First Book Blog

Tata Companies Share Their Love of Reading

Posted in: Archive

On October 9th at North Kipling Junior Middle School in Etobicoke, Ontario, bestselling children’s author and illustrator, Nicholas Oldland read and signed copies of his book ‘Up The Creek’. More than 40 Tata employee volunteers from Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Communications and Tata Global Beverages (Tetley Tea)... Read more

How is First Book Delivering Social Impact?

Posted in: Archive

First Book’s fearless leader, President and CEO Kyle Zimmer spoke on Thursday, October 10th on HuffPostLive alongside other tireless social entrepreneurs that include Hilde Schwab, David Jones and Asher Hasan. The live discussion examined how corporate assets can deliver social impact both nationally and globally. Check out the archive below: Read more

Free Books For Teachers No Matter Where You Live

Posted in: Archive

I have been signed up with First Book for several years. I teach kindergarten and first grade at Dayton Public Schools in the poverty-stricken inner city of Dayton, Ohio. I get plenty of emails from First Book, but have never received one book. Most books seem to be located in... Read more

It Takes Less Than Half An Hour To Change A Child's Life

Posted in: Archive

First Book provides badly-needed books to kids, but it’s up to educators and parents to help their children open up those brand-new books and become readers. Read Aloud 15 MINUTES is one of the many terrific programs that makes this possible. Read Aloud board member Jennifer Liu Bryan recently explained... Read more

Ruth P. Graves: Lifelong Champion of Children and Reading

Posted in: Archive

Today we honor the memory of a lifelong champion of children and reading who recently passed away. Ruth P. Graves, President Emerita of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), was an early supporter of First Book and a leader who displayed a passion for reaching children through books. Ruth believed that every... Read more

Stories For All: Todd Parr – It's Okay to be Different

Posted in: Archive

Author, illustrator, and macaroni and cheese aficionado Todd Parr, uses humor and bright illustrations to celebrate the differences that make us all unique. Most of Todd’s books are now available on the First Book Marketplace. First Book recently interviewed Todd about his inspiration for writing so many books that make... Read more

The Power of Children’s Books to Change the World

Posted in: Archive

In 2012, Malala Yousafzai, age 15, was shot in the face by Taliban thugs for daring to promote education for women and girls in her native Pakistan. She has not only survived, she has taken her cause to the global level. Her speech before the United Nations inspired the world:... Read more

Harley Riders Raise Money for Books to Kids

Posted in: Archive

Who knew Harley riders and Harriet the Spy could go together? On August 10 the second annual Children’s Literacy Motorcycle Run was held, sponsored by Chuck’s Harley Davidson, Coldwell Banker, and the Leathernecks Motorcycle Club, among others.  With the campaign slogan “Live to ride… Ride so children can read,” the... Read more

Janet Tashjian on Creating Imagination, Inspiration & Illustration with Reluctant Readers

Posted in: Archive, Author Voices

Janet Tashjian is a children’s author, an advocate for reluctant readers and strong supporter of First Book. She collaborates with her son Jake Tashjian, who creates the illustrations for her books. One of their joint efforts, “Einstein The Class Hamster” was not only released to retailers, but made available to... Read more

First Book and Mind in The Making's Ellen Galinsky: Reading Time as a Missed Opportunity for Life-Skills Learning

Posted in: Archive

The following is a guest blog post by Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute and author of ‘Mind in the Making‘. First Book and Mind in The Making have teamed up to create book lists and tip sheets that help educators and parents teach life skills during... Read more