Summer vacation is almost here. Well, at least at the school district I work in. Our last day is June 23, 2023. However, I know some schools across the country are already on summer break.
Summer is the perfect time to relax and unwind. Lazy days by the pool, trips to the beach, playing with friends. The last thing kids want to think about is anything school related. Who can blame time.
Some schools require that students do summer reading. I’m all for that. I think it’s a great way to encourage a child to read.
When I was a young girl, I read A LOT. Sadly, my kids do not share my love of reading. My daughter will read on occasion, by not my son.
Some schools allow students to select any book (or books) to read over the summer that are reading level appropriate. Other schools have a list of books children must select from. I think students should be given a choice.
One way to encourage reading is to make it exciting. If you can show a child how fun and adventurous reading can be, it should make them want to read more.
There is a subscription service that truly does make reading exciting, and it makes a child WANT to read. It’s called the Once Upon a Book Club. It’s a month-to-month subscription service for adults, young adults and middle schoolers.
Here is a little more information.
Book Clubbers receive a newly released novel and wrapped gifts labeled with page numbers. As they read the featured book, they’re prompted only to open the gifts when they reach the specified page number.
Boxes are curated by women and the majority are sourced with female readers in mind, mainly featuring strong female characters. However, I think boys would appreciate the books as well.
You can also jump into the Once Upon A Book Club exclusive FB chat group to discuss the book with other members of the community. It’s all the wonder of a book club without leaving your living room.
I received one of the book club shipments to check out for myself.
First and foremost, I LOVE the box the book and goodies arrive in. It looks exactly like a book! What a fun idea. Just seeing the box got me super excited for what was inside.
I love that the box even has “pages” drawn on the side, top and bottom. There is a wee bit of damage, but that could have been caused by the delivery service, and not the brand.
Right away I saw a lot of goodies inside the box. There was a book, a cool coloring page, and packages marked with page numbers on them.
The idea is to open up the present when you have read that specific page. What is inside pertains to what was read on that page.
I will admit that I opened up the package before I read the book. Right now I don’t have much time to read, but now that school ends next week, and I have the entire summer off, I will have plenty of time to read this book. In fact, it looks very interesting, even from an adults stand point.
The book I received its called The Last Shadow Warrior by Sam Subity.
This is the books description that I got from Amazon.
Twelve-year-old Abby Beckett is proud to come from a long line of elite Viking warriors known as the Aesir. She’s spent her entire life training to hunt the horrific creatures known as Grendels-the ancient foe of the Aesir-just like her mother did before she died. But there’s just one, small problem: No one has seen a Grendel in centuries, and the Viking Council wants to disband the Aesir . . . forever.
When her father is injured in an attack that leaves him in a coma, Abby is forced to take refuge at Vale Hall, a mysterious school in Minnesota where nothing is quite as it seems. She soon discovers the tables have turned and a Grendel is hunting her, but when she tries to alert the Viking Council, they accuse her of making up stories for attention . . . just like her mother did.
Desperate to protect her father and clear her mother’s name, Abby goes on a dangerous quest to discover the truth–a journey that brings her face-to-face with some unlikely foes, including a Ping-Pong-playing sea monster with a wicked backhand, and a dark Valkyrie with a fondness for bingo. Abby quickly realizes that someone at the school is trying to stop her progress and destroy the Aesir for good. And only she can unravel the sinister plot before it’s too late.
Sounds really good. I honestly cannot wait to read it.
The book is geared towards children 10-12 years old. It has over 300+ pages, so it’s a decent read.
To be honest, I would have loved to receive the adult box. I only say that because sometimes before I receive things to review I check out other reviews online, including YouTube. Some YouTubers have received some pretty awesome books and goodies from Once Upon a Book Club.
The items inside the packages are really interesting. I don’t want to tell you what is inside, only because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone in the event they receive this specific book and package. Let’s just say I was very impressed with the goodies I found inside the package, and I cannot wait to see how they pertain to the book.
The box came with a bookmark with a lovely quote on it.
I love to color, and the coloring page that came with it is great. I can’t wait to get out my markers or colored pencils and color it. I love that is has a nice quote on it too.
There are more goodies inside, I just don’t wait to spoil anything for anyone.
I think the excitement of receiving the package, and seeing all that is inside, will really make a child or teen WANT to read. They are “rewarded” for their efforts by opening up mystery packages filled with quality book related items. I thought they would be “cheap” things, but they were not. They were really nice items.
On the brand’s website they provide you with hints on what the next book will be about, depending on what book club you are subscribed to (adult, teen or middle school).
The cost of a subscription depends on what type you choose (adults, teen or middle school) and the length of the subscription. They have three (3), six (6) and twelve (12) month options. You can also purchase a single box (no subscription option). I think after you see one box you’ll want to subscribe. If we didn’t have a massive vet bill looming over our heads, I think I would subscribe to the adult book club, at the very least for three months. We’ll see how things go after that vet bill is paid off.
This would make a great gift for someone who loves to read, or maybe needs a little encouragement to read.
If you are interesting in learning more, visit OnceUponaBookClub.com. You can also check the brand out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok. Those links are found on the top right corner of the brand’s website.
What do you think about the idea of the Once Upon a Book Club? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts. I always love to hear from readers.
Kimberly
*I received a free sample in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.