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.)
It’s February, and love is in the air! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time flies—we’re already celebrating the holiday of love.
To make the month even more fun, we received this month’s beTWEEN the Bookends box, filled with “Reading Is Sweet” goodies. Packed with fresh titles and fun lifestyle items designed to keep him engaged, it’s the perfect way to make reading more enjoyable while also strengthening his skills.
Keep reading to see what we discovered!
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 beautifully laid-out, color-coordinated pamphlet that describes all the items included in the box. On the back, there’s a featured quote from Franklin P. Jones: "Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile." There’s also a fun little hint about next month’s theme—STEM, anyone?
The 150,000 Rugelach by Allison Marks - Retail Value $8.99
Exploding with loud, rock 'n' roll attitude, eleven-year-old Jack Fineman dreams of becoming the greatest pastry chef who ever lived. His plans are thrown off course when his butterscotch basil brownies are upstaged at his sixth-grade holiday party by a simple plate of chocolate rugelach brought in by Jillian Mermelstein-the new girl at school whose mother has just died and who only wants to be left alone. These budding bakers' lives are mixed together when they are selected to compete as teammates in a nationally televised competition. For Jack, this is his chance to advance one step closer to culinary greatness. For Jillian, it's an opportunity to help her father by winning her share of the $150,000 top prize. Preparing to face bakers from the city's other middle schools, Jack and Jillian struggle to find the right recipe for working together. Along the way, they make the world's most irresistible oatmeal cricket cookies, battle Jack's checkered-pants-wearing brother for miniature golf supremacy, and discover the troubling reasons why each of them was chosen for the contest.
Funny enough, Hank is the teen in my house, but it was my 10-year-old who absolutely loved this book. Charlie is an outdoor enthusiast and would happily live off the land any day of the week. That said, he also loves to cook and bake. This book had him hooked right away and even inspired him to add “sign up for a baking competition” to his bucket list. He truly loved this read!
The Candy Mafia by Lavie Tidier - Retail Value $8.99
In a city where candy is outlawed, Nelle Faulkner is a preteen private detective working from her mother's garden shed. When Eddie de Menthe, a notorious kid-gangster from a criminal candy ring, asks for help finding a lost teddy bear, Nelle Faulkner is on the case. But one sinister turn of events leads to another and Eddie himself goes missing! Nelle and her friends quickly find themselves navigating a shady underworld of sweets smugglers, back alley-deals, and storefront firebombs. If Nelle has any hope of tracking down her missing client, she'll first have to unmask the true faces behind the smuggling operation. Is this the easy case Nelle thought it would be, or has she unknowingly put herself and everyone around her in inescapable danger?
Hank really enjoyed this book and found the mystery to be fun, engaging, and easy to read. He thought the characters were funny, and although it’s a fairly thick book, it was a quick read for him. He even passed it along to Charlie afterward.
Macaroon Erasers
How cute are these macaron-shaped erasers?! Tucked inside an adorable little box, we received a set of five colorful “macarons,” each with a chocolate-cream center. Each eraser pulls apart into three pieces, which makes them even more fun.
The kids thought they were adorable and have already used them for their writing assignments. I even saved one for a coworker who’s obsessed with macarons. They were perfect for Valentine’s Day and made such a fun little gift!
Positive Affirmation Tokens
As an Indigenous Support Advocate, positive affirmations are something I incorporate into my work with students every day. I personally loved this addition—a small pouch filled with laser-engraved wooden tokens featuring uplifting affirmations.
While Hank and Charlie thought they were neat, they didn’t love them as much as I did, so they happily passed them along to me. I tucked the pouch into my pocket and brought it to school to hand out throughout the day. The look on the kids’ faces when they received a little token was priceless, and it felt wonderful to brighten someone’s day with such a simple act of kindness.
Monthly Sticker Pack
Hank enjoys stickers, and appreciated the variety this month, especially the reading goose and bouquet of books. Perfect for envelopes, these add a fun little twist on some of the mail we send out and look cute on notebook covers!
Continuous Greetings: A Shared Card
The next item we received was another really neat one. This small hardcover book is actually a continuous greeting card designed for two friends to treasure over the years. The book is split into two sides, giving each friend a dedicated space to write. With six “pages,” there are prompts to share your story, followed by space for your friend to write back.
I’ll be honest—my boys probably won’t use this with their friends, as it’s just not their style. However, I already have several students in mind who would absolutely love it. I’m always on the lookout for fun incentive prizes, so this little book is definitely going into that box. I’m sure it will make one student very happy!
BFF Bracelets
Here’s another cute item that just wasn’t the right fit for my boys, but will make a great incentive prize for my students at school. These BFF bracelets are gold in color and feature a lobster clasp for a secure fit. Each bracelet has half of a heart charm with the “Between the Bookends” kid logo and the words “Bookish Besties.”
I already have a particular student and her BFF in mind for this prize, so I know they’ll be absolutely thrilled when I bring them in on Monday!
Heart Silicone Mold
The next item we received was one of the kids’ favorites. We don’t usually go all out for Valentine’s Day, but they had so much fun filling this mold with water to create adorable heart-shaped ice cubes for our Valentine’s Day Shirley Temple drinks!
Both functional and cute, this mold added a festive touch to our celebration and can easily be used all year round.
Heart Trinket Tray
The last item we received was a heart-shaped trinket dish. This small metal dish is black and perfect for keeping rings, earrings, and other little items safe on your nightstand. I actually kept this one for myself, since I’ve been taking my rings off to apply lotion to my very dry hands. It’s minimalistic, yet both cute and functional—I absolutely love it!
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, Charlie, and I really enjoyed. Like I mentioned above, this is the full-sized box which is aimed towards girls, but fits an educator-son duo just fine. The included lifestyle items were a great mix of fun and functional all fitting the "Reading is Sweet" theme extremely well. Overall we thought this box was curated nicely and loved the useful items, especially erasers, affirmation tokens, silicone mold, and stickers. We already can't wait to see what's in store for March!
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 $17.98. I find the $50.00/month cost reasonable, as the lifestyle items help shape this box into an entire experience.
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 March box.
What did you think of the Full Size BeTWEEN the Bookends Tween box?
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