We’re Celebrating Big Milestones!
Join us as we celebrate reaching over 600,000 educators and program leaders and distributing 250 million books and educational resources to underserved communities! Together, we’re impacting 6.5 million children every year.
Time for Change Youth Challenge – Now Open!
K-12 students can submit their ideas for positive change in their schools and communities for a chance to win $1,000 or more! Applications open through January 30th.
How Book Bans Impact Educators and Students
First Book Research & Insights study reveals how educators and their students are responding to book bans.
Support First Book
Millions of children from low-income areas don’t have the tools they need to learn. You can help us reach more children and educators.
The Power of Diverse Books: How Inclusive Classroom Libraries Boost Student Success
New study reveals the positive impact of adding diverse books to classroom libraries on student reading scores
First Book Research & Insights has uncovered compelling evidence in a nationwide study: adding diverse books to classroom libraries increases student reading engagement and improves reading scores, particularly for students in underserved communities. Discover how titles that reflect students’ identities and experiences can inspire a love for reading, with educators reporting a 9 point increase in reading scores—3 points higher than the national average. Learn how diverse books, including bilingual and LGBTQ+ titles, create inclusive learning environments that benefit all students. Download the full report to explore key findings and see why diverse books are essential for fostering educational equity.
Our Mission
We envision a world where every child has access to a quality education.
Because education transforms lives.
- We level the educational playing field for children in need.
- We’re on a mission to ensure that all children, regardless of their background or zip code, can succeed — by removing barriers to equitable education.
Our Impact
First Book reaches 6.5 million kids each year in low-income communities across North America through a powerful network of more than 600,000 individual educators, professionals and volunteers specifically working with children in need. This is the largest online community of its kind.
Over 32 years, First Book has distributed more than 250 million high-quality books and educational resources to support kids, and the educators who serve them.
Our Model of Change
First Book is a nonprofit working to remove barriers to an equitable education for children living in low-income communities. We are passionate supporters of individual educators, professionals and volunteers who serve kids in need. We pride ourselves on having business minds and non-profit hearts. First Book is dedicated to breaking down the barriers to educational equity by increasing access to evidence-based best practices, books, and resources in underserved communities. And First Book is a bridge-builder, collaborating with public and private partners, translating best-in-class expertise into educational resources to support learning for children in underserved communities.
First Book Network
The First Book Network is made up of more than 600,000 individual educators, professionals and volunteers who exclusively serve kids in need.
First Book Marketplace
The First Book Marketplace provides 24/7 access to high-quality, new books, and educational resources at deeply discounted prices to First Book’s network of individual educators, professionals and volunteers working with kids in low-income communities.
First Book Research & Insights
First Book Research & Insights conducts qualitative and quantitative research, providing essential insights that guide the field and helps us identify what students need to overcome learning barriers.
First Book Accelerator
The First Book Accelerator turns our cutting-edge research into expert-informed, actionable teaching tools — in weeks rather than decades — so our members don’t have to wait for the latest evidence-based strategies that will help the kids they serve.
News from First Book
Featured Partners
Dedicated partners help us create even more opportunities for educators and kids in need.
This is one of the best organizations I have ever worked with in my many years in education and library services. The vast knowledge, resources, and opportunities that First Book provides are superb.
First Book Supporter