Summer Reading Enrichment: BookBugs Review
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Summer Reading Enrichment: BookBugs Review

The following post is a sponsored review by BookBugs. All opinions stem from my honest experiences and beliefs about the product and are in no way influenced by the compensation I received to review the product. You can trust me to tell it like it is.

As an English teacher and mom of three, literacy is important to me. I live, breathe, and dream reading and writing, and my hope is that I can pass that passion on to both my students and my own children, which is why when BookBugs contacted me to see if I’d like to review their product, I was stoked.

BookBugs is an online children’s book subscription company that, for every three books sold, also donates books to children in need. Interested consumers can log into their SuperBugs subscription page, browse the options, which range from monthly to yearly softcover and hardcover subscriptions, and upon selecting one, complete a survey gauging children’s interests in order to custom tailor the types of books to be delivered.

Alister, my first grader, is obsessed with reading and writing, so I knew he would love trying out the product. But perhaps most intriguing for me was the opportunity for literacy growth that a subscription service like this might provide to Ewing, my preschooler, who suffers from speech and language delays because of the stroke in utero that severely damaged the left side of his brain where language is stored.

We signed up for the three-month subscription for both of the boys and prepared to receive all six books at once so that we could try out the service to see if it was worthwhile.

When the shipment arrived, the boys were excited. (What kid doesn’t like getting “presents” in the mail?) We all sat down at the kitchen table and opened the packages. You should have seen their eyes light up. (And my heart melt because BOOKS. They were excited about books.)

Summer Reading Enrichment: BookBugs Review

Ewing began salivating over the superhero book (he’s a little obsessed right now), and Alister immediately took to reading his aloud.

My initial reaction: This is cool. This is super cool. Anything that gets kids excited about reading and has the potential to increase literacy, particularly for a child like Ewing who struggles, is a good thing. Anything that also makes this possible for underprivileged children? Even better.

We spent the remainder of the evening reading together, and when it was time for bed, the boys excitedly took their books into their shared room, set up camp on their beds, and perused the books some more before falling asleep.

I liked the product and was impressed, but I wanted to know what the kids thought about it as well.

ME: What did you think of BookBugs?

ALISTER: I really like BookBugs because you get books in the mail.

EWING: I like it because getting books in the mail is my favorite.

ME: What was your favorite book and why?

ALISTER: My favorite book was The Dot because it is a book about a girl who doesn’t have anything on her paper and her art teacher says, “Just make a dot.” And so she did.

EWING: The superhero one because they’re superheroes and Batman is my favorite.

ME: Would you recommend BookBugs to other parents and kids?

EWING: What that means?

ME: Oh. Do you think other parents should sign up for BookBugs for their kids to get books in the mail too?

ALISTER: Yes, I would tell other people to try the survey on BookBugs and get books because it’s a cool thing to get in the mail. You get books and a lot of times you like those books.

EWING: Yes, because I want them to get new books. It’s fun because it’s more fun than getting a book from the book store.

ME: Would you like Mommy and Daddy to sign up for BookBugs?

ALISTER: Yes, because it’s fun when you get to open up the books and then you open books and you’re really excited to read the books.

EWING: Yes, because it’s fun because I want to get new books.

ME: Anything else you’d like to say about BookBugs?

ALISTER: I like getting the books in the mail and you should try it too.

EWING: Superheroes are my favorite.

I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure they like getting books in the mail. And also, Ewing likes superhero books. And Batman. And superheroes in general.

My honest assessment? BookBugs is definitely a worthwhile investment. The act of receiving packages in the mail, opening them with the family, and reading together generates genuine excitement about literacy development, and that children in need also benefit from the service is an added bonus.

We are going to sign up for a subscription for the boys (not sponsored this time) so that they can continue to improve their reading fluency and language development during the summer months and we can enjoy an educational activity that’s both academically rewarding and fun together as a family. I am beyond excited to have been presented with this opportunity and glad that we’ve discovered a service with so many benefits for our children and those of others.

Interested in signing your children up for this service? Right now, BookBugs is offering a summer special to anyone who signs up for a subscription between now and June 30. Customers will receive two free books that first month in addition to the standard book per month that the service offers. You can see the subscription options here.

We are sold, and we encourage other parents to give it a try as well. As a teacher and a parent, BookBugs gets an A+ from me.