First Book Blog

Time for Change Youth Challenge Announced

Posted in: For Educators, Our Partners

First Book and Ashoka are excited to welcome educators back to the Time for Change initiative by kicking off the school year with a BIG announcement. Time for Change is a multi-year initiative in partnership with Ashoka and Audemars Piguet. We’re working together to equip educators and young people with resources to incorporate... Read more

First Book Resource: Diversity In STEM Calendar

Posted in: For Educators, Our Partners

Kids learn better when they feel seen and supported in the classroom. At First Book, our primary focus is to ensure all kids feel welcome by giving them new and exciting ways to think about their talents, interests, and future careers. That’s one of the reasons why we have created... Read more

First Book Named to The New York Times Communities Fund

Posted in: Press Room

The New York Times Communities Fund continues the legacy of “The Neediest Cases Fund” by supporting local, national and global nonprofits that provide direct support to under-resourced and over-burdened people NEW YORK (Nov. 14, 2023) — Today, The New York Times Communities Fund announced that First Book will be featured... Read more

New First Book Study Tackles National Issue of Banned Books

Posted in: Press Room

More than 1,500 educators report on book bans and the damaging impact they are having on teacher morale and student learning WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 3, 2023) – In a new study released by First Book Research & Insights, educators report that the national conversation around book challenges and bans is... Read more

National Coalition Announces Commitment at Clinton Global Initiative 2023 Meeting to Distribute 600,000 Diverse Children’s Books

Posted in: Press Room

Announcement on collective action comes as First Book study reveals significant academic benefits of diverse books NEW YORK (September 19, 2023) – At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2023 meeting today, the Diverse Books for All Coalition presented an urgent plan designed to ensure that our increasingly diverse population of... Read more

Diverse Books for All Coalition Partners with MomsRising to Support Parent Engagement

Posted in: Press Room

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 9, 2023) – The Diverse Books for All Coalition, a national collaboration of 38 nonprofits working to tackle the lack of affordable, diverse children’s books, is partnering with MomsRising to bring the insights and perspective of parents to help shape the Coalition’s work. As part of that mandate,... Read more

Leading Education Organizations Launch Reading Universe Prototype to Help Teachers Build a Nation of Confident Readers

Posted in: Press Room

WETA, the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book join forces to establish a free, innovative professional development platform that provides educators with evidence-based guidance and tools for how to teach reading and writing Washington, D.C. (July 25, 2023) – WETA, the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book have launched a... Read more

Nine Books to Teach Kids About Body Positivity

Posted in: Our Bookshelf

This guest post was written by Audrey Vinkenes, a First Book Marketing and Communications Intern. She is currently a grad student at the University of Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland. It’s never too early to encourage children to feel positive about their bodies! According to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott... Read more

Nine Historically Accurate and Relevant Holocaust Books for High School Students

Posted in: Our Bookshelf, Our Partners

In collaboration with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), we have curated a diverse collection of historically accurate and relevant books for educators to utilize in their classrooms. This collection, tailored for high school students, encompasses a variety of genres, themes, topics, and reading levels to meet a range... Read more

First Book and the Guru Krupa Foundation Unite to Amplify Educational Resources in New York City and Los Angeles

Posted in: Our Partners

We are thrilled to announce the incredible news of the renewed partnership between the Guru Krupa Foundation and First Book! Thanks to the Foundation’s generous grant, First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to ensuring equal access to quality education for children living in under resourced communities, will be able... Read more

Three Reasons to Join First Book: Insights from Our Network of Educators

Posted in: For Educators

Joey Mathis is a First Book Marketing and Communication intern. She is currently an undergrad student at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. According to a survey conducted by First Book in 2021, nearly 60 percent of educators spent between $100 and $500 out-of-pocket on classroom supplies. With classroom budgets often... Read more