This post was written in collaboration with Books2Door but words and pictures are my own.
Books2Door sell a huge variety of books for all ages, most of which with massive savings. We recently reviewed some of their collections for kids here; if it’s box-sets for summer you’re after to keep the kids busy, or perhaps to take on holiday, then I’d recommend a good browse of their website.
Books2Door have now started a subscription service for kids who love reading.
Each month, they’ll send out a surprise package of age-appropriate books directly to your door.
There are three different subscription boxes; one for children aged 0-3, one for ages 4-6, and one aimed at 7-10 year olds. Unfortunately they don’t yet do one for older children (or adults) but here’s hoping!
Each subscription box costs £9.99 (including delivery) and you are promised 3-4 books and colouring sheets per month, sent out on the 30th. The boxes handily fit through the letterbox too!
We tried out two boxes; the 4-6 year old box and the 7-10 year old box, to see what we’d get!
What was in the Book2Door subscription boxes?
The 4-6 year subscription box came with six books, including an alphabet sticker books with over 100 stickers included, and some small story books.
The 7-10 age group box came with three books; Maggie Sparks and the Monster Baby, Monster Lakes (part of the Horrible Geography series) and an Usborne Science Scribble book.
Both also came with colouring sheets and bookmarks.
What are the Books2Door subscription boxes worth?
The full RRPs of the books included in the boxes certainly exceed the £9.99 that you pay for them. The 4-6 box included books without an RRP (part of box sets) but even the ones with an RRP added up to more than this, and the books in the 7-10 box had an RRP of £22.97.
Obviously these would be sold for cheaper than RRP on Books2Door as they always offer great discounts, but I wasn’t disappointed with the overall value or the contents, particularly when you consider that shipping is included.
And what did we think?
The Books2Door children’s monthly book subscriptions are a fun idea, perhaps as a slightly different and longer lasting birthday gift, or just a monthly treat for an avid reader, or even a child who needs a bit more encouragement reading.
It’s a fun surprise for kids of all age groups, not knowing what they’ll receive each month. Granted, not everything is guaranteed to be an instant hit with everyone (the Horrible Geography and Science books got investigated immediately, whereas the Maggie Sparks book will probably be left until last!), but it’s a good way to see if a child might enjoy reading a series without having to buy the whole set first.
My primary concern with all subscriptions – ie being tied in to a contract – turned out to be unfounded; you don’t sign up for any set period of time, which is great. It’s easy to cancel your subscription via the website should you decide it’s not for you, or maybe you just want to buy a single box as a surprise gift that can be sent through the post, or to test out the subscription service and you aren’t sure.