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Amazon Has Launched A New Subscription Box For Kids, & Parents Will Love It

by Brianna Wiest

In 2018, almost everything can be automated through subscription services, and that now includes your child's reading list. Though similar services for monthly deliveries of everything from makeup to dinner prep are already popular, Amazon has launched a new subscription service box just for kids, and parents will love it, too.

Just after news that the prices of Amazon's Prime subscription are increasing comes something a bit more exciting and positive: users can now also sign up for Prime Book Box, a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly delivery service that keeps new and exciting paperback and hardcover books at your door, TechCrunch reported. At $22.99 per box, Amazon claims that the cost will be roughly 35 percent less than it would be to buy the books piecemeal.

Currently, the subscription service is only available to Prime members, and they must request an invitation to sign up. Amazon notes on its FAQ page that the books included will be classics as well as "hidden gems," and your algorithm will play a part in making selections, too:

These books include classics that have stood the test of time as well as hidden gems that our Editors couldn’t put down—stories that your reader can enjoy again and again. We will also use your recent purchase history to avoid including a book you have already purchased on Amazon.com.

Any parent knows that while trying to juggle hectic schedules, it can be difficult to find time to regularly visit the library or keep up on nightly reading. However, it's important: The Washington Post reported that reading is one of the most important things parents can do with their kids, citing that reading helps kids to better speak, think, interact, develop bonds, and understand others. "We want to help Prime members discover great children’s books that will inspire a love of reading," a spokesperson for the service told TechCrunch.

For parents who want to subscribe, the service is broken down into four age groups, and this is what comes in each:

  • Baby-2 yrs: 4 board books
  • 3-5 years: 2 hardcover books
  • 6-8 years: 2 hardcover books
  • 9-12 years: 2 hardcover books

As for what books make it into the packages, Amazon explained that its editors make careful selections, citing examples such as If Animals Kissed Good Night, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, The Willoughbys, and Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire. On the service's landing page, Amazon wrote:

We curate highly rated books our customers love and our Amazon Books Editors couldn't forget. Our editors read thousands of books every year to find selections your reader will enjoy again and again. You'll discover new releases, classics, and hidden gems tailored to your reader's age.

Also available for kids is Amazon Rapids, which is an interactive reading app that helps kids learn to process and retain information. It's available for $2.99 each month or $29.99 each year, and offers new original stories every month.

Amazon already has a well-established reading service for adults in Prime Reading. Members have what the company refers to as a virtual, private library card, and have access to more than 1,000 free books and magazines each month. (This does not require an additional subscription, as the kids' book box does.) For $9.99 a month, users can also sign up for Kindle Unlimited, which grants access to more than 1 million titles, current magazines, and thousands of audiobooks.

As technology expands and more options become available to families and individuals, it's becoming increasingly easy to keep kids engaged and learning. Reading is an essential part of childhood development, and with the added convenience of books showing up at your door, it may become easier than ever.

Check out Romper's new video series, Bearing The Motherload, where disagreeing parents from different sides of an issue sit down with a mediator and talk about how to support (and not judge) each other’s parenting perspectives. New episodes air Mondays on Facebook.