Spark a Lifelong Love of Reading With the Best Book Subscriptions for Kids

See which kids book subscriptions we chose as best for learning to read and best for diverse books.

We're betting that the last time you popped into a brick-and-mortar bookstore to pick something out for your kid's upcoming birthday, you wandered through the children's section in a haze of colors, characters, and cutesy titles at a total loss over how to choose one. You can buy a children's book about literally anything these days, and with uber-talented writers, illustrators, and even celebrities penning fun and engaging stories, it's harder than ever to figure out which ones are worth buying.

That's why we love book subscription boxes for kids: not only do these subscription companies stay current with the latest offerings hitting shelves, they know which ones will have your child begging for you to read it to them again and again…and again, probably, because kids are obsessive. The best children's book subscription boxes send diverse, age-appropriate, can't-put-them-down books straight to your home for less than market price, saving you time, money, and the stress of trying to understand the children's publishing world.

We researched more than two dozen popular book subscriptions for kids, looking for the ones that offered the best selection at the best prices across a wide range of ages (since you're never too young or too old to read a book!). With our list, you can choose the best box for your kid, click "subscribe," and then kick back for a totally stress-free read-aloud with your favorite small human.

Best Book Subscriptions for Kids of 2023

• Best for Babies & Toddlers: Bookroo Board Book Club

• Best for Ages 4-7: StoryCaptain

• Best for Learning to Read: The Story Box

• Best for Customization: Tiny Humans Read Sibling Box

• Best for Diverse Books: Jambo Books

• Most Flexible: Literati

• Best for Ages 8-12: OwlCrate Jr.

• Best for Graphic Novels: Hey Kids Comics!

• Best for Extras: Reading Bug Box

Best for Babies & Toddlers: Bookroo Board Book Club

Sign Up Now

Key Specs

• Cost per Month: $20 to $30 depending on number of months purchased, plus shipping

• Number of Books per Box: 3

• Ages Served: 0-3

Why We Chose It

The board book selections are on point, featuring books that both kids and parents will love, and there are some cool subscriber-only benefits to help you build your child's library in an engaging way.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Limited edition copies to build a cohesive library

• In-house team of experts selects the books

• Learn more about the books via app

Cons

• Only one age range per box

• Averages about $11.60 per book, which isn't always cost saving

Overview

When you buy a board book for a baby or toddler, you should expect it to be a full sensory experience: not only will your child listen to you read them the story, they'll be looking at the colors and shapes (and chewing on the corners, if we're being honest). We love that the Bookroo Board Book Club, designed for kids from birth to age three, pays attention to all the different ways books can make an impression on little readers.

The books themselves are a pitch-perfect mix of gently educational and whimsical, combining letter- and number literacy with fun topics like pets, animal noises, seasons, shapes, colors, and more. Bookroo prides itself on digging deep to find books most people won't casually come across in their online or in-person shopping, so you're going to get a unique selection of board books, all of which are reviewed and approved by an in-house team of experts ranging from child development educators to children's librarians.

From there, Bookroo does something we think makes it really stand out: working with the publishers, it produces a special edition of the book curated to that month's "collection." That means you'll get three board books every month that complement one another in height and spine color, so your child's library can grow in a way that's appealing to non-readers. With all this attention paid to both the content of the board books chosen and their outer appearance Bookroo excels at enhancing your child's book-based learning opportunities.

Best for Ages 4-7: StoryCaptain

Sign Up Now

Key Specs

• Cost per Month: $20 to $25 depending on number of months purchased, plus shipping

• Number of Books per Box: 2-3, plus activity guides

• Ages Served: 4-7

Why We Chose It

Kids between the ages of 4 and 7 are often overlooked in this market, since most boxes are for the baby/toddler or older kid crowd. But StoryCaptain has an entire subscription option just for this growing-to-love-books age.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Includes ideas for how to play after reading

• Themed months for full engagement

• Lots of tips for parents on raising readers

Cons

• Only one age range per box

• Book selections aren't shared in advance of shipping

Overview

Kids between the ages of four and seven are usually bursting with a desire to read and be read to, even if their definition of "reading" is simply looking at the words and pictures on a page. We love that StoryCaptain capitalizes on this all-important stage, dedicating one of its subscription options to preschool and lower elementary kids.

Each month, your child will receive two or three picture books designed to help them learn more about the world around them; with monthly themes centered on everything from countries like India and Australia to outer space and historical eras, kids can explore what life is (or was!) like in other places and times.

None of the books feel "educational," though there is certainly plenty of learning to be done in each box between the book selections and the supplemental activity guides and free resources. Instead, the books are engaging and unusual, featuring a wide variety of characters, locations, stories, and illustration styles. The idea of becoming someone different or venturing to a new place is one of the reasons why kids this age are so fascinated by books, and StoryCaptain's subscription perfectly captures their imaginations.

Best for Learning to Read: The Story Box

Sign Up Now

Key Specs

• Cost per Month: $28 to $30 depending on number of months purchased, plus shipping

• Number of Books per Box: 2, plus literacy guide

• Ages Served: Preschool to elementary

Why We Chose It

All the books sent out are selected by a speech-language pathologist and each box includes a learning guide to help parents enhance the learning-to-read experience for their child.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Family-created with expert input

• Preschool and elementary learning guides for each book

• Books are chosen with pre-literacy in mind

Cons

• Slightly more expensive than competitors

• No age range or reading level customization

Overview

If you've never taught a child to read before, we're here to say it's a lot. What comes so easily to us adults is literally like interpreting a foreign language to kids, which is why it's so important to both build early literacy skills and keep reading fun. The homeschooling family-turned-subscription box team at The Story Box knows how tough this work is, and they take the job of sending your child age-appropriate and literacy-forward books pretty seriously.

With a speech-language pathologist on board to help curate the selections, The Story Box is designed to grow those early connections between books and reading. Each of the two books you'll receive each month are chosen with both fun and learning in mind, and always with a goal of literacy development: the books feature attention-grabbing illustrations as well as ear-pleasing prose and rhyme patterns.

To top it all off, you'll receive a double-sided literacy guide for each of the two included books—one side is geared toward preschoolers and the other is for elementary-aged kids. The resident speech-language pathologist creates these guides specifically to help parents make the most of the literacy-building opportunities found in their child's new books, so you're not left winging it or scrambling for your own resources.

Best for Customization: Tiny Humans Read Sibling Box

Sign Up Now

Key Specs

• Cost per Month: $22 to $32 depending on number of months purchased, type of book (board or picture), and single child or sibling box.

• Number of Books per Box: 4, plus related activities

• Ages Served: 0-8

Why We Chose It

Most book subscription boxes only allow you to choose one age range for your family, but if you've got multiple kids at home and a limited budget for subscription boxes, you can make everyone happy with this split box.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Board books and picture books

• Includes activities and printables

• Credit applied for duplicate books

Cons

• Books selected aren't as "rare" as with other subscriptions

• No info on who selects the books to be sent

Overview

Anyone with multiple children will tell you that "fairness" is in the eye of the beholder, and if one of your kids has something the other doesn't, you will be hearing about the injustice of it all. The Tiny Humans Read Sibling Box gets that, and rather than expect you to break your budget buying separate book subscription services for every reader in your family, the company offers a beautiful compromise: two board books and two picture books in every box to please younger and older kids alike.

The board books are chosen with kids up to age three in mind, while the picture books are perfect for kids aged three to eight. Every box includes related activities and printables, so all your kids can take what they've read and apply it to their play whether it's through arts and crafts, baking, or simple imagining.

Our only minor complaint is that some of the board books, at least, are ones we've seen before, so these books maybe aren't quite as unusual as the selections in competitor subscriptions—but at $31 for four books (with shipping included!) this is one of those times when you're likely saving big on market price…and we think that's something special when you've got multiple kids to keep happily reading.

Best for Diverse Books: Jambo Books

Sign Up Now

Key Specs

• Cost per Month: $34 to $38 depending on number of months purchased, discount codes occasionally offered

• Number of Books per Box: 2-3

• Ages Served: 0-13

Why We Chose It

This subscription box curates age-appropriate books featuring diverse characters of color doing ordinary, everyday things.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Many ethnicities represented

• Curated to your child's reading level

• Duplicate books are replaced with a new one

Cons

• Only one age range per box

• No info on who selects the books to be sent

Overview

We love an educational book about a historical or notable person of color as much as the next parent, but let's face it: kids of color deserve to see themselves in books doing totally normal things, too. This is where Jambo Books excels; their main characters are Black, Hispanic, Native American, South Asian (and more), but they don't exist to "teach" readers what it's like to be them. Instead, they get new pets, make new friends, solve tough problems, and go on wild adventures. They basically exist as regular kids—just like your regular kids.

If that hasn't sold you on Jambo Books yet, there are a few other things we appreciate. Each box your child receives is chosen for their reading level, so they'll be getting some fairly customized selections, and Jambo Books can accommodate any reading level for kids up to age 13. The company also has a replacement book policy that allows you to receive a totally new book free of charge if you can prove you received a book you already had at home. Finally, the artwork on each box is as stunning as the inner contents, featuring a design created by a female artist or artist of color. This ensures your child will see themselves in every single part of their subscription box.

Most Flexible: Literati

Sign Up Now

Key Specs

• Cost per Month: $10 plus the cost of any purchased books

• Number of Books per Box: 5

• Ages Served: 0-14

Why We Chose It

Once you've paid the monthly fee, you can choose which books to purchase at a value and which to send back, ensuring you're never stuck with books your kids don't love.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Only pay for the books you want to keep

• Many customizable age groups

• Your feedback helps improve selections in each box

Cons

• Minimum $10 per month even if you return all books

• If you keep all the books, your monthly costs could get high

• Only one age group per box

Overview

If you've shopped for clothing with a company like Stitch Fix, you'll be familiar with the Literati business model—and while it's not for everyone, it's the most flexible option on our list since you can choose what books to keep (and pay for) and which to return. Basically, you pay $10 per month for Literati to send your child five books within their age group. Then you have seven days to decide which ones you want to keep and which ones you want to return.

You can decide to keep all, some, or none of the books in each shipment. As long as you return your unwanted selections within that window, you won't be charged for them. If you need a bit more time to decide, you can hit the "Extend Return" button in your account to add a few more days to your return window. In the meantime, any books you want to keep can be purchased through the Literati app at prices the company promises "match Amazon." So while you could end up spending upwards of $50 or $60 per box depending on how many books you decide to keep, the budgeting is up to you—splurge some months and save other months, but never end up paying for anything you don't love.

On the book content side, we love Literati's selections; all five books each month have a common theme, and the age ranges are separated in a way that ensures a perfect fit for your child. Plus, the more feedback you give on your monthly boxes, the better Literati promises to get at sending you books customized to your child's interests.

Best for Ages 8-12: OwlCrate Jr.

Sign Up Now

Key Specs

• Cost per Month: $31 to $33 depending on number of months purchased, plus shipping

• Number of Books per Box: 1, plus a second book, activity, or game, and an enamel pin and recipe card

• Ages Served: 8-12

Why We Chose It

OwlCrate Jr. is a whole literary experience for older kids and tweens, combining a crowd-pleasing hardcover middle grade chapter book with a bunch of book-related extras.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• One book with themed activities and goodies

• Author-signed bookplate

• Immersive reading experience for reluctant readers

Cons

• Higher than average shipping cost

• Only guaranteed one book per box

• Value is costly if your child isn't into all the "extras"

Overview

Based on our personal memories of recesses spent trading tamagotchis, pogs, and Beanie Babies, kids in upper elementary and middle school are obsessive about their interests. The OwlCrate Jr. box feeds the immersive experience-seeking nature of kids in this age group, sending them a bunch of cool stuff to go along with their new hardcover middle grade chapter book so they can obsess to their heart's content.

Think outer space novel combined with galaxy washi tape and a Mars beach ball, or a novel about mythical beasts paired with a felt creature kit and a tin treasure chest. Your middle grade kid can read their new book—which, we want to add, is well-chosen to appeal to all genders and interests each month—and dive deep into the world of the story with games, art supplies, supplemental books, stationary pieces, and collectibles meant to enhance their reading experience.

The one caveat here is that the OwlCrate Jr. is $33 plus an added $12 shipping fee; this means you're paying a good amount for all the other "stuff" in the box since there's only guaranteed to be one chapter book included. If your child isn't into all the extras, this box isn't your best value.

Best for Graphic Novels: Hey Kids Comics!

Sign Up Now

Key Specs

• Cost per Month: $20

• Number of Books per Box: 1, plus a zine and related activities

• Ages Served: 6-10

Why We Chose It

We can grab a simplified Marvel comic book off any store shelf, but these clever and brilliantly illustrated graphic novels will be irresistible to elementary-age kids and parents alike.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• In-depth, engaging illustrations

• Interesting narratives that promote literacy

• Discount for local pick-up in Brooklyn

Cons

• Total cost is only for one graphic novel

• There's no way to customize selections

Overview

We won't try to explain the difference between comic books and graphic novels (mostly because we don't really get it!), but we will tell you that both variations make for great reading material for your kid despite what some people might say. Reading is reading, whether or not the book has pictures. The small business owners of the comic book shop in Brooklyn that created the Hey Kids Comics! Club know that the artful combination of illustrations and text comprising modern graphic novels lays the perfect groundwork for kids who want to read more independently, but may be struggling.

The monthly subscription box sends one standalone graphic novel to your six- to 10-year-old kid each month, along with a subscriber-only zine that enhances the experience with additional comic strips, info about the artists and writers, and hands-on guides for your kids to try creating their own comics. Hey Kids Comics! says they try to avoid overly educational novels (but some will obviously have kid-friendly informative spins), and they also try to send out fairly new publications to avoid duplicates on your shelf.

Best for Extras: Reading Bug Box

Sign Up Now

Key Specs

• Cost per Month: Baby boxes start at $18 and boxes for older children start at $27, plus shipping

• Number of Books per Box: 3-4, plus related activities and merch

• Ages Served: 4-10

Why We Chose It

Most book boxes allow you to customize the age range or reading level of your child's subscription, but the customization ends there; when you get a Reading Bug Box, a staff member from The Reading Bug, an independent bookseller in California, hand-selects books for your child based on their personal interests.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Books chosen by the owners of an independent bookstore

• Four different age ranges

• Selections are personalized to fit interests and grow with your child

Cons

• The baby box can't be personalized to your child

• There's a sibling option, but it's $54 per month

Overview

No one knows more about kids' books than librarians and independent booksellers, so we love that the Reading Bug Box was created by a small, family-owned bookshop in California—and aside from the board book box for babies, which has a standardized selection each month, the Reading Bug Box is personalized to your child's age or reading level and their specific interests.

What that means is staff from The Reading Bug hand-pick books for your kiddo based on their extensive experience matching kids with books, then compile a set of goodies (games, musical instruments or CDs, arts and crafts supplies, and other neat treasures) to help your child expand their enjoyment of the stories inside the box. The books are new and unique, i.e. unlikely to be ones you already have, but almost guaranteed to be books you and your child will love. Signing up for the Reading Bug Box is basically the closest you'll get to having a children's book concierge—and we doubt you'll be unhappy with any of the books picked out just for your child.

Guide to Choosing the Best Book Subscriptions for Kids

How to Compare the Best Book Subscriptions for Kids

There are various factors to consider when deciding which kid's book subscription is best for your child. These factors include:

• Cost: You may need to spend a bit more on a book subscription box than you would when buying the books separately since you're relying on someone else's expertise to save you the time of shopping for books yourself. But you should still be getting the books at or below market price, or else it's just not worth it. The average cost of a book subscription box for kids is between $20 and $35, so most of our choices here are within the typical range.

• Ages served: It might seem obvious, but don't choose a subscription box that doesn't accommodate your child's age range. Some of the boxes on this list wouldn't be appropriate for toddlers, while others aren't a good fit for tweens. Also, think about how your child will fit into the overall age groupings for any subscription you're considering; as your child ages, the box should be able to grow with your child in a way that suits them.

• Who chooses the books: Usually, you won't be able to decide what books appear in your subscription box (but if you wanted to pick out your own books, you probably wouldn't be opting into a subscription!). Many companies have a variety of experts involved in the selection process, like child development experts or children's librarians, while others rely on their own years of experience shopping for kids' books. If it matters to you, make sure you know who the brainpower is behind the company you select.

• Variety of book options: Are the book boxes themed each month? Do they send fiction and nonfiction books? What about diverse main characters, or books featuring storylines for all genders? If you have a child with very specific interests, too much variety could be challenging—but not enough variety will leave other kids unsatisfied, so know what to expect.

• Subscription options: Even the best book subscription box can be a drag if you have no say in how often books show up at your door. Look for subscriptions that have some flexibility, like allowing you to skip a month to get caught up or purchase individual one-time-only boxes if you need a gift. Similarly, most book subscription boxes let you pay month-by-month or in advance in three-, six-, or 12-month increments, offering small discounts the more months you pay for at a time. If you're comfortable with commitment, you can save some money this way.

• Duplicate book replacement policies: If your child already has a bunch of books at home, you might be worried about receiving a copy of something you already have in one of your subscription boxes. Every company handles duplicate books differently: some offer a small coupon or discount code toward your next box or another book in their shop, while others send you a full replacement. (In most cases, though, you'll be asked to send in a photo of both books together so the company can verify you have two copies.) Know the policy for the company you're choosing if your child's library is pretty full.

Key Considerations

What Are the Benefits of Kids Book Subscriptions?

Books are powerful things, and no one knows this better than kids—books transport them to whole other worlds, opening up new literacy skills, new stories and ideas, and new opportunities for imaginative play. A book subscription can do this for your child every month, which is why we think they're so great!

We're not alone, at least not according to Lauren Vien, early childhood education expert. "Surrounding our children with a variety of books, including books about their passion-of-the-moment, helps them view reading as an exciting source of pleasure and a valuable source of information," she says.

In addition, Vien says books provide the following benefits to children:

• They provide valuable opportunities to explore complex concepts through the stories of relatable characters.

• They allow children to see the world from different perspectives.

• They help children prepare for specific milestones that are often associated with big feelings, such as moving to a new home or visiting the pediatrician.

• They expand a child's emotional vocabulary, especially when parents help them identify the feelings of the characters in a familiar story (like surprise, excitement, nervousness, frustration, disappointment, anger, and fear).

• They introduce the concept of sequencing or the understanding that stories and events have a beginning, middle, and end.

All of these skills are critical in both personal and academic settings, helping kids navigate the world around them and their relationships. Plus, research shows that early literacy boosts brain development, improves attention and concentration, and has major social-emotional benefits, including enhancing problem-solving skills, self-confidence, and creativity.

What If Your Child Is A Reluctant Reader?

Vien says that in the U.S., most children begin to read independently in first or second grade, or around the age of six or seven. But don't stress if your child isn't as interested in reading as their peers; chances are, they just haven't had their reading spark ignited yet (and a book subscription box is a great way to find what really interests them!).

In fact, the best thing you can do for a reluctant reader is just keep reading to them, notes Vien, since "school-aged children often crave in-depth stories that are beyond their early reading levels."

If your child is reluctant to read, consider choosing a subscription box above their reading level and planning to read the books along with your child, rather than targeting their reading level and expecting them to run off with their box to happily read independently. Make it a family affair, and allow reading to be the gateway to quality time with you.

Are Book Subscriptions for Kids Worth It?

There are a lot of benefits to a book subscription beyond the obvious literacy ones. Vien praises the family connections and shared reading experiences you can get from having high-quality books delivered straight to your home, as well as the element of excitement when your child knows special mail is on its way. Plus, she adds, book subscriptions can introduce families to new books, authors, illustrators, and series.

In other words, a book subscription can liven up family reading time for parents and children alike, says Vien: "If you feel like your child has outgrown their current book collection or you're dreading bedtime because you can't bear to read your child's go-to book one more time, a book subscription [can help]."

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Do Book Subscriptions for Kids Cost?

Most book subscriptions cost around $30 to $35 per month and include two to three books. You may be able to save a little each month by subscribing for more than one month at a time. With some subscriptions, like Literati, your monthly costs will vary based on how many books you decide to keep and how many you return.

How Do You Make a Book Subscription for Kids Fun?

Some of these subscriptions come with activity guides to help your child talk about or understand the book better (or even just integrate the themes and characters into their free play time). You may also be able to find additional resources, like coloring pages, crafts, or recipes on the company's website for each month's box. If you're looking for more in-depth ideas, Vien says you can:

• Gift a book subscription to your child, but wrap the books up separately and allow them to choose a new one every day or week (rather than getting them all at once)

• Encourage other families to subscribe to the same box and host a family book club by inviting everyone over to chat about their favorite book and do a kid-friendly extension activity

What Are the Age Ranges for Book Subscriptions for Kids?

There is at least one book subscription option on this list for kids aged 0 to 14, with some of them covering multiple ages. Kids under age 8 are probably the most commonly served with book subscriptions, but there are a few that include or even cater to the tween and young adult crowd.

Can You Choose the Books That Are Included In the Subscription?

Not usually. Since part of what you're paying for with a subscription service is the convenience of not having to sort through all the children's book options out there yourself, choosing individual books isn't typically part of the deal. You can, however, often choose the appropriate age range(s) for your family.

Methodology

To choose the best book subscription boxes for kids, we compared more than two dozen different companies across a wide range of ages. We chose subscriptions that either catered to several different age groups—allowing parents to choose the one that would be fit for their child—or, if the age groups were limited, offered unusual or hard-to-find books that would appeal to the target readership (like graphic novels).

We also considered the books themselves, ensuring that the quality was high; we wanted to see books with engaging, diverse storylines and gorgeously-rendered illustrations. If we wanted to get a book subscription box for ourselves, then we knew kids would love it, too! Finally, we made sure the average cost of a month's worth of books was within market price and competitive with the typical subscription price range of $30 to $35.

Source

Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children. "Benefits of Early Literacy Skills." Accessed April 16, 2023.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.