We already know that kids from low-income households are at a disadvantage from the start. They are more likely to attend schools with fewer resources, face poor health outcomes, and experience crime, violence, and limited access to job opportunities than their counterparts from middle- and high-income households. Consider that more… Read More

Authored by Caitlyn Maltese on October 12, 2017. Updated on May 17, 2018. Children’s books are not just for children. As educators and program leaders, children’s and young adult books can be an essential tool to help you learn how to connect with the children you serve. By reading… Read More

It’s our mission here at First Book to provide for the children our community of educators serve with whatever they may need to learn, and continually ask educators what their needs are so we may work to meet them. We surveyed members of the First Book… Read More

By Carey M. Palmquist, senior vice president for eCommerce at First Book Imagine waking up every morning as a teacher in a Title I school.   You’re doing this because you want to. I mean…right? You had this incredible notion of giving back, of mentoring, of profoundly… Read More

Today’s kids are playing less than any other generation. Play is losing out to TV, recess times have declined and many children in low-income communities lack safe spaces to run, jump and be active. But play is essential to kids’ learning. Play helps encourage kids to explore and use their… Read More

May is Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month – a time to celebrate the rich culture and history of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. Here at First Book, we celebrate this time the way we celebrate most things – with stories! We often cite Rudine Sims Bishop’s essay that states that literature… Read More

This post first appeared on Medium, April 20, 2018. Pamela Paul is right. No school library should have shelves that look like this. But too many school library shelves look just exactly like this. It is more than counter-intuitive — it’s harmful. … Read More

Laura Geringer Bass, author of The Girl With More Than One Heart, and Saradine Nazaire, whom she mentors through Girls Write Now. First Book talked to author Laura Geringer Bass about her latest book, The Girl With More Than One Heart (Abrams), and her extensive work… Read More

First Book recently spoke with Natasha Collins, social impact manager for Pizza Hut. Through April 22, Pizza Hut: The Literacy Project – the company’s global commitment to literacy – and First Book are partnering to enable access to books and educational resources, empower teachers, and inspire… Read More

  Children’s Day, Book Day/El día de los niños, Día de los libros (commonly known as Día) is the annual celebration of bookjoy created by children’s book author Pat Mora. The nationally recognized initiative emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children, from all backgrounds… Read More