First Book Blog

First Book CEO Kyle Zimmer Receives Ms. Foundation Award for Igniting Culture Change, Breaking Down Barriers Across Gender and Racial Lines

Posted in: Press Releases

WASHINGTON, April 27, 2016 – Today the Ms. Foundation for Women will honor Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book, with the 2016 Peggy Charren/Free to Be Award, provided to individuals in media whose work contributes to breaking through gender and racial lines. The award will be presented by... Read more

Your Students Can Make a Difference in Their Communities

Posted in: For Educators

Use these great books to get your students them thinking about how they can make a difference in their communities. These activities, paired with stories, help students use their own skills and passion to take action. For more tips and activities to use with the books below, click on the... Read more

A Thank You Note from Camila

Posted in: Impact Stories, Inside First Book Canada

Every week we receive dozens of thank you notes from schools and programs just like this one. Kids thank us for books they don’t want to put down, books that help them study and succeed, books they wouldn’t otherwise have. The book she received is turning her into an enthusiastic... Read more

Monthly Book List: Our Five Favorite Books for April

Posted in: For Educators

Our favorite books for April teach some important lessons! One celebrates the human body and diversity, while others teach kindness and the keys to a true friendship. You’ll find a story that will help foster kids’ sense of empathy and understanding and an award-winning novel that tackles the topics of... Read more

Teaching Good Character with Books

Posted in: For Educators

Stories can help children to develop into responsible, caring and contributing citizens. Use the activities for each book below to teach good character traits like kindness, self-control and perseverance to your students. To view all the books chosen and to see all the tips and activities suggested for each book,... Read more

Books Gave Him A Sense of Home – Even When He Didn’t Have One

Posted in: Impact Stories

Today’s guess blogger is Melissa Spradlin, Executive Director of Book’em in Nashville, TN. I want to tell you about Ben. From our first meeting, Ben had an extraordinary connection with books. Every time we met to read together, he chose one to keep. He was exceptionally grateful for each one.... Read more

How Arts & Crafts Created a Space to Talk and Heal

Posted in: For Educators, Impact Stories

Today’s guest blogger is Emily Townsend, an Elementary School Counselor at Lowrie Primary School in Wilsonville, Oregon. Last year I worked daily with a fourth grade student whose father passed away right before Christmas break. He grieved mostly internally, and became increasingly distant, disengaged, and behind in school. After feeling... Read more

Books that Teach Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication and Collaboration

Posted in: For Educators

Creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration are critical skills for children to learn so they can succeed in today’s world. Use the books below and the guided questions to teach these concepts found in each story. You’ll find a well-known fable told from another culture’s perspective, an inspiring tale about... Read more

Imagine A School Without A Library

Posted in: For Educators, Impact Stories

Today’s guest blog post is by bestselling children’s author Megan McDonald, 2016 Spokesperson for the American Association of School Librarians National School Library Month. Imagine a school without a library. A few years back, I was honored to be a visiting author in elementary schools in the state of Florida.... Read more

Kids Are Behind on This Key Indicator of Success

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights

What if your dreams were out of reach before you could even dream them? For 80% of fourth graders who do not read proficiently, this could be the case. A child’s ability to read in fourth grade is a key indicator to their future success. From their academic achievement to... Read more