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Book box subscriptions for kids can be a great way to increase the amount of reading your kids do and encourage reluctant readers.
Reading is an undeniably crucial component of children’s development, but it’s also something that is easy to push off for another day. Busy parents don’t always have time to stop by the library, research good books for their kids, or get into routines where reading isn’t prioritized. It’s okay, it happens to the best of us.
Book boxes can save parents time and add an element of excitement and anticipation to reading. Kids love receiving packages and will be excited to read the new books they receive each month. Book box subscriptions for kids range from ages 0 to 13 as well as YA. Although, we’ve covered more YA book box subscriptions in our previous blogs as many adults enjoy those books as well.
Below we’ll cover 6 different book subscription options that are fun for kids of all ages.
1. OwlCrate Jr.
Example of a past OwlCrate box from February 2023
OwlCrate Jr. is my favorite book box for middle-school-aged children. It is curated for young readers to help foster a love of reading and includes a hardcover novel and signed goodies, an activity or game, 3–5 fun items based on the monthly theme, collectible character trading cards, and access to OwlCrate’s digital magazine.
There aren’t too many book boxes out there that cater to kids in the middle ages, especially not ones that create a whole experience instead of just sending books, so this is a great option to have from a very reputable company. Kids really get excited to receive this box and it can be a great way to encourage reluctant readers.
OwlCrate is also known for creating wonderful YA book boxes, adult special edition books, and a variety of special edition sets as well. So as your child grows, this book box will continue to grow with them while some of the other options on this list end after a certain age or reading level.
They also have many past boxes available if you missed out on the subscription that month. The pro to purchasing the past boxes is you can see exactly what you’ll be getting, the con is that it costs a little bit extra to purchase the boxes outside of the monthly subscription.
Learn more about OwlCrate Jr. here.
2. Crate Expectations
Example of a past box from Crate Expectations.
Create Expectations is another great book box option for middle-aged kids. Similarly to OwlCrate Jr., this is a book box that combines great books with activities and bookish items to get your kids excited about reading. The activities are generally STEM-focused and aimed at kids ages 8–12.
Officially the boxes contain a curated book, a guide with an author interview, discussion questions, STEM activity and supplies, recipes, and fun book club menu suggestions. They also contain a book-themed snack and fun educational toys or games that also match the theme. The discussion questions are great for helping you connect with what your child is reading, especially if you don’t have time to read the book yourself.
Another great inclusion in this box is the recommended reading lists for kids based on the book in the box. So if your child loves the book that month, they’ll have a great list of other books they’ll also enjoy so that their reading can continue beyond the box.
They don’t release the title of their books ahead of time, but they do release clues to help you decide if the book will interest your child each month. If you don’t like the mystery, they list past boxes on their site, but they come at a slightly higher cost than if you purchase them through a subscription.
I think this crate is the best option for connecting with your children and being a part of their reading experience through the activities offered.
Learn more about Crate Expectations here.
3. My Zoo Box
Example of the two My Zoo Box options.
Have an animal lover in your house? Then they’ll love My Zoo Box.
They have two subscription options. The first My Zoo box is recommended for children ages 4 to 8 years old. The second is the Mini Zoo options for ages 2 to 4.
Each month, My Zoo Box sends an animal-themed box to your kids. Each My Zoo box includes a book about the animal, a stuffed animal friend, a science or art project, a recipe, a postcard, a sticker for their zoo passport, an anatomy poster, and a special surprise all curated to the theme. The zoo passport will be sent with your first box subscription to use for all future boxes.
The Mini Zoo box includes the stuffed animal friend, book, sticker, and postcard. The passport for stickers is also included in the first subscription.
They also have a sibling pack option which comes with an extra animal friend, art/science project, passport (in the first shipment), sticker, and a special surprise. This makes it a little cheaper and easier to share a box with siblings.
This is definitely a great box choice if your children love learning about animals. I like that this box has activities that younger kids can enjoy too. The downside to this box is that it ages out quickly. Older kids would enjoy learning about animals too.
Learn more about My Zoo Box here.
4. Bookroo
Example of Bookroo book box.
The Bookroo subscription box is great for parents, grandparents, and others who are looking to share their love of reading with budding readers. They offer book subscriptions for ages 0-3, 3-6, 7-10. and 9-12.
Unlike other kids’ subscriptions that may offer whatever books they can get on the overstock market, these books are carefully curated custom editions with uniform height and brightly colored, coordinated spines. A dream for moms creating an insta-worthy playspace.
The youngest readers, ages 0–3, will receive three board books each month. The older groups will receive two.
This company also has created a platform to help kids discover more books that they’ll like, so they really know their way around kids’ books. This knowledge is what makes this a very good subscription box as these ages can sometimes be tricky to find good book recommendations for.
Learn more about Bookroo here.
5. Owl Post Books
Example of an Owl Post Books Box with Craft
Owl Post Books is an affordable book box subscription with something for ages 0 to 13 as well as YA fantasy. Their defining feature is that their books come with a monthly craft each month. A great way to get your kids to use their imaginations in more than one way.
For each age range between 0 and 13, you can decide between the mini box that includes the new book each month as well as the monthly craft or the full box options which includes an additional two books and an interactive box. The YA fantasy subscription does not include a craft each month and you can choose between one or three books + the interactive box with no additional goodies.
What I love about this box is that it is one of the more affordable options. It starts at just 14.99 for the mini-box options. They also have a grab bag option where you can purchase, at random, past books that they’ve featured for just $5 dollars a book and a pack of 5 past crafts for just $5.99. This is a great value for the books and you can get some idea of what books you might receive by looking at their past boxes.
If that isn’t enough, they also have a selection of special gift and birthday boxes that can be purchased if you’re looking for just a one-time thing.
Learn more about Owl Post Books here.
6. Literati Kids
Example of potential books received for age group 4 to 8.
Literati Kids is a popular book subscription box where you are sent five books each month based on your child’s age, and only pay for those that you keep plus an additional $10 dollar fee. It functions more like a library but with the option to keep the books you fall in love with.
I think the main pro and value of this box is probably the curation aspect. They have book boxes for every year and age group from newborn to 14. So if you’re not sure what kinds of books kids of a certain age are reading these days and want an easy solution to get some more age-appropriate books in your home without having to spend time hunting through your local library and researching, then this is a good solution to save busy mom’s some time.
And, if you’re not worried about keeping the books and return every single one, then $10 dollars is just about the cheapest book box subscription you can find especially for the amount of books received.
However, if you start purchasing many of the books, it can get pretty pricy pretty quickly. And, having to pack up and return the books can be a bit of a hassle as well.
Learn more about Literati Kids here.
There you have it, 6 awesome book subscriptions for kids of all ages.
Have you tried any of these book subscriptions? Or is there another great book subscription that your kids love? Share with us in the comments below.
Happy reading!
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