This months group is an overseas program founded by a member of First Books long standing partner, Pi Beta Phi. This post features an individual that is volunteering abroad, and taking her passion for literacy to all corners of the world. Kentucky Beta member Ann Enderly Walker’s family began a Christian-based nonprofit organization providing short-term medical and humanitarian care throughout the world. The organization, His Healing Hands, works to make a difference in the world to those caught in the vicious cycle of poverty and disease. “Medical backgrounds and a willingness to serve caused my husband and I to get involved,” Ann says. “I am a retired registered nurse, and my husband is a retired firefighter. We both feel very strongly about giving back to those less fortunate.” Ann and her husband fell in love with volunteer service after their first trip to China. “The plight of the people we saw was unbelievable; yet their humility, joy for life and gratitude for the care we gave them convinced us that we were the lucky ones,” Ann says. “Although we touched their lives Read More

This Month’s Recipient Group: The Shyann Kindness Project. “The mission of The Shyann Kindness Project is to pass on kindness by providing fun and needed items to children in stressful situations, while inspiring the performance of random acts of kindness and acceptance of others.” The Shyann Kindness Project has served over 8,000 children since April 2006, and is comprised of three programs: the Kindness Gift-Giving Program, Shyann’s Helping Hands, and Shyann’s Mentors Program. Kindness Gift Giving Events occur twice a month at venues such as hospital emergency rooms and clinics, homeless feeding programs, shelters for women and children, and after-school programs in low-income areas. During Kindness Gift-Giving Events, volunteers distribute Kindness Gift Packages to children that consist of toys, crafts, stuffed animals, and brand new books provided by First Book after an interactive talk about the importance of kindness and acceptance of all people. Read More

National Book Festival Features Favorite Author Voting. Book-lovers will be able to select from among the roughly 500 authors who have appeared at the nine previous National Book Festivals, or will appear at this years festival. Using an alphabetical listing or voting from a page that includes… Read More

24 Hour Blogging to Benefit First Book! On July 31st, beginning at 6:00 a.m. (PST), a legion of bloggers from around the world will post once every thirty minutes for an entire twenty-four hour period to raise funds for charity. visit www.OpenDiary.com/ODAHQ… Read More

Summer Reading: 60 titles for 92 days. Having trouble deciding what to read this season? Let the  LA Times help you with a selection, made by the Times’ book editors, of forthcoming titles. July Reviews of the Latest Spanish-Language Titles for children. This libraryjournal.com… Read More

  Today not only marks the first day of summer, but it’s also Summer Learning Day! Communities across the country are celebrating the importance of summer learning by hosting events that demonstrate the value of keeping the children in your community learning during the summer months. Read More

In 1996, in a synthesis of 39 separate studies, researchers found that the average student, returning to school in September has lost the equivalent of 1.0 to 2.6 months of previous learning—in effect, erasing this amount of learning from their mind. According to the report, the biggest losses occur in the areas of spelling and computational math (multiplication, addition, etc.).   The good news for both parents and students is [by having a summer learning plan and acting on it] that this “academic atrophy” can be reduced and even eliminated. -    Rob Stringer, Educational and Parenting Consultant, July 15, 2005 Many parents are unaware of the effect summer break may have on their childs learning achievement.  The "summer slide" describes what happens when young minds sit idle for three months. Experts agree that children who read during the summer gain reading skills, while those who do not often Read More