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Over twenty years ago I was volunteering every week at a soup kitchen in Washington, D.C., where I met the most amazing children and families. As I got to know them, I saw how much they had to struggle, but I also saw how bright they were and how motivated they were to succeed.

I also learned that most of them didn’t have a single book to call their own, and that broke my heart.

So, along with two good friends, I started First Book, to make sure those kids, and kids like them all across the country, would have brand-new books of their own, and to make sure that the teachers and program leaders working with these children every day would have the books and resources they need to do their jobs.

Twenty years later, First Book has distributed over 90 million books to kids in need, we work with a national network of over 25,000 schools and programs and we have local volunteers raising money in over 150 cities. Volunteers, corporate partners and publishers, working hand-in-hand with teachers, librarians and local nonprofit leaders … it humbles and amazes me how much we’ve been able to accomplish together, and how many lives we’ve been able to change for the better.

But we’ve only just scratched the surface. There are 30 million children living in low-income households in the United States, and we’re only reaching a fraction of them. They’re waiting for us, and they can’t wait any longer.

So we’ve got some big plans to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Before this year is over, we’re going to distribute another 10 million new books, recruit local volunteers in 30 additional cities, and double the number of schools and programs that are connected to First Book’s resources, from 25,000 to 50,000.

We’ve come so far together, and have made so much progress, but there’s more to be done. Join us!

• Donate: Every $2.50 pays for a brand-new, high-quality book for a child in need.
• Volunteer: Work with other members of your community to get books to local schools and programs.
• Spread the word: If you know a teacher, librarian or volunteer who works with kids from low-income families, in any kind of program, help get them signed up with First Book. We’ve got books for them!

 

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Today is Friendiversary, when we celebrate the anniversary of our friendships. Think of one of your oldest and dearest friends. When did you first meet? How did you meet? That story is the story of your Friendiversary.

First Book is celebrating Friendiversary this week by providing 7,000 new Elephant & Piggie books to second-graders at Title I schools in Louisiana and Massachusetts. The Elephant & Piggie series is written and illustrated by our friend Mo Willems, whose support makes it possible for First Book able to provide these books. Every book includes a special Friendiversary note from Mo, and his publisher, Disney Publishing Worldwide, is also providing activity kits, stickers and posters free of charge to each classroom.

In fact, we’re so delighted with the Friendiversary kit that we also made it available to all the schools and programs in First Book’s national network.

There are Friendiversary parties happening in classrooms and programs all over today … or tomorrow, or last weekend. We’re pretty flexible on when you actually celebrate Friendiversary.

The biggest party we’ve heard about so far took place in New Orleans, at James Singleton Charter School. (Mo grew up in New Orleans, and has a special place in his heart for New Orleans kids, so making sure they all had copies of his books was important to him.)

Lynetta Rhodes, the chair of the local First Book volunteer group in New Orleans, helped put the party together. She sent us some great pictures, and filled us in on all the details:

• Every student got two copies of Mo’s books to keep, including There’s a Bird On Your Head, Are You Ready to Play Outside?, Today I Will Fly and Should I Share My Ice Cream?. (“I can’t believe I got two books!” one of the students told Lynetta).
• There were all kinds of local celebrity guests on hand to read with the kids, including New Orleans city councilmember Susan Guidry, children’s author Robin Washington, Louisiana State Rep. Wesley Bishop and TV reporter Rosa Flores.
• There was plenty of ice cream.

“The children looked adorable in their ‘Elephant and Piggie’ ears and the costumed characters made the kids shout with glee,” said Dianne de Las Casas, who hosted and helped plan the event. “Friendiversary at James Singleton Charter School was a great success.”

Happy Friendiversary, everyone!

If you work with kids from low-income families, you can be a part of Friendiversary and other great events and opportunities throughout the year. Sign up with First Book to find out how we can help you get new books for your kids.

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“Our kids don’t get to have dreams, aspirations, hopes. They can’t even think about college; it’s not in their minds. That’s why these books are so important. Books are the beginning of everything. You learn about other places, you learn about the world.”

– Angela Fedele of the WE CAN Program, a statewide program based in Princeton, W.Va., that provides volunteer mentors for at-risk kids

McDowell County, West Virginia, home to about 22,000 people, is one of the poorest counties in the state, and ranked last in education. Which is why First Book has joined a coalition of businesses, labor unions and nonprofits – more than 40 local, state and national groups altogether – who are working to change that.

For our part, First Book has pledged to provide a brand-new book to every student in McDowell County, books chosen by the local teachers and program leaders who work with the kids. And that’s just the beginning: We distributed 300,000 brand-new books in West Virginia in the last few years, and we’re working with almost 500 local classrooms and programs across the state. Every one of those kids is connected to an ongoing supply of new books through First Book.

“We’re here today because we want to level the educational playing field,” said Chandler Arnold, First Book’s executive vice-president, speaking yesterday at the kickoff ceremony in Charleston. “We want to ensure that the children of McDowell County have access to a steady supply of top-notch books and educational resources.”

Lean more about the project, led by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), at Reconnecting McDowell.

Help us get the word out, West Virginia! If you work for a school or program that serves children from low-income families, or if you’d like to help your child’s teacher or program leader get new books, sign up with First Book. And if you’d like to join one of our local volunteer groups, we’d love to hear from you.

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Yesterday we went to Nashville and picked up 50 cases of books for our organization that serves special needs and will be delivering them tomorrow at our basketball signups.

This is going to be such an amazing thing for these special children and I can’t wait to see the smiles on their faces when they get an early Christmas present of these wonderful books.

Rick Ryan
Challenged Athletes Playing Equally (C.A.P.E.)
Murfreesboro, TN
www.capetn.org

I just can’t believe all the books I got this morning!!!  I do believe I got everything I asked for and more. We know that doesn’t often happen in this game of life.   I’ve gotten books before, but never like  this.  I thank you for offering this opportunity and look forward to some great book clubs and organizing a book give away with our kids at Warner.  We’d love to have you back in Nashville anytime!

On behalf of the students and teachers at Warner….thanks so much!
 
Mona Bruey
Library Media Specialist
Warner Enhanced Option School
Nashville, Tenn.

One of the ways First Book gets new books into the hands of children from low-income families is through the National Book Bank. Publishers donate new books to First Book, and we distribute them to schools and programs around the country.

Our publishing partners have been even more generous than usual lately, so our National Book Bank team is working overtime, traveling to donated warehouse spaces from coast to coast.

Book distributions are one of our favorite things – we get to meet the teachers and program leaders, hear about the kids they work with, and load up their cars (and trucks and school-buses and even horse trailers) with boxes of new books.

But they are exhausting – a week of 12-hour days spent moving more boxes than you can imagine. Our staff and volunteers give it their all, especially our National Book Bank managers, Katie and Anna, who are in Nashville and St. Joseph, Mo. this week, and traveling (without so much as a day off) to St. Louis and Casa Grande, Ariz.

So thank you to all the amazing local volunteers that show up at warehouses to help get these books to where they need to go, and thank you to all the hard-working educators and community leaders who make sure every book gets into the hands of a child who will take it home and read it again and again.

PS – If you’re on Twitter, drop Anna (@AnnaInTheCity) and Katie (@IAmNotNancy) a note and tell them to keep up the good work!

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“Our kids don’t get to have dreams, aspirations, hopes. They can’t even think about college; it’s not in their minds. That’s why these books are so important. Books are the beginning of everything. You learn about other places, you learn about the world.”

– Angela Fedele of the WE CAN Program, a statewide program based in Princeton, W.Va., that provides volunteer mentors for at-risk kids

Angela Fedele is one of the many teachers and program leaders who spend their days doing everything they can to help West Virginia’s kids. At First Book, our mission is to do everything we can to help people like Angela.

By signing up with First Book, Angela was able to provide $3,000 worth of new books for the children in her program, thanks to a combination of grant money and support from local First Book volunteers.

First Book works with programs across the country, but we have a special place in our hearts for West Virginia. We’ve provided 294,228 brand-new books to children in need across the state, and plan to distribute 14,000 more by the end of the summer, thanks in part to a federal grant from the Department of Education.

In addition, we’re launching a new partnership with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to ensure that more kids have the books and resources they need. We’ll be announcing more details about this partnership soon, but we had a great kick-off last week in Charleston. Together with our friends at the AFT, we provided new books, along with grants to purchase more, to two local schools – West Side Elementary and Stonewall Jackson Middle School.

Help us get the word out, West Virginia! If you work for a school or program that serves children from low-income families, or if you’d like to help your child’s teacher or program leader get new books, sign up with First Book. And if you’d like to join one of our local volunteer groups, we’d love to hear from you.

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Thanks to my daily dose of Shelf Awareness, I learned of the most lovable project to increase communities' access to books, Little Free Libraries.  These are small dropboxes that hold up to a dozen books.  They are designed to be attractive works of art in themselves and normal people, like you and me, are encouraged to build them, get permission to install them in public places and keep them stocked with books.  The suggestion is that anyone can take and/or add a book.  Look at the picture.  Isn't that little box inviting?

They won't take the place of public libraries but they sure look like a lot of fun.  Maybe, just maybe, public libraries could install a few of them as public services to the farthest reaches of their service areas.  Just a thought.

Well, I just finished the second day of the Storytelling Workshop that I am running for the Parkland Community Library.  I must give a HUGE shout-out to the volunteers who keep an eye on the kids as I run around "dealing" with popcorn shortages and finding where I put things - sigh.  Big thanks go to Robin R., Jeannie Kuttruff, Caroline Harakal, Emily Stein, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Erik N. and Katie M.  (People under 18 don't get their last names in, just in case.)  Raj S. was a big help yesterday and I hope to see him during the rest of the week.

I am always impressed when young people are more level-headed and organized than I am.  (Hmmm, that doesn't really seem to be a huge challenge, though.) So I truly have appreciated Katie M. who has made sure all the children are signed in and out and Emily Stein who is excellent at getting things cleaned up and sorted.  Caroline and Jeannie are my craft mavens.  Robin has an endless supply of games to keep the kids moving.  Erik and Kelly, my longest running Teen Tellers right now, keep the kids engaged, amused and charged up!

When working with this many children - only 17 this year - having three volunteers on hand at any time is a plus.  I doubt the workshop would run as smoothly - or at all - without them.

Stay tuned.  Erik took some video footage today.  I will post the videos and some photos when I have time.

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Dearest amazing First Book friends!

Your efforts to break the chains that hold children back is so inspiring. My organization, Gift A Book Foundation, is so happy to be a member of First Book!! A simple thank you surely doesn’t seen adequate.

First Book’s work lives on in the lives of children who would otherwise be forgotten.

Blessings & Peace,
Paulette Greenfield
Gift A Book Foundation

You can learn more about the Gift A Book Foundation and the amazing work they do here.

We can’t tell you how satisfying it is help people like Paulette make a difference in the lives of the children she serves. Join us!

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First Book was in Milwaukee last week, getting books to kids. We’ve been on the road a lot this summer; we try to spread our massive book distributions across the country so that schools and programs that can’t afford the shipping costs for the free books can still get what they need for the kids that they serve.

We are very happy with our books. We have had to stop getting them if we have to pay for shipping because there is no money in our budget. I have looked for grants to pay for books, but so far in vain. These will last us for a while. Thank you!

Lynn Flynn, PADS Crisis Services, Inc., Chicago

It was as hot in Milwaukee as it has been everywhere, we are sorry to report, but despite the heat we managed to get over 400,000 books distributed, almost a quarter of those to programs in Wisconsin and nearby areas.

As always, we got the chance to meet lots of amazing people:

• the men and woman who work with kids in need every day
• the hard-working volunteers that lug boxes and load station wagons with books
• the partners – like NewThreads of Hope – who loan us the warehouses
• and the publishers – like Disney Publishing Worldwide – who provide the books.

It takes a lot of people to make these book distributions possible, and we are grateful. We’re also grateful to the fine people of Milwaukee for having us. Go Bucks!

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Today is not only the official first day of summer, it’s also National Summer Learning Day. First Book couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than by bringing 150,000 brand-new books to the National Mall to stuff into backpacks going to children in need all over the country.

The nation’s capitol is having a stretch of lovely weather this week, so our staff is joining the United Way and their army of volunteers to make this happen.

Summer is a great time of the year for readers. Instead of reading what you were told to read, you get to read whatever you want. And, if you’re lucky, you get to sit on the beach, reading and getting sunburned.

But for lots of kids, summer isn’t a time for reading. And that’s not so great, because there is a very real drop-off in achievement for kids from low-income homes. This gap puts them even further behind their more fortunate classmates, leading directly to lower test scores, lower rates of graduation and lower chances of going to college or finding good jobs.

But you can help turn it around! Visit our friends at the National Summer Learning Association to find out ways to help kids in your life, and if there’s a school or community program near you that serves kids from low-income neighborhoods, reach out to a librarian, reading teacher or program leader and tell them about First Book. Once they register with us, we can ensure they have a steady stream of new books, this summer and throughout the year.

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Tuesday marks the first day of summer, and to celebrate their annual Day of Action, the United Way will be marshaling an army of volunteers to assemble summer reading backpacks for 50,000 elementary school kids from low-income communities.

First Book is proud to be a part of this amazing event, and we’re bringing our favorite thing to the party – books.
Every backpack will contain three brand-new books that the children who receive them will be able to keep. Many children from low-income families have no books of their own at home, so we’re grateful to have the opportunity to change that for so many kids.

If you’re out of school for the summer, or you’re able to take the day off work, we’d love to see you! Volunteers are welcome. Go online to learn more and register.

See you on the mall!

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Our friends at First Book Canada just wrapped up the largest book distribution in their three-year history, distributing 30,000 books to children from low-income homes in the city of Calgary and across the province of Alberta.

Like First Book in the U.S., First Book Canada relies on the generosity of partners and neighbors to get books to kids in need. NeighbourLink Calgary hosted the distribution in their warehouse, and volunteers from Pi Beta Phi, Calgary Youth Corps and the local community came out to help ship and load boxes of books bound for classrooms, libraries and homes across the province of Alberta.

You can learn more about First Book Canada at their website, or keep up with their latest news on Twitter.

“Please accept my personal thanks to you and First Book Canada for its generous donation of books, in support of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary. It is people like you that enable us to continue building upon our shared ideals for growth in our communities through advocacy, leadership and engagement of over 42,000 children, youth and families.”
– Cheryl Doherty, Executive Director, Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary

“On behalf of Further Education Society’s learners, board members and staff, we would like to thank you and First Book Canada for your support. With your support we can strengthen communities, families and individuals through literacy and learning. Thank you for your community spirit.”
– Sue Phillips, Co-Executive Director, Further Education Society

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the amazing donation of books from First Book Canada to Catholic Family Service of Calgary. The developmentally appropriate books for boys and girls ages 9–12 will support children and families in a number of our programs. Thank you once again for caring and wanting to make a difference in childhood literacy.”
– Greg Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Family Service of Calgary

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First Book’s National Book Bank team just got home from Pittsburgh, where they boxed, labeled and shipped 400,000 books to kids in need all over the country, from Jacksonville to Santa Monica.

That’s a whole lot of books – five tractor-trailers full, to put it in perspective. The books all came from Disney Publishing Worldwide, and included some great titles, like ‘Island of the Blue Dolphins’, ‘The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks’, ‘Caterpillar’s Springtime Day’, and books starring characters beloved by many children, like Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse and Hannah Montana.

Shipping that many books in less than a week is a big job, and we couldn’t possibly have done it without the help of some great friends who came out to lend a hand. Volunteers like the local high school Key Club, college students, a Girl Scout troop (they were amazing on sticker duty) and service-minded individuals of all stripes. Not to mention the team from a local KPMG office, whose accounting skills were put to excellent use. KPMG is a major supporter of First Book, and we can always count on their local offices to help us out.

And, perhaps most importantly, our hosts at World Vision, a truly inspirational organization that provides badly-needed resources to children and families in the United States and around the world who have been victims of natural disasters, famine, war and disease. Because First Book has no warehouses, we rely on donated space to temporarily house the books donated to us by generous publishers, and World Vision stepped up to help out in Pittsburgh. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer, friendlier, more helpful bunch of people to work with.

The best part of our book distributions, though, is getting to meet some of the local schools and programs who take our books back to the children that they serve. They always thank us when we fill their trucks and station wagons with cartons of new books, but we tell them that they’re the ones who deserve the thanks. It’s a privilege to help them in the heroic work that they do to each and every day.

So hats off to Pittsburgh. We couldn’t have done it without you!

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“What a great program today! The smiles on the children’s faces when they received their books; the excitement they had getting the First Book shirts, and how proud they were wearing them; seeing the enthusiasm of the volunteers reading to the students … Thank you for the program and putting more books in our children’s hands.” — MaryAnn Amato , VTCS teacher

Last week, First Book staffers went to visit Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School (VTCS) in Bethlehem, Pa., where each student received three brand-new books of their own. VTCS also received a $1,000 credit for the First Book Marketplace to fill the shelves of their library.

VTCS is one of 60 schools and programs in the Lehigh Valley serving low-income children that received grants. Altogether, 10,000 new books will go to Lehigh Valley schools, all paid for through the grants (made possible by our friends at C&S Wholesale Grocers).

The First Book team had a great time with the kids from VTCS, and so did all the local C&S Wholesale Grocers employees who showed up. We even made the news.

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First Book is coming to Pittsburgh, and we’re looking for volunteers to help us distribute 500,000 new books to schools and programs serving children from low-income families across the country.

The books are in a warehouse in Sewickley, PA (just outside of Pittsburgh), and we need as many volunteers as we can get to help us box them up and ship them out. Most of the help we need is physical labor: lifting, carrying and sorting boxes. We also need help with some less physically-demanding tasks, like labeling boxes and assisting First Book staff.

We need volunteers from 9 am until 4 pm on the following days:

• Tuesday, May 16
• Wednesday, May 17
• Thursday, May 18

You’re welcome to volunteer for the full day or part of the day. We need 15-20 volunteers at all times, so please spread the word about this opportunity and bring your friends, kids, wives, husbands, neighbors, second cousins and co-workers! (Volunteers must be at least 16 years old).

Help us get books to kids who need them!

To volunteer, please contact Anna Taleysnik-Mehta at First Book (e-mail ataleysnik(at)firstbook.org or call us toll-free at 866-READ-NOW).

You can learn more about First Book and what we do at firstbook.org.

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Colleen Ludington is a children’s book author, mother of two and community volunteer, and has helped distribute 144,000 new books to children from low-income neighborhood in Charlotte. N.C. over the last five years.

“It’s not just awesome,” she said. “It’s really rewarding.”

Under Ludington’s leadership, First Book’s local Advisory Board in Charlotte has had significant fund-raising success. They throw an annual gala, which raises more money each year. These events require a fair amount of effort and know-how, and the local group meets costs by courting corporate sponsors and underwriters like Time Warner, Cisco, IBM and KPMG. “It can’t be done without that,” said Ludington. “There are certain minimums that it’s going to cost. But we’ve had a lot of success.”

(The board’s 2011 spring gala is May 20. If you’re in the Charlotte area, check it out.)

Ludington has been active in community service most of her life, and she found First Book when she and her family moved to Charlotte. She said that she liked First Book’s mission, it’s specific focus on solving one large problem, and the “economics” of it – the average cost of $2.50 per new book. “To be able to do so much for so little money,” she said. “For most people to give ten dollars … it’s not a hardship.”

She was also moved by the plight of children she saw in low-income schools. One teacher told her that some children resorted to reading the labels on soup cans to complete their required homework of 20 minutes of nightly reading.

“When you stop and consider … there are many, many children in our community who don’t have a single book to snuggle up with at night,” she said. “Until something changes, I don’t see how these kids even have a chance.”

First Book Wants You! Help us get books to kids who need them in your community. To learn more about volunteering, visit us online.

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Last week, First Book staffers, along with volunteers from our friends at Barclays, visited Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School in New York City, and brought along some books.

The Barclays volunteers joined kindergartners in their classrooms and read Penguin Chick Grows Up, Dr. Seuss’ My Many Colored Days, and the special Barclays edition of Bunny Money.  At the end of the reading period, the students were excited to learn that they would each be taking home the three new books in a Barclays backpack.  One classroom even sang a song to the volunteers to thank them for visiting and bringing new books.

This is the second time that Barclays has visited a Girls Prep school; last year, volunteers read to students at the Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary School and also provided them with a book grant to the First Book Marketplace.  Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School will also be one of the first First Book recipient groups to receive a Barclays book grant for use on the First Book Marketplace Graduation and College Readiness section.

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This week is National Volunteer Appreciation Week, and we want to take a moment to say “Thank you!” to all the First Book volunteers – the interns who give their time and knowledge at the First Book offices, the volunteers who come out to our reading parties and book distributions, the high school students and teachers who help us distribute tons of books (literally) each year, and the thousands of members of First Book Advisory Boards all across the country who raise over a million dollars every year to support schools and programs in their local communities.

Thank you!

We couldn’t do it without you.

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On Thursday, some of our staffers met up with volunteers from Barclays Capital for a reading event at the YAI Network‘s Gramercy School in New York City. The preschool serves children ages 3-5 who have developmental disabilities and/or learning delays.

The kids especially enjoyed In the Snow, Bear About Town and stories from Eric Carle’s All Around Us collection. Barclays volunteers also participated in classroom lessons that the Gramercy teachers developed specifically for the occasion, like making sure that Bear was ready to go to town by helping glue his scarf, jacket and boots on.

Best of all, every child at the event received a backpack with three brand-new books to keep.

These books are part of Barclays’ ongoing commitment to helping First Book bring books to children from low-income communities. Thanks to their support, we’ll be launching a special section dedicated to financial literacy and college readiness on the First Book Marketplace next month.

Learn more about this event here.

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2010 was a big year for First Book, and we couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks to our friends, fans, and generous supporters, we have a lot to celebrate.

Here are some of the cool things you helped make possible this past year:

We Reached the Milestone of 80 Million Books
At our annual Book Bash fund-raiser in New York City, we handed a basket of books to Round the Clock Nursery. One of the books in that basket was the 80 millionth book that First Book has distributed to kids in need since our founding in 1992.

We Shared the Stage With World Leaders
Kyle Zimmer, our president and co-founder, spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Kyle discussed the impact and importance of the First Book Marketplace as a leading model for social entrepreneurship.

We Worked in Our Local Communities
Local First Book volunteer groups (known as Advisory Boards) in cities, towns and counties nationwide helped distribute $3 million worth of new books to kids in their communities.

We Teamed Up With ‘Reading is Fundamental’
First Book and Reading is Fundamental (RIF) joined forces to provide 600,000 new books to children in RIF programs across the country.

We Added New Books to Our Marketplace
We added lots of great new titles to our online Marketplace – including authors like Eric Carle, Jeff Kinney, Susan Meddaugh, Mo Willems and many others – so teachers and program leaders have even more choices.

We Got People to See Waiting for “Superman”
First Book was excited to kick off the pledge campaign as a promotional partner for this powerful documentary film.

We Released Special Editions
First Book continued one of our favorite traditions this year, releasing several new special editions, including Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie books and Eileen Spinelli’s ‘While You Are Away’.

We Distributed One Million Books With Target
To celebrate the launch of the ‘Read With Me’ campaign, Target helped us distribute one million new books to schools across the country. When a million people pledge to commit to read with a child, Target will provide another million books.

We Read a Lot of Short Stories
Volunteers from First Book’s local Advisory Boards read nearly 8,000 stories submitted through the Cheerios® New Author Contest in order to pick the top 25. That’s more than twice as many submissions as last year!  (Check back in March to read the winning entry).

We Helped Kids Learn About Science and Math<

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First Book Advisory Boards (ABs) are committees of volunteers that implement the First Book mission in their local communities by raising money and providing books grants to programs that serve children in need.  Here are a few stories that highlight the great work being done by First Book Advisory Boards across the country.

First Book-Sussex Valley, NJ participated in a local community event and raised money to grant books to community children. During Second Saturday, a local fair in downtown Newton, New Jersey, the advisory board sold raffle tickets for a brown bear quilt to provide new books to Sussex County children.

First Book-Mahoning Valley, OH recently participated in the Austintown Library’s Princess party, a gathering for local girls that raised money for children’s programs at the library, and also created tiaras to give to the local hospital. First Book-Mahoning Valley provided copies of “Harold and the Purple Crayon” to attendees.

First Book- Clallam County, WA recently partnered up with the First Step Family Support Center’s Read First Program to provide books for a family pajama party night.  Attendees watched a free showing of “Charlotte’s Web” and each family received a new book to take home.

First Book is always seeking energetic, entrepreneurial volunteers to join our Advisory Boards or to help us start new ones.  If you’d like to get involved, please see the In Your Community section of the First Book website.

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First Book Advisory Boards (ABs) are committees of volunteers that implement the First Book mission in their local communities by raising money and providing books grants to programs that serve children in need.  Here are a few stories that highlight the great work being done by First Book Advisory Boards across the country.

First Book-Clearfield County, PA recently held a book distribution for children in the Clearfield County, Pennsylvania area. Each child who attended received a free book and got to meet Clifford the Big Red Dog. The Advisory Board worked with local groups to make the event possible.

First Book-Cumberland County, NJ’s founding member, Ashleigh Udalovas, has recently been named the Outstanding Citizen for October by The Greater Millville Chamber of Commerce. Along with starting her local advisory board, Ashleigh is the reigning Miss New Jersey. Ashleigh uses her position to promote her platform, “Read to Succeed: Improving America’s Future Through Literacy.” Congratulations, Ashleigh!

First Book-Greater Richmond, VA recently granted Beulah Elementary School 3,992 books, enough to provide 6 books for every eligible student this year. The grant was celebrated at the Books & Breakfast event, where every child was able to choose a book to read and take home.

First Book-Horry County, SC recently teamed up with their local Barnes & Noble to present the American Girl Tea Party & Book Fair. The event was in the style of a tea party for young girls and their American Girl dolls to celebrate the new InnerStar University doll for 2010. A portion of the sales made during the event along with the money raised from a raffle for an American Girl doll went to benefit First Book.

In preparation for their celebration of Awareness Week, November 8-13, First Book-Rhodes College, TN was featured in the Rhodes College News.  “One of our big goals this year is to focus on Awareness Week,” co-chair Jerica Sandifer ’12 says. “We [want to] move from just being a fundraising organization to being an advocacy organization too. We are getting at the root cause of illiteracy.”

First Book is always seeking energetic, entrepreneurial volunteers to join our Advisory Boards or to help us start new ones.  If you’d like to get involved, please see the In Your Community section of the First Book website.

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First Book Advisory Boards (ABs) are committees of volunteers that implement the First Book mission in their local communities by raising money and providing books grants to programs that serve children in need.  Here are a few stories that highlight the great work being done by First Book Advisory Boards across the country.

First Book-East Coachella Valley, CA’s own Kathy Kronemeyer was recently spotlighted in The Desert Sun for her work in the Desert Sands Unified School District. After retiring last year, Kronemeyer began volunteering in the afterschool program at Jackson School, directing both the drama and technology clubs there, along with serving on her local First Book Advisory Board. We thank Ms. Kronemeyer for her support of First Book and education!

First Book-Bakersfield, CA announced their fall book distribution for pre-K to 2nd grade classes in Kern County.  Applications are being accepted until September 24th. Since 2001, First Book-Bakersfield has granted more than 14,000 books to young students in Kern County.

Misericorida University was recently ranked by Washington Monthly magazine as being in the top 12% of  college and universities for stressing social mobility of students and service to the greater community. Misericordia students ranked fourth in the nation for community involvement. First-Book Misericordia is a great example of how Misericordia students are giving back to their communities!

First Book-Sussex County, NJ hosted a book reading and signing event at An Open Book Bookstore on September 12th. The event featured five children’s authors: Wendy Mass, Lee Harper, Irene Breznak, Dianne Ochiltree and Alison Formento. A $5 donation for each family will go to the Advisory Board so they can grant books to local programs in Sussex County, New Jersey.

First Book is always seeking energetic, entrepreneurial volunteers to join our Advisory Boards or to help us start new ones.  If you’d like to get involved, please see the In Your Community section of the First Book website.

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First Book Advisory Boards (ABs) are committees of volunteers that implement the First Book mission in their local communities by raising money and providing books grants to programs that serve children in need.  Here are a few stories that highlight the great work being done by First Book Advisory Boards across the country.

First Book-Erie, PA was recently highlighted for their work with another organization called Books for Kids to grant books to a local program.  “Odessa’s Place”, the recipient of the books, hosts a summer program for children in Erie.

First Book-Greater New Orleans announced they are accepting grant applications from local programs that are registered with First Book.  The Board also hosted a Get Hooked on Books event on August 6th.  The event included a book distribution, celebrity story readers, entertainment and refreshments.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation made awards to 10 literacy programs in Charles County, MD including First Book-Charles County to distribute books to children in need. Congratulations, First Book-Charles County!

To help kick off Philadelphia’s summer service challenge “Let’s Read, Let’s Move,” First Book is distributing 170,000 books to children from low-income families in Philadelphia. This further expands the presence of First Book in Philadelphia.  Last year, First Book-Philadelphia served 3,334 children in Philadelphia by providing 21,568 books.

First Book is always seeking energetic, entrepreneurial volunteers to join our Advisory Boards or to help us start new ones.  If you’d like to get involved, please see the In Your Community section of the First Book website.

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