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.)
It’s October, and the spooky Halloween vibes are in full swing! Charlie has been reading steadily to meet the monthly goal set by his language arts teacher, and this month’s beTWEEN the Bookends box arrived at the perfect time to help him add more minutes. He loves the engaging books and fun lifestyle items—and it’s a great way to sneak in extra reading minutes 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. "Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story." - Mason Cooley
Araminta Spookie: Frognapped by Angie Sage - Retail Value $6.99
In the third book of the Araminta Spookie series, Barry Wizzard’s frogs are stolen and Araminta and Wanda must find them. If you’re looking for chapter books for kids ages 6-10, this series from Angie Sage, author of the New York Times bestselling Septimus Heap series, is a great choice. Usually Araminta gets blamed when something's amiss in Spookie House. But this time she had nothing to do with the disappearance of Barry Wizzard's frogs, and she is determined to find them. It's not going to be that easy, especially when dealing with a crazy character named Old Morris, a dangerous shark, and a demanding aquarium show audience. Can Araminta find the frogs and steal the show?
Charlie really gets into the Halloween season and all its spooky aspects. He was thrilled to receive this particular book—not only is it Halloween-themed, but it also includes a few illustrations, has a fun "spooky" font, and clocks in at just under 200 pages. That’s the sweet spot: long enough for a solid story, but not so long that he loses interest. In the first few pages, the book mentions a compost pile—and since Charlie literally started one just yesterday, he was hooked from the start. With a bit of mystery and a lot of fun, he tore through the story, enjoying its fast pace the entire way.
Skeleanor the Decomposer by Emily Ettlinger - Retail Value $12.99
Skeleanor loves music more than life itself. There’s just one problem: She has a bit more rattle than rhythm at the moment. No matter what type of instrument she plays—from the fiddle to the xylobone—she always seems to scare the people of Little Casketon away. But with the Little Casketon Summershine festival coming up, and the town band missing a player, maybe Skeleanor (along with the help of her best friend, Batima) could show people her skills and finally take center stage. Hilarious and heartfelt, Skeleanor the Decomposer by debut author and illustrator Emily Ettlinger is a story about chasing your passions no matter what other people say. Sometimes, all you need is a dream, your friends, and a little music.
Charlie loves graphic novels, so he was especially excited to see that this one wasn’t just a graphic novel—it was also a hardcover and had a skeleton on the cover! With bright, fun illustrations, the visuals are instantly engaging, and the story holds up just as well. Charlie got a kick out of the skeleton’s silly puns and appreciated the overall humor throughout. He read it in one sitting, laughing along the way, and really enjoyed the cheerful ending.
Cauldron Bath Bomb
The first item we received this month was definitely a favorite. Back in the 2022 Halloween box, we received this very same bath bomb cauldron, and Charlie had his fingers crossed that it might make a return. Made from baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, grapeseed oil, clay, polysorbate 80, orange and clove essential oils, and colorant, this bath bomb is both cute and fun. The orange and clove scent is perfect for the cooler days of fall, and Charlie had a blast watching the powder bubble up in the tub. A great inclusion—this box is already shaping up to be top-notch!
Monthly Sticker Pack
Charlie loves stickers and really appreciated the variety this month—especially the stack of books and ghost reading 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!
Tasty Treat
Candy is a pretty big deal around here—especially in October—so both of my kids were thrilled to see a large bag of Smarties Squashies included. I’ll admit, I wrinkled my nose at first when I saw “Smarties” on the label, but I quickly changed my tune after trying these sweet, squishy little chews! Flavored with raspberry and cream, they were absolutely delicious. Even my husband got in on the action, and the entire bag disappeared in a matter of minutes.
Halloween Erasers
The next item in the box was another winner. This set of Halloween erasers featured a few fun movie characters and had impressive detail for 3D erasers. Adding a little seasonal flair to the kids' school supplies has made the long days a bit more fun—and all their classmates are definitely jealous. Did Charlie share? Yes. But he’s become pretty protective of his “hat wearing pumpkin” eraser and has decided to keep that one for himself.
Monster Sticky Notes
The last item Charlie received was an adorable office supply. This sticky note box folds into a monster face, with glittery sticky notes that come out of its mouth like a tongue. Perfect for sticking on papers and leaving little reminders, it wasn’t something Charlie really needed—but I sure did!
Verdict
beTWEEN the Bookends is a fantastic way to keep kids engaged in reading, and this month Charlie absolutely loved the book Frognapped and the graphic novel. He couldn’t get enough of the snacks and erasers, either! With two great reads and a fun mix of lifestyle items, the Halloween theme was a big hit. Overall, this month was a win—and we’re hoping to see more bath bombs and snacks in the November box!
The beTWEEN the Bookends Gender Neutral Box costs $45.00 per month (with a 12-month subscription), including shipping. The books alone are valued at $19.98, and the box also included a great mix of lifestyle items—some with higher values and not exclusive to the box—which helps balance things out nicely. I find the $45.00 monthly cost extremely reasonable, as the lifestyle items transform this into a full experience, not just a book subscription.
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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 November box.
What did you think of the beTWEEN the Bookends gender-neutral box?
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