There are a few things I'm really terrible at, and they include 1) shopping for kids and 2) remembering to buy birthday presents for my friends' kids (sorry, guys). If you're like me, you should know that a book subscription for kids makes the perfect gift for birthdays, showers, and holidays, so you never have to think about what to buy your baby cousins ever again.
Subscription boxes have become a way of life over the last several years. My household has two separate subscriptions to a snack-delivery service. Several of my friends receive geeky swag in their mailbox every month. Some avoid the pink tax by buying their razors, shaving cream, deodorant, tampons, and other toiletries through online subscription services. What began as a fad has blossomed into a full-scale industry.
Literary subscription boxes aren't difficult to come by, but finding book subscriptions for kids can be a challenge. Most folks know about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, and many live in areas where hospitals and public libraries offer free books for young children and new parents, but far too many families in the U.S. live in book deserts: places where bookstores and libraries are few. For them, book subscription services that cater to children are so much more important.
Here are four awesome book subscriptions for kids that will make the perfect gift for your children, your friends' children, and your favorite nieces, nephews, and cousins.
1. The Picture Book Club
Touted as "a subscription service for new minds," The Picture Book Club offers one-time bundles as well as custom and themed subscriptions. Bundles start at around $50, and yearly subscriptions cost less than $20 per month.
2. Just Like Me!
Frustrated with the lack of diverse books available for her son, Tamara McNeil started her own company, "built on the foundation of exposing children of color to literature, characters, authors and stories that are reflective of them." For just $25 per month, Just Like Me! subscribers receive handpicked, age-appropriate books and educational tools, curated with children of color in mind.
3. Little Fun Club
Little Fun Club offers themed "Adventure" boxes and monthly subscriptions, all priced at $25. Boxes are designed for children ages 0 to 12, and monthly subscribers receive three age-appropriate books per shipment.
4. Bookroo
Each Bookroo delivery contains two hardcover picture books or three board books, and plans are as low as $15.99 per month. If you give a Bookroo subscription to someone else, you'll provide a parent's email address so that they can choose books that are right for their child, taking all the guesswork out of your gift-giving!
