With a waiting list of more than 400 students, Vanessa Osbourne knew she needed to offer another option for the kids who weren’t going to be able to participate in the pre-kindergarten program. “We wanted to make sure that if those kids didn’t get a Pre-K experience that we offer... Read more
What could bring together teachers, community organizations and hungry friends of First Book? Answer: Pizza! First Book is proud to partner with Pizza Hut and excited to take part in their new 10-year campaign, Pizza Hut: The Literacy Project. When friends, families, and co-workers sit down to eat or order... Read more
Since 2008, nonprofit organization Link to Libraries has served kids in need all across Western Massachusetts and Connecticut. President and Co-Founder Susan Jaye-Kaplan helped start the organization to give kids opportunities to explore our world through books and expand their horizons. Recently it has become so much more. Link to... Read more
Will they still be here tomorrow? students often ask Morgan VanClief, the librarian at P.A. Shaw Elementary School in Dorchester, MA. They’re asking about the brand new books that Morgan has been able to bring to the school’s library through generous grants and access to the First Book Marketplace. Many... Read more
Author Jason Reynolds’ books start the conversations about the difficult issues facing kids today. His experiences, as told through the characters in his stories, are very much like those of the children we serve – which is why we feel it’s so important for them to hear Jason’s voice. We... Read more
The canine volunteers at SitStayRead visit classrooms in some of Chicago’s most troubled neighborhoods. The elementary school students they meet often juggle more responsibilities than most kids their age, so learning to read can seem like an extra chore. If you feel stressed about reading, like some of our little... Read more
Six years ago, Sue Resnick and Liz Frankel started the Cottage Kids Read program at the Pleasantville Cottage School. While volunteering at the school they noticed something that struck them. There weren’t any books to read for pleasure in the cottages where the students lived. Located in Pleasantville, NY, the... Read more
Judy Willner is an educator and writing skills teacher for elementary school students in Philadelphia. When she lost her closest friend Cathy earlier this year, Judy decided the best way to honor her would be to set up a First Book campaign. She wanted to celebrate their shared love of... Read more
There is one woman who inspires Tesa Brand, a community volunteer and aspiring publicist from Fort Wayne, Indiana: Kerry Washington. Washington, the star of ABC’s Scandal, is an education advocate and avid reader. For her birthday last January, Washington started a campaign to provide books for kids in need by raising... Read more
For thirteen year old Elka Longstreth, books have always been within arm’s reach, ready to transport her to another world. In fact, books are her world. Elka has books piling up on her desk and spilling out of the many bookshelves in her home. She’s always been a voracious reader.... Read more