Crate Expectations: A Middle Grade Book Box Reminds You To Reach For The Stars!

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Crate Expectations reminded kids to Reach For The Stars through the January 2022 box! With positive messages and fun activities, this curation was surely a great way to start the year. Prepare for a fun ride and enjoy the journey as we take a closer look at every amazing item this month!

Aim high and find your sparkle this new year! When the best school in town holds a contest to find the best student around, one girl is determined to shine. You won’t want to miss this fun and inspiring new book from a best-selling author.

DEAL: Get 10% off your first purchase! Use coupon code HELLO10.

Book Club Pick of the Month

This month’s featured book is Shine! by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein ($13.79)! It’s a relatable story that talks about finding your place in the universe and making yourself shine without overshadowing anyone. Every middle-grade kid should have this on their shelf! This book also teaches kids about compassion, finding out who you are and who you want to be, and being happy about it. Actually, even adults would want to read this as we also feel lost sometimes. This book can remind us to just take it easy.

Book-related STEM Activity and Supplies

A quote welcomed us upon opening the Adventure Guide! It says “The brightest stars don’t just shine for themselves. Shine!” We also received a rocket-shaped pencil sharpener plus a pencil with galaxy-inspired prints to complete the vibe.

Every box contains a book-related STEM activity! This month, it’s called Make An Impact and it teaches kids about velocity and the science of craters. The supplies provided include a rubber ball, a marble, and an experiment card. From home, you’d need a large cake pan, flour, cocoa powder, ruler, and safety glasses. Just make sure a grown-up is present when the kids do this activity!

Also included in the Adventure Guide are interview transcripts with the featured author.

Kids can use this Bookaneer Log to write down the names or paste the pictures of their crew. There’s also a card where they can write down details of the book as well their favorite quote from it.

More activities await on the next Adventure Guide pages! There are discussion questions, as well as a recipe for North Star Sundae.

They even included a star-shaped lollipop to add some sweetness to the adventure.

Crate Expectations also provided book recommendations based on this month’s featured book, including The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein, Emmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido, Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce, Quintessence by Jess Redman, and Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt.

At the back of the Adventure Guide is a suggestion for a Family Game Night!

To further learn about what makes them shine, the box included a question-a-day journal for the kids. It has journal prompts and kids can also treat it as a time capsule of their own ideas! It’s a great way to know how a child’s perspective changes over the years.

For middle-grade kids who love exploring the world through stories, Crate Expectations would be a fun subscription box to try. The book picks and the suggested activities allow them to be creative and imaginative. What my kids love about this month’s featured middle-grade book is that it teaches readers the importance of self-love. They also like the STEM activity, while the discussion questions helped open up important conversations about the book and its theme!

Crate Expectations is a monthly kids’ book subscription box that sends a quality book paired with one-of-a-kind Adventure Guide and toys or games. Plans start at $32.99 each month, plus shipping and tax, and they also offer 3-month and 6-month subscriptions. Each box contains their book club pick of the month, 2-4 specially curated toys or games, a book-related STEM activity and supplies, an exclusive author interview, a book-inspired recipe and menu ideas, book club discussion questions, and recommendations for further reading. The box is suited for 8-12 year old kids and a favorite subscription box for tweens and pre-teens!

The Crate Expectations middle grade readers box made our 2021 readers’ choice list of best subscription boxes for kids!

What do you think of the Crate Expectations box?

Visit Crate Expectations to subscribe or find out more!

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  • Lauren
    02.03.22

    This is a box I would love to get my 11 yo because I think it would get her to try new genres/authors (she only wants to read books by three authors if she’s reading independently but I know she’d love it if we read these aloud together). It’s just that the shipping in these boxes makes it so expensive for me. One day…

    In the meantime I really love these reviews! Thank you for featuring this box!