OwlCrate Jr. June 2017 Box Review + Coupon

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OwlCrate Jr., is a monthly book subscription box for young readers ages 8-12 with a middle grade book plus fun gender neutral bookish items designed to enhance your little reader’s experience. It’s from Owl Crate, a super popular YA (young adult) fiction subscription.

DEAL:Use the code FBMAGIC to save 10% off your order OR  Subscribe to OwlCrate Jr for a 3 or 6-month plan with code SUMMERFUN to save 20% off your order!!  

The theme for the June 2017 OwlCrate JR. box is GIZMOS & GEARS! The information card tells a little bit about all the goodies in the box.


Everything in the June OwlCrate JR. box! 

York: The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby ($10.97)

It was 1798 when the Morningstarr twins arrived in New York with a vision for a magnificent city: towering skyscrapers, dazzling machines, and winding train lines, all running on technology no one had ever seen before. Fifty-seven years later, the enigmatic architects disappeared, leaving behind for the people of New York the Old York Cipher—a puzzle laid into the shining city they constructed, at the end of which was promised a treasure beyond all imagining. By the present day, however, the puzzle has never been solved, and the greatest mystery of the modern world is little more than a tourist attraction.

Tess and Theo Biedermann and their friend Jaime Cruz live in a Morningstarr apartment—until a real estate developer announces that the city has agreed to sell him the five remaining Morningstarr buildings. Their likely destruction means the end of a dream long held by the people of New York. And if Tess, Theo, and Jaime want to save their home, they have to prove that the Old York Cipher is real. Which means they have to solve it.

This book looks AMAZING and even my husband & I were sucked in when we started reading about it – 3 kids solve a puzzle/treasure hunt that’s baked in to the streets and landmarks of NYC.

Yay for ciphers baked into the text!

Letter from the author – I do wish a little more attention had been paid to this letter. I had a hard time reading it, and most middle grade readers wouldn’t actually be able to read it.

Author’s Autograph – Sticker Bookplate

Secret Code Door Hanger

Daughter says the cipher translates to “What Is the City But The People?” (Highlight with cursor to see the answer) We’re not to Shakespeare yet with this one, but soon!

Steampunk Robot Owl Button Pin:

Puzzle Pen ($0.99) A labyrinth within a pen!

Plus-Plus Building Set ($7.99)

Plus plus bricks are easy to build with, build up fast, and are super fun – especially since you can go from flat to 3d and back!

A nice little pile of  blocks to add to our collection (we already love them!)

Puzzle Erasers ($2.99)

Subscribers received a variety of shapes – we got a sphere and a star.

They break apart, and it’s a bit of a challenge to reassemble.

Hexbug Nano Newton Series ($4.99)

These little nanobots scurry around like bugs, and they’re super fascinating.

My kids loved this item and have played with it for hours!

Gizmos & Gears Vinyl Decals: Fun, gender neutral stickers with almost a steampunk vibe – kind of like the book cover!

The value of this month’s box was about $28. I really don’t get too hung up on whether this subscription is a great deal per item, because the immersive reading experience is worth a lot more than the individual items combined. This month though it seemed like more tchotchke and less experience but I think there may be some disagreement there. What everyone agrees on is Owlcrate’s amazing book selections – they’re really that great. My daughter has finished every single book from this box.

My daughter doesn’t need any encouragement to read, but what a fantastic way to get a reluctant reader into a story – a great gift for a grandparent to give.

The theme next month is MAGICAL CREATURES!

Fantasy, friendship, and magic are coming up in the next box, and it’s about to sell out!

What did you think of  Owl Crate JR. box this month?

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