First Book Blog

First Book Canada collaborates with Amazon Canada to deliver 100,000 books to kids in need

Posted in: Our Partners, Press Releases

TORONTO, ON, October 16, 2019 – First Book Canada and Amazon.ca collaborated for the second year in a row, providing 100,000 brand new books to kids in high-needs communities throughout Canada. This generous donation was made possible by Amazon.ca customers who participated in the Buy 1, Give 1 campaign over the summer,... Read more

Behind the Scenes at First Book Canada: Calyssa

Posted in: Inside First Book Canada

Can you tell us a bit about what you do as the Communications Coordinator? As Communications Coordinator, I create, curate, and manage all our communications going out across a variety of channels. I’m constantly checking on our online community through our social media platforms, creating emails to our donors and... Read more

A Decade in Review

Posted in: Inside First Book Canada

Top 10 First Book Canada Moments, 2009 – 2019 When we started in 2009, we had a small, dedicated team of 2. Now, in 2019, we are a passionate and committed team of 7. As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, let’s look back on the last decade of growth, success, and... Read more

CONTEST: Win copies of Greta Thunberg’s book!

Posted in: For Educators, Our Partners

To spread Greta Thunberg’s message in her book “No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference,” First Book Canada is collaborating with Penguin Random House Canada to offer registered educators the chance to win copies of Greta’s book for their students! How to Enter: From October 1 at 9:00... Read more

Fueling the Imagination: Conversation with Qin Leng

Posted in: Author Voices

Qin Leng is a designer and illustrator known for her illustrations of children’s books. She graduated from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema and has received many awards for her animated short films and artwork. Throughout her career, Qin has illustrated over 30 picture books, magazines and book covers with... Read more

Leaping Into New Reads

Posted in: Impact Stories, Our Partners

In July, we partnered with Leacock Foundation to provide two fantastic Reading Celebrations with their “LEAP Into Literacy” Summer Camp. HELAINE BECKER AT WOBURN PUBLIC SCHOOL The first Reading Celebration was held on July 19 with author Helaine Becker. Volunteers from TD Bank Group and CompuCom joined us at the... Read more

Domtar: A Partner in Caring for Kids in Need

Posted in: Our Partners

This post was written by Programs Intern, Connor Richter. With so many companies choosing to focus on profits at any expense, Domtar is becoming an example of how to make a focused effort toward sustainability and community giving. Domtar designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes a wide variety of pulp, paper,... Read more

Unlocking Potential with NeuroEdX

Posted in: Impact Stories, Our Partners

This post was written by Programs Intern, Connor Richter. Imagine twenty-six grade 5 students’ jaws dropping to the floor as they silently look around at each other in disbelief. This was the scene after I told the students at Rose Avenue Junior School that they were going home with their... Read more

A Birthday Wish: Your Help in Providing Books to Kids

Posted in: Focus on First Book Canada

This year we’re turning 10 years old! In the last ten years, First Book Canada has distributed over 7 MILLION brand new books to children and youth from high-needs communities throughout the country. We know that nearly 25% of Canadian homes do not have a single book in them. We... Read more

We Need To Gain Knowledge From Many Places

Posted in: Inside First Book Canada

This was written by Programs Intern, Connor Richter. “Anyone who thinks one book has all the answers hasn’t read enough books.” Brian K. Vaughan This is a quote from the award-winning graphic novelist, Brian K. Vaughan. It comes from one of his most celebrated works: Saga, a genre-defying serial comic.*... Read more