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.)
I swear I waited forever for our 17-day winter break, and alas, it’s already over—we’re now in our second week back at school. After such a lovely stretch of time away from work and school, I do feel refreshed heading into 2026 and happy for a fresh start!
Charlie is back at school, and he’s almost closer to 6th grade than 4th grade. Time flies so fast! This month’s beTWEEN the Bookends box arrived with some really fun, quick reads that will help him hit his January reading goals.
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: “The book is called opportunity and the first chapter is New Year's Day” — Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Lola Levine and the Vacation Dream by Monica Brown- Retail Value $5.99
Lola is named after her tía Lola, who lives in Lima, Peru. Lola misses her aunt and dreams of visiting her. After Lola's dad has a successful art show, Lola's dream comes true. The Levines are going to Peru! Thousands of miles from home, Lola and Ben discover all the new adventures Lima has to offer. But will Lola and Ben manage to stay out of trouble? With Lola's and Ben's wit and talent for mischief, we can expect some international trouble in this adorable chapter book.
Charlie likes to read, but he would much rather be outside working with his hands. Quick reads are definitely his thing, and this book was perfect for him. He was able to sit down one afternoon and read the entire thing in one go. He enjoyed the story and was happy to learn a little Spanish along the way.
The book follows a girl going on vacation to another country, and Charlie was a little jealous. We haven’t taken the kids anywhere by airplane yet, so after reading this book, he’s really hoping for a trip of his own!
The Alien Next Door: A New Planet by A.I. Newton - Retail Value $5.99
Harris and Roxy have hidden away on Zeke's family's spaceship and are headed to Tragas! Zeke's parents freak out when they discover the kids aboard, but they've come too far to turn back. So that gives Harris and Roxy two whole days to explore the alien planet with Zeke while the ship refuels before they all have to fly back to Earth. But, much like Zeke had to on Earth, they have to blend in. Will they be able to hide the fact that they're the aliens on this new planet?
Like I mentioned above, Charlie enjoys books he can finish quickly, so this was another win for him. Featuring interesting characters and plenty of illustrations, he whipped through this one in no time. Charlie is also interested in concocting his own recipes, so parts of the storyline were especially dear to his heart. A book he’s already recommended to classmates, this one was truly a winner!
Dry Erase Calendar
The first item we received this month was a really cute dry-erase planning board. This weekly planner is about 5.5" x 8" and has space to write the week, month, a quote, daily activities, what you’re reading, and extra notes. Charlie really likes to keep things organized, so this was a win for him.
The only part of the planner he didn’t love was the small writing spaces and the fact that it didn’t come with a dry-erase marker. I only had large Expo markers at home, so we’ve added slim markers to our grocery list so he can start using it regularly.
Monthly Sticker Pack
Charlie loves stickers and really appreciated the variety this month—especially the penguin and hedgehog 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!
Custom Spiral Notebook
The next item we received was another useful one. Charlie has been bringing home more math homework lately, and he’s always looking for scratch paper. Between the Bookends to the rescue! We now have a cute notebook stored next to our pencil holder to save precious time—and frustration.
Gel Pens
I personally love pens, so for me, this inclusion was perfect. Charlie was hoping for a more gender-neutral design, but he still enjoyed using them. While they’re listed as gel pens, they have an extremely small nib and don’t flow like typical gel pens.
Featuring 10 different colors, a few of the tips were loose, but 9 out of the 10 pens worked really well. Charlie liked the variety of colors and had fun doodling with them; however, because the tips were so tiny, he didn’t use them for coloring anything in.
Pencil/Art Supply Roll Up
The last item we received was a pencil/art supply roll-up. Here you can see how it works: with more than ten elastic loops to hold supplies, you simply slip your brushes, pens, or pencils inside, roll it up, and tie it shut. While I don’t see Charlie using this cute cat design, I think I’m going to claim it for my on-the-go watercolor supplies. We’ll see how it works!
Verdict
beTWEEN the Bookends is a fantastic way to keep kids excited and engaged in reading, and this month Charlie really enjoyed both book choices this month. He also enjoyed most of the lifestyle items and has used the pens and notebook quite a bit. Overall, this month was solid, though I do wish it had included a couple more items—it felt a bit lighter than usual. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for snacks, bath bombs, and fidgets in the February box!
The beTWEEN the Bookends Gender Neutral Box costs $45.00 per month (with a 12-month subscription), including shipping. The books are valued at $11.98, and the box included a nice mix of lifestyle items, though I’d love to see a bit more in future boxes to better balance the overall value. This month, the $45.00 price felt a little steep since the box seemed lighter than usual, but I do think the stronger months help even things out. It truly is 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 February box.
What did you think of the beTWEEN the Bookends gender-neutral box?
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