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.)
November is here, and we’re wrapping up a short break from sports practice as we head into basketball season. Charlie has successfully completed the first quarter of 5th grade and is now starting the second. With his reading minute goals increasing, we were thrilled to receive this month’s beTWEEN the Bookends box—it arrived at the perfect time to help him add more minutes to his reading chart. Charlie loves the engaging books and fun lifestyle items, and it’s a wonderful way to keep his reading momentum going while building 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 look through the included pamphlet. It describes the month’s theme and lists the contents of every beTWEEN the Bookends version. This little booklet gives us a clear overview of what’s inside the box, along with a bookish quote, social media information, and a hint about next month’s theme. This month’s quote reads: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” — Les Brown
Ryan Hart: Ways to Share Joy by Renee Watson - Retail Value $8.99
Ryan Hart is caught in the middle. She has an older brother and a new baby sister, and she's in a friendship tug-of-war with two friends who both want to be her best best friend. How can Ryan think about being kind to a classmate who is relentless with his teasing? Or be her signature sunny self when her brother, Ray, pulls the ultimate prank? But even when it seems like nothing is going her way, Ryan still looks for a way to see the bright side of things, refusing to let anything steal her joy, and finding ways to share it with everyone she meets.
I’ll be honest—this fall season has been really tough for our family. We’ve experienced the unexpected loss of a loved one, along with illness and plenty of stress. Things just haven’t been going our way, so this book truly served as a much-needed mood boost. Ryan refused to let anything steal her joy and found ways to share it with everyone she met. It was a fairly quick read for Charlie, and he found it to be positive and uplifting—a great reminder to keep going and always try to see the bright side.
Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple by Liz Garton Scanlon - Retail Value $6.99
Most things are easy-peasy, regular-pegular for Bibsy Cross. She loves her parents, her cat, her best friend, Natia. And she loves going to school. She might just love that most of all! This year, Bibsy has Mrs. Stumper for a teacher... and Mrs. Stumper doesn't seem too keen on Bibsy. She thinks Bibsy talks too much--especially about her science fair project. But one day, when Bibsy talks a little too much, and goes a stone too far, Mrs. Stumper punishes her by punching a hole in her paper apple that hangs in the classroom. And Bibsy is devastated. How can she make the best science fair project when she feels so rotten?
The next book was another one Charlie really enjoyed. It features a girl who struggles with talking too much at school. It was a quick read, which helped Charlie log some reading minutes fast while keeping him engaged. I read it as well, and it brought back a funny memory of having to “flip my stoplight card” in second grade for talking too much! It sparked a great conversation between Charlie and me, and we were both excited to learn that there are more stories in this series.
Galaxy Rocks Bubble Gum
The first item we received this month was definitely a favorite! This little pop can–style gum container features a slide-top opening and is filled with small, green, rock-shaped gum pieces. Bright green in color, they have a fun sour apple flavor and are so enjoyable to chew. While the flavor doesn’t last very long, Charlie thought this was a hoot and carried them in his backpack for an after-school treat. We love snacky inclusions like this!
Monthly Sticker Pack
Charlie loves stickers and really appreciated the variety this month—especially the stack of books with the cat and the “Never Stop Reading” sticker. Perfect for his reading class notebook, these add a fun touch to his otherwise plain notebooks and show his teachers that he’s eager to learn!
Glowing Space Themed Sphere
The next item we received was a cute little Saturn light-up sphere. It comes with a wooden base and a glass ball. When plugged into a USB port, the light shines through the sphere, making Saturn appear to float inside the glass. Charlie loves little light-up items like this, so he was excited to place it in his bedroom as a charming night light.
Exclusive Dream Book Sleeve
Charlie loves toting his books around, but ends up bending the cover, spilling on the pages, or losing it in his backpack. That all stops with this thick, durable, book sleeve. With a brightly colored pirate and reading illustrations, this sleeve can fit books or tablets, which makes it fit into this digital book theme very well. We don't own a tablet, so books it is! While protecting our current book, this sleeve also looks super cool and is easy to lug around. A great inclusion!
Bath Bomb
Charlie loves bath bombs, so he was thrilled to receive this small version designed for sleep. Made with baking soda, citric acid, corn starch, clay, fragrance oil, polysorbate 80, and glitter, it has a fruity pear scent that creates a relaxing bath experience Charlie really enjoyed.
Glowing Stars in Organza Pouch
The last item Charlie received was a pouch of glow-in-the-dark stars with sticky tape. These were super popular when I was a teen, and Charlie loves them just as much. For now, he has them sitting on his dresser glowing, since I’m a little hesitant to stick the tape to his ceiling due to past experiences. Overall, though, this was a great inclusion that fit the theme perfectly!
Verdict
beTWEEN the Bookends is a fantastic way to keep kids engaged in reading, and this month Charlie absolutely loved both of his book selections. He couldn’t get enough of the pop can gum and nightlight either! With two great reads and a fun mix of lifestyle items, this space theme was a big hit. Overall, this month was a win—and we’re hoping to see more bath bombs and snacks in the December 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 $15.98, 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.
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 December box.
What did you think of the beTWEEN the Bookends gender-neutral box?
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