Author Archive: Gina Rullo

Does Soman Chainani, Author of The School For Good And Evil, Consider himself good?… or evil?

Posted in: Author Voices

“Sophie had waited all her life to be kidnapped.” Does that quote seem familiar to you? It’s the widely recognized first line of the book, The School For Good And Evil. Soman Chainani is the author behind the book, which is available through First Book. If you missed out on our video... Read more

Stories For All: Todd Parr – It's Okay to be Different

Posted in: Author Voices

Author, illustrator, and macaroni and cheese aficionado Todd Parr, uses humor and bright illustrations to celebrate the differences that make us all unique. Most of Todd’s books are now available on the First Book Marketplace. First Book recently interviewed Todd about his inspiration for writing so many books that make... Read more

Janet Tashjian on Creating Imagination, Inspiration & Illustration with Reluctant Readers

Posted in: Author Voices

Janet Tashjian is a children’s author, an advocate for reluctant readers and strong supporter of First Book. She collaborates with her son Jake Tashjian, who creates the illustrations for her books. One of their joint efforts, “Einstein The Class Hamster” was not only released to retailers, but made available to... Read more

For First Day of School, Julianne Moore Brings Books to Kids at Harlem Daycare Center

Posted in: Focus on First Book, Impact Stories

We’re huge fans of award-winning actress Julianne Moore at First Book; not only is she supremely talented on stage and screen, she’s also a children’s book author and all -around lovely person. So we were thrilled that she was able to join us yesterday at Round The Clock Nursery in... Read more

5 Inspiring Stories Of Kids Helping Kids

Posted in: Impact Stories

We can all learn something from the selfless acts of children. Check out these five stories of kids helping kids in need get new books. 1. The Best Neighbor Ever. Crestwood Intermediate School in Mantua, Ohio puts others first. The 3rd-5th graders raised over $1300 through a First Book Virtual... Read more

Books of Their Own to Take Home: The Guru Krupa Foundation & Summer Reading

Posted in: Impact Stories

When Estrella Elementary opened their doors in 2010, they had barely any books available to students. A Title I school located in an impoverished Los Angeles neighborhood, Estrella can only supply a limited number of books and educational resources to each classroom, and has no books at all to help... Read more

Taylor Felice: How I Ran a Half Marathon to Bring Books to Kids in Need

Posted in: Impact Stories

Taylor Felice, a dedicated supporter of First Book, recently ran the Brooklyn Half-Marathon. Not only did she accomplish the goal of running the race but she also accomplished something else – getting books into the hands of kids in need. Taylor aimed to raise $1800 through First Book to provide... Read more

Happy Birthday, Amelia Bedelia! A Q&A With Author, Herman Parish

Posted in: Author Voices

It’s been 50 years since the original author of Amelia Bedelia, Peggy Parish, debuted the popular children’s book series. Peggy passed away in 1988 but her Amelia Bedelia legacy lives on. Herman Parish, Peggy’s nephew, took over the series after Peggy’s passing. First Book recently interviewed Herman Parish about Amelia... Read more

How First Book Works with Pi Beta Phi to Support Girls Everywhere

Posted in: Focus on First Book, Impact Stories

Today’s guest blog post is from Ann Shaw, Director of Philanthropy for Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women. Ann has held this volunteer role for the past six years. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arkansas and her Master’s in Education from the University of New... Read more

Operation Bookitecture!

Posted in: Impact Stories

KPMG’s Family for Literacy brightened the holiday season for children across the country by bringing more than 49,000 brand new books to children in need as part of their firm-wide community service project, Operation Bookitecture. This was no ordinary book drive, however.  Nearly 3,000 KPMG employees in 70 offices across... Read more