We can all agree that 2020 has been…weird (for lack of better words). Many parents are trying homeschooling and schools themselves are looking a little different right now. What hasn’t changed, are all the amazing kid’s book subscription boxes out there. Now is as great a time as any for your little one to get some more reading in or discover a new love for books.
My little sister Elise has transitioned to homeschooling this year, so we were looking for some new and exciting books for her collection. She absolutely loves reading, so she was super excited to be the lucky one to try out Bookroo and My First Reading Club for the sake of this review.
My little best friend and I:
Both Bookroo and My First Reading Club are great options for kid’s book subscription boxes, but let’s get into which box won us over.
Let’s see which box wins this Showdown!
$19.95 or $24.95
- Coupon: 15% OFF 1st Box With Code: BOOKS2LOVE
- Shipping: $4.99 (U.S.), $16 (Canada)
- Countries Shipped To: U.S. & Canada
- Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-Annually, Annually
- Referral Program: NO
- Product Type: Kids Books, Education
$19.99
- Coupon: 15% OFF 1st Box With Code: KIDSRULE15
- Shipping: FREE
- Countries Shipped To: Contiguous U.S.
- Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-Annually, Annually
- Referral Program: YES
- Product Type: Kids Books, Education
The Low-Down On This Showdown
Before we get to the showdown, here’s a little background on what Bookroo & My First Reading Club boxes are:
Contender #1:
Bookroo
What is Bookroo?
Bookroo was started by three moms who wanted to bring unique books to children. Instead of the typical “classic” books that parents probably know and love, Bookroo focuses on sending modern “hidden gems” to create new classics for the next generation of children. They cater to children ages 0 – 10.
What You Get In Your Box
Each Bookroo box comes with 2 or 3 books, depending on your subscription type. All books come gift wrapped like a little present in both eco-friendly and recyclable paper. Also, all boxes come with an insert that highlights details about the books and insights from the illustrators and authors.
Types of Boxes
- Board Book Club – Includes 3 sturdy board books (Ages 0 – 3).
- Picture Book Club – Includes 2 hardcover picture books, perfect for read-aloud (Ages 3 – 6).
- Chapter Book Club – Includes 2 chapter books, one “hidden gem” and one community favorite (Ages 7 – 10).
Price
- $19.95 / month + $4.99 shipping – Board Book Club and Picture Book Club
- $24.95 / month + $4.99 shipping – Chapter Book Club
Frequency Options
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Bi-Annually
- Annually
Other Cool Features
- Offers a Pricing Calculator that you can use to estimate the price of your subscription before signing up.
- If you receive a duplicate book or already have a certain book in your collection, you can send a picture of you giving the book to someone else and Bookroo will give you $5 off your next subscription. Give some, get some!
Contender #2:
My First Reading Club
What is My First Reading Club?
My First Reading Club puts an emphasis on providing books for children ages 0 – 12 at an affordable price, so every child can improve their literacy and love for reading. They have an expert curator that selects the highest quality books to send your little one.
What You Get In Your Box
My First Reading Club box includes 2 – 3 age appropriate books (based on the age you select), an activity book, and a “gift” for your little reader and a surprise for mommy (or daddy)!
Types of Boxes
- Just Starting Out – Board books that teach learning concepts like colors, numbers, shapes, beginning Spanish, and more (Ages 0 – 2).
- Pre-Readers & Fledgling Readers – Picture books perfect for read-aloud and beginning reading (Ages 3 – 5).
- Newly Independent Readers – Picture and early chapter books for readers getting comfortable with starting to read on their own (Ages 6 – 8).
- Developing Readers – Early and intermediate chapter books for developing readers (Ages 9 – 10).
- Pre-Teens – Longer chapter books for established readers (Ages 11 – 12).
Price
$19.99 / month
Frequency Options
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Bi-Annually
- Annually
Referral Program
Refer 3 friends and get your next box free!
Other Cool Features
- My First Reading Club created The MFRC Scholarship Program for families in need that want their children to be able to have and read books. Recipients are matched with a patron/donor from the same state. Simple email MFRC to apply!
ROUND 1
Sign-Up & Cancelling
In this first round, i’m going to compare the sign-up and cancelling process for both Bookroo and My First Reading Club. Sometimes this can make or break how I feel about a company. It’s the first and last impression that you will have with a business. Luckily, there weren’t many big hiccups with either one of these subscription boxes, but the cancellation process for one wasn’t the greatest.
BOOKROO
Sign-up was super easy. Just 2 – 3 steps. Select book box type, length of subscription, and contact/billing info.
If you have multiple children in different age groups, Bookroo suggests doing an “alternating subscription” where you can alternate getting each book type every month (ex: Board Books one month, Picture Books another month). Or you can just purchase two subscriptions from different book types as well.
Keep in mind that if you have kids that are in the same age group, ordering 2 or more of the same box types will send you multiples of the same books. This is because every subscriber gets the same curated batch of books every month.
They do offer a special 15% discount off a 2nd subscription at the same address, for every box you receive. Just shoot Bookroo support an email.
Cancelling/Returning
To cancel, you have to email Bookroo’s customer service by the 15th of the month to do so. I was sent an email reply asking if I would rather just take a break to skip up to 3 months or transition my account to a quarterly renewal.
They stated that they don’t advertise these options on the site. I really wished they would though and I could control my own breaks.
As far as returns, subscriptions and books in your box are ineligible for returns, but if an item is damaged or misprinted you can email them directly to get a new book shipped out to you. It does say in their terms of services that you can get a full refund on your first box if you don’t like it for whatever reason. But i’m sure you will probably love it, so you won’t have to worry about this anyway *wink wink*.
*Remember to get 15% off your 1st box with code: BOOKS2LOVE or 20% off a 3-Month Subscription with code: KEEPCALM.
Also, if you’re a serviceman, Bookroo offers a 15% OFF military discount that’s good for every box you receive. Email Bookroo support to request your unique coupon code!
MY FIRST READING CLUB
Signing up for My First Reading Club was incredibly easy as well. Literally just three steps. Select the age of your child, the length of your subscription plan, and contact/billing information.
Cancelling/Returning
You can cancel and reactivate within your My First Reading Club account.
Unlike most subscriptions, My First Reading Club allows you to sign up for their multi-month plans without the long-term commitment. Meaning, if you decide that it’s just not working out for you two months down the line and you have a 3 month subscription, just contact them and they will refund the remaining term of the subscription. So you only pay for what you got.
Also, if a package or item gets lost or damaged, My First Reading Club will send a replacement free of charge.
Winner: My First Reading Club
Even though sign-up was pretty simple for both, at this point I expect to have the ability to cancel and reactivate my account on my own. That’s why My First Reading Club wins this one.
ROUND 2
Value & Quality
In this round, i’ll compare the value and quality of both Bookroo and My First Reading Club. Sometimes better value doesn’t win out against quality and that seems to be the case with this match-up. I felt like Bookroo offered more unique “boutique” books that you probably don’t already have in your collection, while a lot of the books in My First Reading Club seemed a tad “generic”.
BOOKROO
Box 1
- Little Elliot Big Family by Mike Curato (retail value $13+)
- Turtle Tug To The Rescue by Michael Slack (retail value $17+)
Total Retail Value = $30+
Elise enjoyed both books from this first box and no quality issues with this box.
Box 2
- Room For Bear by Ciara Gavin (retail value $25+)
- Wherever You Go by Zietlow Miller (retail value $11+)
Total Retail Value = $36+
Elise also liked both books in this box as well. There wasn’t an issue with quality either.
MY FIRST READING CLUB
Box 1
- Apple Picking Day! by Candice Ransom (retail value $4+)
- The Cranky Ballerina by Elise Gravel (retail value $15+)
- Be Brave Little One by Marianne Richmond (retail value $7+)
- Bubble Guppies Bubble Bonanza Paint Set (retail value $10+)
Total Retail Value = $36
Elise liked the books from this box, especially The Cranky Ballerina. She got a kick out of the author having the same name as her.
As far as quality, she was only able to use the paint set once or twice with the Bubble Guppies book, which was unfortunate.
Box 2
- Quit Calling Me A Monster by Jory John (retail value $18+)
- Elena of Avalor Flight of the Jaquins by Big Golden Book (retail value $12+)
- Trolls Poppy Follows Her Nose by Dreamworks Trolls (retail value $10+)
- Squiggle by Kenzo Hayashi (retail value $12+)
Total Retail Value = $52
Her favorite out of the bunch was the Quit Calling Me A Monster book, otherwise the others she has maybe read once. She hasn’t used the Squiggle book, as it teaches how to draw many things using just “one-line” and I think the concept was a bit too advanced for her.
For quality of this box, the Trolls Poppy Follows Her Nose book was scratch-n-sniff and the smell had gone away after a bit.
Winner: Bookroo
So clearly My First Reading Club has a better value, as it comes with more books. But quality was more important in my situation, as we are trying to build a long-lasting book collection that Elise can read over and over again. Two books from the My First Reading Club box were unusable after one or two uses, therefore I pick Bookroo for this round.
ROUND 3
Overall Experience
There were no “bad” experiences with either box, but Bookroo stood out as an overall great experience. It was something as simple as wrapping each book like a little gift. Elise was ecstatic about getting to open her “special book presents” every month. She also has re-read the books she has received from Bookroo, two or three times over. Some of her favorites from the bunch were from Bookroo. With that said, she did like that she got some books from her favorite shows and movies from My First Reading Club.
BOOKROO
Things I Liked:
- Books aren’t gender specific. Bookroo only picks books that can be universally enjoyed by all children. I have found this to be true with the two boxes we have received.
- The books being gift wrapped adds a nice touch. Really makes it feel like a special treat every month.
- Multiple different discounts offered (first box, multiple children, and ongoing military).
- Special books that I wouldn’t have picked on my own.
Things I Didn’t Like:
- Have to contact Bookroo to cancel.
- No way to login to your account directly on their site, besides having to search “Bookroo Login” in Google. Weird.
- Have to pay for shipping.
MY FIRST READING CLUB
Things I Liked:
- Just like Bookroo, you don’t have to specify the gender of your child.
- The extra activity book is a nice addition to the box.
- Free shipping.
- Ability to cancel and be refunded multi-month subscriptions.
- Some books were licensed brands, which is nice for children who enjoy characters like Trolls or Bubble Guppies.
Things I Didn’t Like:
- So, even though I liked that MFRC subscriptions aren’t gender specific, I did feel like some books skewed more towards certain gender preferences. Even though Elise loved “The Cranky Ballerina” book she received, i’m not sure a boy whose into trucks, etc. would be as enthused.
- The gift option is confusing/misleading. It offers a gift option, but it just links to the normal subscription. There isn’t a one-time box you can send as a gift, so you’d have to set up a monthly subscription and have to make sure to cancel after the first month.
- States that you get an extra gift ‘”for mom” in the box, but I didn’t receive one.
- Quality of some of the books weren’t great and some books seemed “generic”, like ones you could find at any store.
Winner: Bookroo
The Bookroo box was a more memorable experience for Elise because of the gift wrapping and the kinds of books she received.
VERDICT
Worth It?
Overall, both these book subscriptions are great ones to try. Elise loves reading, so she honestly didn’t care where the books came from!
BOOKROO
Would I try again: Yes
Bottom Line: Bookroo is great for those looking for unique books and the excitement of opening a “present” every month.
MY FIRST READING CLUB
Would I try again: Yes
Bottom Line: My First Reading Club is great for parents or new parents looking for affordable books to build up your child’s book collection.
Overall Winner: Bookroo
Let me know which kids book subscription you would go with in the comments! And as always, please follow me on my social media channels. I’d love to connect with you!
*Disclaimer: My opinion of these products are always 100% truthful! The views/opinions expressed on this post are that of my own, derived from my own personal research and in no way is meant to be a negative or defamatory reflection on any company mentioned herein. Also, my experience may differ from yours.
Have you checked out the previous Showdown featuring Kidpik & Stitchfix Kids kids clothing subscription box?
