Every book is quality-checked before it goes in a box. We look for clean pages, intact spines, and legible text. Minor marks of a well-loved life (a previous owner's name, a small scuff on the cover) are part of the character — but anything that affects reading enjoyment doesn't make the cut. Think: very good to excellent condition.

Every book is hand-selected based on your child's age tier, reading level, and any interests you share with us. We don't use an algorithm — we use actual knowledge of what children love to read, with a particular focus on finding great books for children who find it hard to engage (especially boys).

Absolutely — and we encourage it. When you subscribe or place a gift order, there's a notes field where you can tell us everything: favourite genres, characters they love, things they're obsessed with right now. The more you tell us, the better the match.

Just let us know and we'll swap it. Tell us what they've already read (as much or as little as you know) and we'll make sure the next box is fresh. This is where the more you share, the better we get at matching.

Choose your child's age tier (Sprout, Sapling, Branch, or Canopy). You'll be charged monthly and a new box dispatched each month. You can pause, change tiers, or cancel at any time — no minimum commitment, no penalties.

Yes, anytime. There's no minimum term and no cancellation fee. Just cancel before your next billing date and you won't be charged again. We'd love to know why you're leaving — but we'll never make it difficult.

The Reading Wall is our gallery of postcards from DogEar readers. Every box includes a postcard that children can fill in and send back — what they thought, what they loved, a drawing, a recommendation. With parents' permission, we share their words here. It's a celebration of reading in children's own voices.

Always. Nothing goes on the Reading Wall without explicit parental permission. The postcard itself includes an opt-in tick box, and we'll only use a child's first name and age tier — never any other identifying details.

No not at the moment. We're working on a mechanism when you can post — writing about the same book, sharing recommendations, or just encouraging each other as readers. All communication goes via DogEar, never directly between children. Watch this space.