At First Book, we believe in the transformative power of stories, and are inspired by those who bring books to the hands of children who need them most. Two such inspiring examples are Sharon, the visionary behind The Free Book Bus, and the dedicated educators at Johnson Elementary. Sharon’s journey began with a simple idea and quickly grew into a thriving nonprofit… Source ..read more

Pathbreaking Partnership with First Book Celebrates over a Decade of Putting Books Directly into the Hands of Kids and Families Who Need Them, Sparking Joy, Inspiring Hope and Building Community WASHINGTON (May 11, 2024)—Today, in five synchronized events across the country, the AFT celebrated the unprecedented milestone of giving out more than 10 million brand-new free books at schools… Source ..read more

National consortium aggregates buying power to bolster representation and access to diverse titles for young children WASHINGTON, DC (May 7, 2024) – As educators, students, and families begin to celebrate Children’s Book Week (May 6-12), the Diverse Books for All Coalition is thrilled to announce the purchase and availability of 145,000 diverse books building on the Coalition’s commitment to… Source ..read more

The New York Times Communities Fund continues the legacy of “The Neediest Cases Fund” by supporting local, national and global nonprofits that provide direct support to under-resourced and over-burdened people NEW YORK (Nov. 14, 2023) — Today, The New York Times Communities Fund announced that First Book will be featured in this year’s annual campaign. First Book joins CAMFED... Source ..read more

More than 1,500 educators report on book bans and the damaging impact they are having on teacher morale and student learning WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 3, 2023) – In a new study released by First Book Research & Insights, educators report that the national conversation around book challenges and bans is negatively impacting their classrooms, profession, and student learning. More than 1,500... Source ..read more

Source ..read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 9, 2023) – The Diverse Books for All Coalition, a national collaboration of 38 nonprofits working to tackle the lack of affordable, diverse children’s books, is partnering with MomsRising to bring the insights and perspective of parents to help shape the Coalition’s work. As part of that mandate, MomsRising will create and facilitate a parent ambassador group to provide... Source ..read more

WETA, the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book join forces to establish a free, innovative professional development platform that provides educators with evidence-based guidance and tools for how to teach reading and writing Washington, D.C. (July 25, 2023) – WETA, the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book have launched a prototype of Reading Universe, an online, step-by-step... Source ..read more

First Book and Ashoka are excited to welcome educators back to the Time for Change initiative by kicking off the school year with a BIG announcement. Time for Change is a multi-year initiative in partnership with Ashoka and Audemars Piguet. We’re working together to equip educators and young people with resources to incorporate the mindset that everyone has the power to become a changemaker... Source ..read more

This guest post was written by Audrey Vinkenes, a First Book Marketing and Communications Intern. She is currently a grad student at the University of Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland. It’s never too early to encourage children to feel positive about their bodies! According to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s National Poll on Children’s Health, almost two-thirds of kids between the... Source ..read more