname. It’s going to be the best year ever! Then Lucy walks into Mrs. Z’s room. Lucy, Emma’s best-friend-turned-enemy. Lucy, who gave Emma that nickname and spread it all over school! Emma’s fresh start is doomed . . . unless she can make friends before Lucy ruins everything. So Emma sets out to be pals with everyone, just like her favorite animal, the capybara. As her classmates argue over the choice of a new school mascot, Emma stays quiet and doesn’t pick sides. (The last thing she needs is another enemy.) But maybe speaking up could be the thing that helps her really connect with her class—and saves her at last from third-grade doom. Both sweetly poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, with black-and-white illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor artist Kat Fajardo, Emma McKenna welcomes readers into Mrs. Z’s class where friendship and fun rule the school in this series-starter from New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner.
Charlie thought this book was okay, but he didn’t love the main character, Emma. He was able to buzz through it pretty quickly, but it wasn’t his favorite—and that’s totally okay. We’re not going to love every book, and I really appreciate that he sticks with them and gives each one a fair shot before deciding how he feels. Since I work in education, this book found a new home on my classroom bookshelf, where I’m sure it will be loved by another little reader very soon.
Geeger The Robot: Field Trip by Jarrett Lerner - Retail Value $5.99
Geeger the Robot and his class go on a field trip to the Amblerville History Museum, and he’s surprised to see all the other incredible inventions that came before robots. But not every museumgoer thinks robots are amazing. Can Geeger change their minds?
Charlie really enjoys easy-to-read books that he can finish in one or two sittings. This one was a bit on the easier side for him, but it’s perfect for 1st–3rd grade students. With its large, fun font and playful illustrations, it looks like a traditional chapter book, but Charlie was able to finish it in one sitting. He especially enjoyed the cast of characters—particularly the DIGEST-O-TRON 5000 and Fudge—and thought the history museum field trip made for a great setting. It was the perfect read for the car while waiting for his brother to finish football practice, keeping him entertained and earning extra reading minutes at the same time!
Page Savers
The first item we received this month was a set of index stickers. As an educator, I use these little tabs all the time, so I was thrilled to see them included in the box. Charlie, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as excited. At first, he wasn’t sure what the point of those small sticky tabs was—and even after I explained, he still wasn’t too interested. That’s totally fine, though—they’ve found a very happy home in my office drawer!
Monthly Sticker Pack
Charlie loves stickers and really appreciated the variety this month—especially the stack of books sticker. Perfect for his reading class notebook, these add a fun little twist to his otherwise plain notebooks and show his teachers that he’s eager to learn!
Wafer Cookies
Charlie is a snacker, so he was thrilled to receive this chocolate wafer treat. As I’ve mentioned earlier in this review, we’ve been spending an unfortunate amount of time in the car due to the distance between home, school, and after-school activities—so he was especially thankful to see a snack included. With a chocolate cream filling and vanilla wafer layers, it made for a perfect little pick-me-up before dinner—and best of all, it didn’t make too much of a mess in my car!
Travel Utensils
Speaking of travel snacking… this month we received a travel utensil set in a compact plastic case! It includes a spoon, knife, and fork—perfect for lunch boxes, backpacks, snacks, or meals on the go. I hate when my kids take our regular dinnerware to school, so this was a great inclusion. I’ve already had Charlie stick it in his backpack for cold lunch days!
Snapperz Rainbow Fidget Toy - Retail Value $5.99
The last item we received was definitely Charlie’s favorite. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, Charlie is obsessed with fidgets. We've moved away from the goo-filled ones after an unfortunate explosion sent us straight to the emergency eye doctor. This new silicone version is a safer (though louder) alternative—it squeezes in your hand to stick the suction cups together, creating a loud, annoying (yet strangely satisfying) popping sound. Because it’s quite loud, he can’t bring it to school, but he’s had a blast playing with it in my classroom after hours and at home. As a parent, it’s definitely hard to listen to... but I have to admit, it’s oddly addicting to play with. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
Verdict
beTWEEN the Bookends is a fantastic way to keep kids engaged in reading, and this month Charlie absolutely loved the robot book, and could not get enough of the fidget toy. While this month seemed a little slim in item assortment compared to last month's box, it was still a nice mix of lifestyle items and kept him busy during our waits! Overall, this month was great and we are hoping for more fidgets and snacks in October!
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 $12.98, which is lower than most months, but there was an increase in higher valued lifestyle items, which balances out. 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 October box.
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