First Book Blog

How To Keep Kids Learning At Your Summer Meal Site

Posted in: For Educators

Want to keep kids’ minds and bellies full while they are out of school this summer? If you provide summer meals to children from low-income communities through USDA’s Summer Food Service Program, you can access books, basic needs items and other educational resources on the First Book Marketplace. When school... Read more

Author Kate DiCamillo Finds Summer Fun at The Local Library

Posted in: For Educators, Impact Stories

This summer, kids can access great books, go on adventures to faraway places and even win prizes – all at their local library. Kate DiCamillo, author of Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux and the recently released Raymie Nightingale, appreciates the importance of reading – especially during the summer.... Read more

Books Beat Summer Slide

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, For Educators

Classrooms packed, desks emptied, another school year is coming to a close. Summertime is on the horizon and for kids, that means three precious months of sweet, sticky freedom. But when kids from low-income families leave school for the summer, the outlook isn’t always so sunny.  While their more affluent... Read more

770 Pounds of Dreams for His Students

Posted in: Impact Stories

It started with one spelling word. “Beach.” Malik Ray, a first-time second grade teacher in Atlanta, GA, taught his students their new spelling words by projecting a photo and having students guess the word before putting it in their notebooks. On this day, Malik displayed a photo of the sand,... Read more

Find Free Educational Resources on the First Book Marketplace

Posted in: For Educators

Where can you find free educational resources? On the First Book Marketplace, of course! You’ll find tips to encourage family engagement, resources for early childhood education, free subscriptions to online tools and programs and much more. For access, you’ll first need to sign up and log in.   Watch the... Read more

How to Use the First Book Marketplace: Wishlists, the Dashboard and Popular Topics

Posted in: For Educators

Once you’ve registered and logged into the First Book Marketplace there are so many new features to explore! As we’ve shown, you’ll find new navigation and menus.  You can use gift cards and promotional codes. But you’ll also find a new dashboard for account information, a new wishlist feature and... Read more

Monthly Book List: Our Favorite Books For May

Posted in: For Educators

The school year is coming to a close and it’s time to stock up for summer reading. We have five great books for you! This month, our book list features a sweet story about an unconventional animal family, an adorable picture book that celebrates determination, a nonfiction guide to becoming... Read more

How To Use the First Book Marketplace: Making Purchases, Using Gift Cards and Promotional Codes

Posted in: For Educators

  You’ve learned how to navigate the newly redesigned First Book Marketplace. You’ve searched for the books, school supplies and basic needs items you need for your classroom or program and now want to purchase them. What’s next? First, you’ll want to make sure you’re logged in. The great educational... Read more

Platform Features Increased Access to Best Books and Resources

Posted in: Press Releases

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2016 – First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise, has launched the next phase of its innovative First Book Marketplace (fbmarketplace.org) and First Book Canada Marketplace (fbmpcanada.org), the award-winning e-commerce sites where educators can access high-quality, new books and learning materials specially-curated to address the needs of children... Read more

Now Faster and Easier to Use: Your First Book Marketplace

Posted in: For Educators

Drumroll please… Today, we introduce to you the newly redesigned First Book Marketplace. Updated with your needs in mind, your First Book Marketplace is now faster and simpler to use. Powerful new search capabilities and an improved navigation menu make it easy to find the great books and educational resources... Read more