There’s very little for kids to do in the town of Bluefield, West Virginia. But once a week, eighteen students from different walks of life gather to talk about books. Suzette Sims, the program services coordinator at the Craft Memorial Library, organized the book club a few years ago. It... Read more
Today’s guest blogger is Andrea Brunk, a physical therapist at the National Children’s Center Early Learning Center in Washington, DC. I work with children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism and other disabilities. The children in my program range from infants to five year olds. Our families do their best... Read more
Today’s guest blogger is Lindsey Roache, Assistant Principal at University Heights Preparatory Academy in Indianapolis, Indiana. As a principal, I know that if my students are going to care about school, they have to know their school cares about them. Sometimes this means our school buys clothes, purchases bus passes,... Read more
Throughout the year, we receive countless thank you notes from children across the country who receive books of their very own thanks to generous support from friends like you. We hope you enjoy this note of thanks from Patricia, a student at Adrian Elementary in South Euclid, Ohio. On behalf... Read more
Today’s guest blogger, Sarah Kilway, wrote to us after receiving hundreds of new books for her students. We couldn’t resist sharing her story with you. I teach 187 kids at Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center in Indianapolis, IN. The majority of my students live in poverty. Most have only one... Read more
Today’s guest blogger, Adara Robbins, is 8th grade teacher at YES Prep Southwest, a public charter school in Houston, Texas. Where do you see yourself in five years? It’s a tough question. But imagine trying to answer if you didn’t know what your life would look like tomorrow – much... Read more
Cathy Gafford, like so many program directors, was on a tight budget. In 2011, the director at Jean Dean RIF (Reading is Fundamental) found herself needing 14,000 books for her program at a price she had not been able to find. Cathy came to First Book with her dilemma. Because... Read more
One afternoon last week, a big box of books arrived in Miss Vicky’s classroom. After she explained to her students, who devote each Wednesday to studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), that the books were about “why things work and how they work”, the girls “shot up from their... Read more
I want to tell you a story about Keondra. In a few days, Keondra will start second grade at Harrowgate Elementary School in Chester, Virginia. She cannot wait to be back in the classroom. When she began elementary school, Keondra was a reluctant reader. She struggled academically. And then she... Read more
I wanted to take the opportunity to let you know that the books we received from your organization last spring were appreciated more than I can possibly convey. I work for the University of Texas at Dallas and we hold day camps for homeless children each summer. For the first... Read more