#1163 – Little Fun Club + Giveaway $50

Little Fun Club blog tour. A subscription box for children's books. Great for kids ages 0-12.

About the Little Fun Club*
*If you’ve followed the tour—and you have, right?—feel free to skip down to a review of the Little Fun Club.

What is the Little Fun Club? 
Little Fun Club
Little Fun Club is a subscription box for children’s books. It’s ideal for kids ages 0-12. When you sign up, your child will receive a box containing three adventurous books every month. The books are tailored to your child’s age, so you can rest assured they will always have quality, age-appropriate reading material. Each book is hand selected for your child, and no two boxes are the same.

How does the Little Fun Club Work?

I’m glad you asked. Joining is easy. Here’s how:

Go to:  (click logo) And then fill out the form.

Books are received are based on your child’s age.

More than one child? Split the box for up to three children ages infant to 12.

Each month, you will find three adventurous books in your child’s Little Fun Club box.

How much is a Little Fun Club box subscription?
1 month – $29
3 months – $27/month
6 months – $25/month

When your child has a birthday, and each year after—Sing the Happy Birthday Song!—the books change accordingly—you’ll always have age-appropriate books. It’s easy to grow with the Little Fun Club.

What else does the Little Fun Club offer?

Does your child prefer a genre or themes? You can write a note to the Little Fun Club and they will then do their best to tailor each box to your child’s preferences.

Books are based on merit; going through a rigorous selection process. The Little Fun Club team reads and reviews each book before adding it to their collection.

What if you own a copy of a book in the Little Fun Club box? Since you care about your child reading, they might receive a book you’ve already bought for them. Simply let the Little Fun Club know. Your child will find a replacement book in their next box! What about th—nope, you don’t need to return a book—ever!

How much is shipping? Shipping is FREE on all boxes.

You can cancel or put your subscription hold at any time.

Need a great gift? A Little Fun Club subscription, or a one-time box, makes a wonderful gift for birthdays, holidays, or just because.

“The final product is a box filled with education, fun, and opportunities for positive child development. Each box is made perfect for your child, based on age and preferences—every time!” [FROM PUBLISHER]

Why should you join the Little Fun Club?

A Review of the Little Fun Club*

Well, joining is up to you. I can tell you this: the Little Fun Club sent me a subscription box based on the information I gave them. Since I review everything they offer, I split the box between three children.

First, the box states Little Fun Club on the side, which I initially missed. But when I opened the box, it was clear this was not a normal box of books for review. I was excited to see what the Little Fun Club sent, forgetting to take pictures along the way. So . . .

. . . I must break a basic rule of kidlit:  Show TELL don’t Tell SHOW

The boring brown box opened to brown paper. Pulling this out left another package, wrapped in plain brown paper, like a gift. It was like getting a present. Ripping off the wrapping brought my paper-loving cat around the corner to take ownership. I had three books, nicely tied together with a bright blue ribbon, which the cat also loved. I do have a photo of the ribbon . . .

.

.

.

. . . tied around the books. (Aw, come on! Give me some credit.)

Pretty nice. There are no little surprises, which many parents find annoying, but a bookmark for each book would have been cool. I expected, based on the profiles I gave Little Fun Club, a funny picture book, a chapter book that is not a “girlie story,” and a middle-grade book, hopefully, one with lots of pages.

.

.
Here is what the Little Fun Club sent my kids (and their short profiles).

“Boy age 5 – likes funny picture books.”

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type — Age Range 3—8/Grades Pre-K to 2

written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin,
Simon Spotlight/Simon & Schuster
978-0-689-83213-0, 2000*
A Ready-to-Read edition released last December 2016

Awards
Caldecott Honor Book, 2001
ALA Notable Children’s Book, 2001
School Library Journal Top 100 Picture Book, 2012 (#39)
Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Who could complain about receiving a Caldecott book? Certainly not me, or my clearly made up son. Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type is exactly what I told the Little Fun Club this child enjoyed: funny [picture books. Though I have a lot of Doreen Cronin in the house. I love her books, but the Click Clack series is terribly underrepresented—okay, this is the first of this series, so my “son” is very happy and will write a review if he ever has time.

“Girl age 7 – Likes chapter books, but not ‘girly stories.’”

Very Far Away — Age Range 4—8/Grades Pre-K to 2

written by Maurice Sendek
Harper & Brothers/Harpercollins
978-0-06-029723-7, 1957, 2001, 2005
Reissued more than a few times.

Awards
Kirkus Starred Review

Very Far Away is a new title for my “girl.” This story is older than her make-believe mommy. But, and this is a BIG BUT, Maurice Sendek wrote this, so how could it be a bad choice? This is Sendek’s second book where he is both author and illustrator. The question is, will my seven-year-old be able to relate to a story written 54 years before she was created born?

“Boy 11 – loves anything middle grade, is a voracious reader.”

Colin Fischer (Book #1) — Age Range 13 and up/Grades 9+ (YA)

written by Ashley Edward Miller and illustrated by Zack Stentz
Razorbill/Penguin Random House
978-1595145789, 2012
New YA series

Awards
none—yet, but stay tuned, it’s gotten great reviews

I have not read Colin Fischer, yet. From what I’ve gathered, this is a young adult book, not a middle-grade book. I specifically said my eleven-year-old boy is a “voracious reader” who “loves anything middle grade .” I expected a middle-grade book, preferably one with lots of pages to keep my “voracious child” busy reading. For me, this “hand selected” book ignores my child’s preferences. The Little Fun Club missed the mark, by not heeding the note about this “child.”

At its most basic, Colin Fischer is about a bully who may or may not have shot a gun off in the cafeteria. I know my child extremely well—I did make him up—and I know he would not like this topic and wants only books that are clearly middle-grade, which is why I told the Little Fun Club this.

Maybe I should have said no YA, but Little Fun Club is for kids through age 12, which is clearly not young adult. I never thought this would become a problem. I’d love to read the Little Fun club review of Colin Fischer. I‘m curious to know why they thought this is appropriate for an eleven-year-old. I have yet to read Colin Fischer, so I honestly do not know if it is appropriate or not. Should Little Fun Club even have YA in their collection?

There are some crossovers, called “Tweens” and some advanced readers want genres older than those written for their age group. My question goes more toward an eight to twelve-year-old’s ability to understand and process some of the topics and emotions in a young adult book.

“Little Fun Club selects books based on merit. Books go through a rigorous selection process . . .” I don’t think these reviews are available online at the website. That would be a very good addition. Many parents like to read the book, or at least understand the plot and themes, before allowing their child to read it. Those reviews would help parents guide their child toward good books, tailored just for them—the goal of the Little Fun Club.

Final Thoughts
I am very pleased with two of the three selections. Though I don’t know if a child would want a 60-year-old book, I am thrilled to receive Sendek’s second book. I know from ten+ years of reviewing that you will never go wrong with a Doreen Cronin book. As for the unknown, Colin Fischer, if my son was real, I’d probably request a replacement.

I was expecting new releases, not that the club states this. Most people like new releases. Some kids may think older books are like second-hand clothes. I was surprised to find not one book received for this tour released in 2017.

Note: Colin Fischer came from a discounted book supplier (think Half Price Books), as noted by the red Remainder mark on bottom edge. Another reviewer noted the same marks, which are not made to be easily seen; others may have received discounted books and not know it. Should you get these discounted books in a $29 subscription box? Let’s see. (please excuse the messy table; I’ve not figured them out)

.          .          .          .          .          .          .LIST Prices       .Barnes & Noble Prices
CLICK, CLACK, MOO Cows That Type .   .$19.99           .          .$13.72
Very Far Away  .          .          .          .        .$19.99   .          .       .$18.00
Colin Fischer (Book #1) .          .           .    $17.99   .          .       .$11.24
.          .         .          .          .          .             . $57.97  .          .        $42.96
Prices
1-box ($29)   .          .          .          .          .   $28.97 savings         .$13.96 savings
3-month sub./3-boxes ($27/month/box)  .   .$30.97     “ .          .   .$15.96     “
6-month/6 boxes ($25/month/box)  .           .$32.97     “  .             .$17.96     “

The Little Fun Club is a terrific bargain if you buy many children’s books. Buy a 6-month subscription, or receive all six boxes immediately, for the lowest price. You can also skip a month, making the Little Fun Clun terrific for gifts. Don’t forget teachers. Teachers are always trying to create or improve their classroom library—at their own cost—so help a favorite teacher with a box or a subscription. (The grade taught determines the books you should order).

Award-winners are one definitive proof you received a book of merit, as promised. Sending only award-winning books is probably not feasible, so I gave grades to the Little Fun Club.

Price: A+
Presentation: A
Package: B+ (exchanging YA for an MG raises to A)

Don’t expect current releases, but if you regularly buy children’s books, you should DEFINITELY check out the Little Fun Club!

The Little Fun Club Blog Tour ends today. I encourage you to look back, using the links below, which will take you straight to the reviews. Check out what others received for their age group(s). Repeats are rare. Looking back will give you a good idea of what the Little Fun Club considers a “book of merit.” You will find many award-winners with pretty gold or silver stickers on the cover—proof a book is of exceptional quality, as judged by the kid lit powers-to-be who know children’s literature.

Little Fun Club Blog Tour Schedule
(all direct links to reviews)

The Mommy Island 
Writing My Own Fairy Tale
The Kids Did It
Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Book Review Mama
Homebound but Hopeful
Looking Glass Review
Kristi’s Book Nook
Natasha Reads Books
Create With Joy
That’s What She Read
Tee and Penguin
Bookworm for Kids
This Kid Reviews Books
Word Spelunking
Babies to Bookworms
The Tangled Yarn
Geo Librarian
Savings in Seconds
Kid Lit Reviews

The Giveaway!*

Win $50 cash, through Paypal (1 winner)
Open to US and Canada
This ENDS TODAY 5/12/2017, so hurry and ENTER NOW before it’s tomorrow!

Rafflecopter giveaway

*Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Entrants must be 18 or older or have their parent/guardian enter for them. One winner randomly chosen. Winner must respond to Little Fun Club “winner’s notification email” within 48 hours OR a new winner will be chosen. No purchase necessary to enter. This contest is void where prohibited by law.

Thank you for sticking with this loooooong post.

Copyright © 2017 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved
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