First Book Blog

Stories of impact, the latest research, best practices, curated book lists, and more.

Reflecting on 2024: How First Book Research & Insights Amplified Educator Voices and Drove Change

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, For Educators

As we welcome 2025, we take a moment to reflect on the strides made toward educational equity in 2024. Throughout the year, First Book’s educator community played a pivotal role in shaping key initiatives and expanding access to critical resources for students in need. Through surveys, focus groups, and ongoing... Read more

First Book Teams Up with the Washington Commanders to Bring Books and Playoff Hopes to Students across the DMV

Posted in: Our Partners

Jayden Daniels hasn’t been the only star addition to the Washington Commanders organization. This season, First Book and the Washington Commanders joined forces to bring a love of reading and the excitement of football to local students across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area, creating a partnership that’s making... Read more

How Book Bans Are Impacting Teachers and Students: Insights from First Book Research & Insights

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, For Educators

Over the last several years, book bans and restrictions have dramatically increased across the United States. Organizations like the American Library Association (ALA) and PEN America have been tracking these trends, but there has been little data on how these efforts to limit access to books are affecting educators and... Read more

First Book Honored in New York Times Communities Fund Annual Holiday Giving Campaign

Posted in: Press Room

Receiving this recognition for the fifth year, this campaign shares First Book and its efforts to remove barriers to education with The New York Times’ readers NEW YORK – First Book has been selected as a beneficiary of The New York Times Communities Fund holiday giving campaign to help support... Read more

First Book Tees Up Second Annual Virtual Golf Tournament for Educational Equity

Posted in: Press Room

National nonprofit launches charity golf event with Topgolf and World Golf Tour to bolster educational resources in Title I Schools WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2024 — In partnership with Topgolf and World Golf Tour (WGT), First Book is launching the second annual First Book Open virtual golf tournament. The interactive, online charity event offers... Read more

image of a converted school bus that now holds rows of books on each side. There is colorful decorations and the image is from the back of the bus, facing forward.

From Bus to Bookshelf: How the Free Book Bus and Johnson Elementary Nurture Young Readers

Posted in: First Book Community Highlight, For Educators, Impact Stories

At First Book, we believe in the transformative power of stories, and are inspired by those who bring books to the hands of children who need them most. Two such inspiring examples are Sharon, the visionary behind The Free Book Bus, and the dedicated educators at Johnson Elementary. The Free... Read more

Key Research & Insights on Diverse Books, Reading Scores, and More in 2023

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights

Naomi Suyat is a First Book Marketing and Communications Assistant. She recently graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to supporting educators and students by providing brand-new, high-quality books and additional resources tailored to meet the needs of today’s educators. Since... Read more

AFT volunteer shows book to two kids at a table full of books.

AFT Gives Away 10 Million Books to Help Create a Generation of Joyful, Confident Readers

Posted in: Press Room

Pathbreaking Partnership with First Book Celebrates over a Decade of Putting Books Directly into the Hands of Kids and Families Who Need Them, Sparking Joy, Inspiring Hope and Building Community WASHINGTON (May 11, 2024)—Today, in five synchronized events across the country, the AFT celebrated the unprecedented milestone of giving out... Read more

image of picture books neatly arranged on a table.

Diverse Books for All Coalition Giving Access to 145,000 Diverse Books Nationwide

Posted in: Press Room

National consortium aggregates buying power to bolster representation and access to diverse titles for young children WASHINGTON, DC (May 7, 2024) – As educators, students, and families begin to celebrate Children’s Book Week (May 6-12), the Diverse Books for All Coalition is thrilled to announce the purchase and availability of... Read more

image of four girls standing next to a pop up sign about SIREN, a patent-pending gunshot detector and communicator designed to provide real-time alerts to students, faculty, parents, and law enforcement, cutting down the time it takes to alert law enforcement from 5 minutes to 5 seconds and vastly improving the accuracy of that communication.

Celebrating Young Changemakers: Meet the Winners of the Time for Change Youth Challenge!

Posted in: Impact Stories, Our Partners

First Book, alongside our friends at Ashoka, are excited to announce the winners of the Time for Change Youth Challenge! These young innovators from all corners of the U.S. are being awarded $1,000 grants to bring their inspiring ideas to life and make a positive impact in their schools and... Read more