First Book Blog

First Book, Target Team Up to Bring New Sports Equipment to Further Wellness and Learning for Children in Need

Posted in: Press Releases

From Soccer Balls to Baseballs, Target Helps First Book Go to Bat to Help Educators Boost Physical Activity for Kids in Need WASHINGTON, August 25, 2016 — As part of its ongoing mission to further educational equity, First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise, is adding sports and fitness equipment to... Read more

Use Guided Reading Levels to Find the Perfect Books on the First Book Marketplace

Posted in: For Educators

Use Guided Reading Levels to find the perfect books for every child you serve. Thanks to the feedback from our community of educators, First Book Marketplace users can now utilize our Advanced Search tool to find books with Guided Reading Levels (GRLs). GRLs are great for both students and educators.... Read more

First Book and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing to Donate 20,000 Jason Reynolds’ Books to Children in Need

Posted in: Press Releases

Acclaimed author will visit Washington, DC schools to share his journey WASHINGTON, August 22, 2016 – First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 150 million books to children in need, has partnered with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing to distribute 20,000 copies of award-winning author Jason... Read more

Q&A with Author Jason Reynolds

Posted in: For Educators, Impact Stories

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

Sneak Peek: Resources For Social & Emotional Development

Posted in: For Educators

Books are not only a great resource for developing reading skills, they are also a fantastic way to help kids develop healthy feelings and relationships. In the coming weeks, the First Book Marketplace will feature a collection of hand-picked books that address key aspects of social and emotional development. In... Read more

Monthly Book List: Our Five Favorite Books for August

Posted in: For Educators

Our favorite books this August are sure to capture imaginations with beautiful illustrations, unconventional characters, and fascinating true stories. Read on to see the titles that hooked our book experts this month! For Pre-K –K (Ages 3-6) Who’s That?: Arctic Animals (Board Book) by Tad Carpenter We love all the... Read more

Sit, Stay, Read: Kids & Canines Learning Literacy Skills Together

Posted in: Impact Stories

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

Chromebooks Are Here!

Posted in: For Educators, Inside First Book Canada

It has always been First Book’s mission to provide access to new books for children in need. When children today grow up they will depend not only on their reading skills, but also their skills with technology. That is why First Book is proud to offer new Chromebooks on its... Read more

Educators and Families: A Powerful Partnership

Posted in: For Educators

Looking for ways to get families more involved with your classroom or program? Or for resources to send home with them? The First Book Marketplace is the place to go! Visit us for great family read alouds, resource collections for kids ages 0-12 and tips to arm caregivers with the... Read more

Welcome Back to School

Posted in: For Educators

There are still a few weeks of summer left, but now is the time to find everything you need to build an enriching environment for the kids in your school, class or program. First Book’s Back to School Hub is your source for great books and resources that will help turn... Read more