First Book Blog

Three Big Ways to Celebrate National Summer Learning Day

Posted in: Archive

Mark your calendars for June 20th! It’s National Summer Learning Day – an annual celebration dedicated to promoting the importance of summer learning for all children and helping close the achievement gap. This year, we’ve teamed up with our friends at the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) to share three... Read more

First Book's Summer Book List: Grades 5-6

Posted in: Our Bookshelf

Our favorite picks for summer reading continue this week with a list of the best titles to keep kids in fifth and sixth grade reading during sunny summer days (and cloudy ones, too!) Sign up to receive more great book lists, tip sheets and summer fun from First Book! If... Read more

My Yiddish Vacation: Q&A with Ione Skye

Posted in: Archive, Author Voices

Ione Skye recently celebrated the launch of her first children’s book “My Yiddish Vacation.”  Ione’s generous support of First Book has helped to bring hundreds of books to kids in need. We sat down to talk with her about how her love of books as a child inspired the writing... Read more

First Book's Summer Book List: Grades 3-4

Posted in: Our Bookshelf

We’re bringing you a second week of First Book recommended summer reads!  This week you’ll find the best books for kids in third and fourth grade. Sign up to receive more great book lists, tip sheets and summer fun from First Book today! If you work with kids in need,... Read more

First Book's Summer Book List: K-2

Posted in: Our Bookshelf

Learning may not be on the top of children’s minds as the weather gets warmer and school lets out — but studies have shown that without reading those two to three months put kids behind the next year in school. As we move into the long, hot days of summer,... Read more

A Market-Driven Solution to the Need for Diverse Books

Posted in: Archive, First Book Research & Insights

Last week, hundreds of thousands of parents, educators and readers of all ages issued a call for more diversity in children’s literature, rallying under the banner of #WeNeedDiverseBooks. The campaign spread quickly from Twitter to media outlets around the world as people shared powerful stories about the need for all... Read more

5 Tips to Engage Latino Families and Students

Posted in: Archive, For Educators

Welcome to First Book’s celebrity blog series. Each month we will be connecting with influential voices who share a belief in the power of literacy, and who have worked with First Book to curate a unique collection that inspires a love of reading and learning. All recommended books are available... Read more

Books in Every Language for Every Child

Posted in: Archive

Today’s guest blog post is from Dr. Mandy Stewart, an assistant professor of bilingual education at Texas Woman’s University. Follow her on Twitter at @DrMandyStewart. How many books have you read in your lifetime?  How many picture books did an adult read aloud to you while growing up? Most of... Read more

The Collective Power of a Nation of Readers

Posted in: Archive

This piece also appears on The Huffington Post’s Impact blog. Steve White, a volunteer at a local nonprofit, worked through the holidays to ensure that 3,000 kids in need in Denver would have brand-new books of their own at Christmas. Elisa Mayo, the finance coordinator for a school district in... Read more

Oh, the Places You'll Go

Posted in: Archive

Shannon Bowers’ son Alex loves Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go. Shannon gets teary-eyed when they read it together. Someday Alex will grow up, go to college and live out his dreams. Alex gets teary-eyed when Shannon reads too many of the pages. He’s five now. That’s his job.... Read more