First Book Blog

Stories of impact, the latest research, best practices, curated book lists, and more.

Books Strengthen Family Bonds

Posted in: Archive

Lydia sat with her two children in the waiting room. Her eldest read aloud from his new book, pausing every now and again to teach his mother and younger sister how to say the words in English. His little sister beamed with pride when he let her turn the page.... Read more

More Than Books for Back to School

Posted in: Archive

Yesterday marked the first day of school for many kids across the country. And from Sacramento to Savannah, classroom shelves were stocked and backpacks stuffed to the brim with brand new books from First Book. For over 20 years, we’ve been in the fortunate position to help teachers get the... Read more

Share Your First Day with First Book!

Posted in: Archive

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The first day of school is a memorable time for kids, teachers, and parents alike! We’ve started posting our back to school memories on Instagram, and we want to see yours, too! Share your pictures of a first day at school... Read more

It's Back to School We Go

Posted in: Archive

Another school year is upon us. Teachers set up new classrooms for the year – decorating, planning fun ways to teach important lessons and preparing for desks full of new students. Books, new school supplies, empty notebooks wait to be filled with knowledge – all icons of a new year... Read more

Three Books to Stay Healthy this School Year

Posted in: Our Bookshelf

Today’s guest blogger Donna Marquardt, a Registered Nurse with the Gaston County Department of Health & Human Services, talks about healthy habits for the new school year. Back to School is just around the corner and that can mean a lot of different things to different people — a new... Read more

How Kansas City Kids Beat Summer Slide

Posted in: Archive

All summer long, you’ve heard how summer slide – the learning loss that occurs when kids are out of school – adds up for kids who don’t have access to books and other learning opportunities. But there’s good news – many schools and organizations throughout the country are working hard... Read more

Out-of-This-World Books!

Posted in: Archive

The Apollo XI moon landing celebrated its 45th anniversary this past Sunday. First Book is celebrating this momentous event with some of our favorite space-inspired books:  1. Almost Astronauts: Thirteen Women Who Dared to Dream What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to... Read more

The Joy of Giving Back

Posted in: Archive

They each shared their reasons for being there – cherished memories of reading with a parent, the desire to instill a love of reading in their own kids, wanting to honor a father’s passion for education. It was the first task Joy Brooke, co-chair of First Book’s Seattle volunteer chapter,... Read more

No Kid Hungry: Summer Feeding and Summer Fun

Posted in: Archive

For kids from low-income families, summer doesn’t always mean carefree fun. Many kids have fewer learning opportunities and parents often struggle to find safe, affordable childcare, making summer a time of stress and worry. For more than 21 million kids who rely on free and reduced price meals during the... Read more