First Book Blog

First Book Canada and Love Child Organics: Committed to Providing Canadian Children with Books for Their Home Library

Posted in: Our Partners

Did you know that nearly 25% of Canadian households do not have a single book in them? Or that having fewer than 10 books in the home means a child can fall up to 18 months behind their peers by the time they reach third grade? Through our programs and... Read more

Indigo Love of Reading Foundation announces annual $1.5 million in grants to Canadian high-needs elementary schools

Posted in: Our Partners, Press Releases

Originally posted on Newswire by Indigo Love of Reading Foundation  TORONTO, May 30, 2019 /CNW/ – This week, 30 high-needs elementary schools across Canada learned that they would benefit from the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation’s annual $1.5 million in Literacy Fund grants. Indigo, Chapters and Coles stores across the... Read more

The Family Room: Bringing Families Together

Posted in: Impact Stories

If it weren’t for First Book Canada, we wouldn’t have a literacy program. Parent Resource Coordinator, Winnipeg, MB Parent Resource Coordinators work with the Family Rooms; school budget funded gathering places in community schools within the inner city and core. These rooms serve as a resource for parents in the... Read more

Recess: A Time for Playing Games… and Reading

Posted in: Impact Stories

Our school has been so fortunate to work with First Book Canada over the last few years. We have truly benefited from this special partnership, as all of our students have been given access to more books, as well as the opportunity for author visits. The excitement and pure joy... Read more

In Response to “Demand For Diversity”: Kids Deserve Diverse Books

Posted in: Focus on First Book Canada

BookNet Canada recently released “Demand for Diversity: A Survey of Canadian Readers” where 58% of the 500 respondents agreed that “they (and others) would benefit from more diverse books.” At First Book Canada, we have been hearing this demand for more diverse books from our network of educators for years.... Read more

Behind the Scenes at First Book Canada: Hany

Posted in: Archive

Hany Mehari is the Finance/IT Coordinator at First Book Canada. He took a few minutes from balancing the books to discuss what he does and why he likes working at First Book Canada.   What does your day to day look like?  My day to day is fixated on performing accounting duties so I can... Read more

Behind the Scenes at First Book Canada: Tessa

Posted in: Focus on First Book Canada, Inside First Book Canada

Tessa Eisenberg is the National Engagement Coordinator at First Book Canada. The first thing you notice when walking up to her office is the giant poster of comments that detail how individuals receiving books from First Book Canada will use and distribute them to the kids they serve. Can you tell me... Read more

2018 Member Survey Results

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, Focus on First Book Canada

Each year, we reach out to all the educators and community leaders who are registered with First Book Canada to hear from them about the kids they serve, the challenges they face in their communities, the impact of the books and resources, and more. We’ve taken out some of the... Read more

Sharing A Love For Books: A Conversation with Carey Sookochef

Posted in: Author Voices

Carey Sookocheff is the illustrator of the critically acclaimed Buddy and Earl series and What Happens Next, and the author/illustrator of Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems and Wet. Her illustrations have also appeared in a variety of newspapers and magazines. She lives in Toronto with her husband, two kids, and their dog Rosie. We are... Read more

Building a Connected Community

Posted in: Impact Stories

Below is a letter from Graham Hughes, Executive Director of Literacy Alberni in Port Alberni, B.C. “I’ve lived in Port Alberni for most of my life and seen the changes cutbacks to education have had on classroom resources, opportunities for children, and now as a professional, the impacts these cutbacks have... Read more