First Book Canada Distributes Over 1.5 Million Books in 2017

First Book Canada finishes successful year with donation of 5,000 books at Ontario Public Servants Holiday Toy and Book Drive and sets a new record

TORONTO, Ontario (Dec. 15, 2017) – First Book Canada and members of the Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy Division donated 5,000 books to children in Ontario for this year’s holiday season. First Book Canada’s donation was generously supported by publishing partners Penguin Random House Canada and Pajama Press.

“Penguin Random House Canada has donated over 100,000 books to children across Ontario through First Book Canada. Events like the Ontario Public Servants Toy and Book Drive, which we are very proud to participate in, are an important part of our efforts to share the joy of reading,” said Tracey Turiff, Corporate Spokesperson at Penguin Random House Canada.

In 2017, First Book Canada has distributed over 450,000 books to children and youth in need in the province of Ontario alone. With this final holiday donation, First Book Canada has set a new record for total books donated within Ontario.

“This donation of brand new books  from the Poverty Reduction Strategy Division to the children of the province of Ontario is very special to us and our partners at Penguin Random House Canada,” Tom Best, Executive Director at First Book Canada, said. “It sets a new benchmark for us and our publishing partners as we finish our year, but more importantly it is the perfect gift for hundreds of thousands of Canadian children who now have books of their very own – books they can treasure for a lifetime.”

About First Book Canada

First Book Canada provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. By making new, high quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book Canada is transforming the lives of children and elevating the quality of education in the country. Since 2009, First Book Canada has distributed over 6 million new books to hundreds of thousands of children in need across Canada. For more information, or to register for books, visit us at firstbookcanada.org and follow our latest news on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Media Contact:

Tom Best, Executive Director, First Book Canada
tbest@firstbook.org
866.732.3669 ext. 0130

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