Author Archive: Gavin McGuire

Andrea Davis Pinkney on Connecting the African American and Jewish American Experience

Posted in: Author Voices

First Book President and CEO Kyle Zimmer recently sat down with award-winning author Andrea Davis Pinkney for a conversation about her latest book, A Poem for Peter — a book she describes as her “love letter” to Ezra Jack Keats, creator of the iconic children’s classic, The Snowy Day. In researching... Read more

How One Book Got the 2nd Grade Hooked

Posted in: Impact Stories

At McBee Elementary School in Austin, TX teachers are always looking for ways to help students share ideas and connect. That is especially true for librarian Heather Stephens. She sees hundreds of students from different grade levels, all with various interests, on a daily basis. For the 2nd grade, it... Read more

NFL Alumni Charlie Brown Helps First Book, Operation Warm Make Impact in Chicago

Posted in: Focus on First Book, Impact Stories, Our Partners

In October, First Book teamed up with Operation Warm and the Chicago Housing Authority to bring new books and new coats to kids living in Chicago’s public housing. The event promised to bring together organizations like First Book and individuals who aim to improve the lives of children and give... Read more

How One College Student is Making an Impact in Her Community

Posted in: Impact Stories

When Janessa Blythe discovered through a college leadership course that kids in her Waco, Texas community didn’t have access to books, she decided to act. The junior at Baylor University is launching Waco Up & Read, a program that provides books for kids from low-income communities. “It appalled me that... Read more

A Library Full of Books & Happiness

Posted in: Impact Stories

Will they still be here tomorrow? students often ask Morgan VanClief, the librarian at P.A. Shaw Elementary School in Dorchester, MA. They’re asking about the brand new books that Morgan has been able to bring to the school’s library through generous grants and access to the First Book Marketplace. Many... Read more

One Fan’s Campaign to Honor Her Favorite Book-Loving Celebrity

Posted in: Impact Stories

There is one woman who inspires Tesa Brand, a community volunteer and aspiring publicist from Fort Wayne, Indiana: Kerry Washington. Washington, the star of ABC’s Scandal, is an education advocate and avid reader. For her birthday last January, Washington started a campaign to provide books for kids in need by raising... Read more