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.)
Summer vacation is only twelve school days away, and I’m definitely feeling a mix of emotions! I can’t wait for the slower pace and sunny days ahead, but I also know how quickly summer seems to disappear. And of course, there’s always that little concern about the dreaded summer slide. Thankfully, this month’s beTWEEN the Bookends box showed up at just the right moment, giving Hank plenty of exciting new reads to enjoy as the school year wraps up and summer begins.
Filled with engaging books and fun lifestyle goodies, this box makes it easy to keep him motivated to read while still making it feel like pure fun. Read on to check out everything we found inside!
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 Stephen King: “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” There’s also a fun little hint about next month’s theme - mystery birthday party?!
Stu Truly by Dan Richards - Retail Value $7.99
When Stuart Cornelius Truly first sets eyes on the new girl, Becca, he staples his finger to his seventh-grade history assignment. The second time he sees her, he coughs up a bite of her lunch-a vegetarian roasted pepper sandwich-all over her sweater, and promptly lies, claiming that he, too, is a vegetarian. Their third encounter goes more smoothly, but Stu's lie turns out to be harder to keep than he expected, especially since his family owns a butcher shop. In this hilarious, heartwarming, contemporary middle grade novel, Stu suddenly begins to realize the opposite sex exists (and isn't so bad, after all!). Can Stu learn to successfully navigate old friends, new crushes, and horror-filled school dances, or will his lie, intended to impress his crush, actually cause his world to fall apart?
Hank started reading this and immediately laughed when he realized the girl he has a crush on shares his mother’s name. At 13 years old, this was a pretty big deal to him, and he definitely raised an eyebrow at the book because of it! As a mom, it was interesting to read a story told from a boy’s perspective, and Hank quickly got into it—he’s already about halfway through. Funny, relatable, and all too true, this one was definitely a winner!
The Messy Life of Blue by Shawna Railey - Retail Value $16.99
Eleven-year-old Beulah "Blue" Warren spends every waking moment surrounded by boys: her three brothers, her father, her best friend, even the family dog, but that's never stopped her from being her usual rambunctious self. Grappling with the loss of her mother, Blue is determined to do what she wants without fear of consequences. When she is sent to the principal's office, she gets out of it like a pro. When the witchy neighbor next door trashes her yard, Blue doesn't just get even, she gets ahead. No clean underwear because she hasn't done the laundry? No worries. That's what her little brother's Superman underwear is for, isn't it? But everything changes on the day she explores the attic and finds her mother's death certificate. Blue will need to muster all the strength she has to deal with the truth, find forgiveness, trust in her father, and grieve for her mother once and for all.
This book was completely different from what I expected—in the best way. Filled with emotion and heart, it was such a meaningful read for kids working through all kinds of feelings. Hank and I had some great conversations about empathy while reading it together, and we also loved that it came in hardcover! I’ll definitely be reading this one with my younger son too, because it was just that good!
Seed Bomb Kit
We’re a family of avid gardeners, so Hank was especially excited about the seed bomb kit included in this month’s box. It was simple to make and a lot of fun! We soaked the paper strips in water, mixed them with the seeds, and shaped them into little seed bombs that, once dry, can be planted wherever your heart desires.
Charlie is a big fan of container gardening, so he tossed a few into a pot, while Hank asked to save his for our flower bed. Now we can’t wait to see what blooms start popping up!
Monthly Sticker Pack
Hank loves stickers and really appreciated the variety in this month’s box—especially the capybara one. While he doesn’t use them in his notebooks like his brother does, he keeps them in an envelope to add to the thank-you notes he writes after receiving gifts, which makes the process a little more fun.
Mini Plant Build Kit
We’re a LEGO-loving family, and while this kit isn’t made from actual LEGOs, it was still so cute and fun to put together! This little plant features a variety of different shapes and sizes of pieces, and it comes with instructions for assembly. While it wasn’t quite as easy to follow as a traditional LEGO set, the finished product turned out absolutely adorable. It has already found a home on my desk at school to remind me that summer is oh-so close!
Bookish Pillowcase
This “I Read Past My Bedtime” pillowcase is absolutely adorable! The simple black font on the white pillowcase gives it a clean, modern look while still showing off my son’s love of books and reading. It adds the perfect little touch of personality to his bedroom and makes his reading corner feel extra cozy. Such a cute and fun accessory for any book-loving kid!
Gummy Bear Pencil
This gummy bear pencil is such a cute and fun stationery item! The different colored gummy bear holders make each piece of lead feel unique and a little silly—in the best way! It writes smoothly and is perfect for adding a little personality to these last few days of schoolwork. Charlie loved this pencil and brought it to school for the end of the year, which made things even more fun!
Plush Scrunchie
Hank didn’t really need a fuzzy scrunchie in his life—but one of my students definitely did! Since this particular box is geared more toward girls, we sometimes end up with cute lifestyle items that Hank isn’t interested in and that I may not use either. When that happens, I add them to my prize bin at school for students who turn in assignments, make academic gains, and reach their goals.
This month, one of my students who has been struggling worked incredibly hard to bring all of her grades up to passing. When it was time to choose a prize, she picked the white fuzzy scrunchie—and absolutely loved it!!
Seed Bead Bracelet Trio
I do a lot of crafting, and seed bead projects are my absolute favorite. While my designs are usually a bit more elaborate than these simple stretchy bracelets, I really loved the simplicity and color combination of this set! Since they fit a variety of wrist sizes, I decided to keep them for myself—and I’ve already worn them to school and gotten several compliments. So fun!
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 in Full Color" theme extremely well. Overall we thought this box was curated nicely and loved the useful items, especially the pencil, seed kit, and plant build! We already can't wait to see what's in store for June.
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 $25.98, I find the $50.00/month cost 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 June box.
What did you think of the Full Size BeTWEEN the Bookends Tween box?
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