Author Archive: Melanie Boyer

Michelle Obama Surprises Children at Para Los Niños Early Education Center in Skid Row, in Partnership With Penguin Random House and First Book

Posted in: Press Room

Mrs. Obama’s visit is a part of Penguin Random House’s one million book donation in the Obama family’s name LOS ANGELES (November 15, 2018) — Today, while in town for her Becoming book tour, former First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise visit to the Para Los Niños Tina and... Read more

zulily, Penguin Random House, and First Book Host ‘Books For Kids’ Buy-One-Give-One Campaign to Give Children the Gift of Reading

Posted in: Press Room

Partners Celebrate National Family Literacy Month with Select Holiday Purchases Benefiting First Book to Enrich the Lives of Kids in Need SEATTLE (November 1, 2018)–There’s nothing quite like the immersive, imagination-inspiring power of books: who doesn’t love discovering new worlds, swimming with mermaids, or just simply saying good night? Story... Read more

First Book, The NEA Foundation, and Lee & Low Books Further Commitment to Diversity

Posted in: Press Room

First Book, The NEA Foundation, and Lee & Low Books Further Commitment to Increasing Diversity in Young Adult Literature With Award-winning Debut Novel WASHINGTON (October 30, 2018)—The NEA Foundation, Lee & Low Books, and First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise committed to equal access to quality education, are expanding the... Read more

First Book and Celebrated Children’s Author Pat Mora Honor Texas Library with Estela and Raúl Mora Award

Posted in: Press Room

Three schools serving students in need receive special recognition for promoting literacy WASHINGTON (October 4, 2018) – Johnson City Library in Johnson City, Texas, will receive the 2018 Estela and Raúl Mora Award, an honor given by award-winning children’s author Pat Mora and her sister, Stella Mora Henry, in partnership... Read more

vineyard vines Kicks Off #WhalesForACause With Simon & Schuster, First Book

Posted in: Press Room

STAMFORD, Conn. (September 27, 2018) — vineyard vines, a lifestyle apparel brand best known for its smiling pink whale logo, announced the debut of their annual Whales for a Cause campaign. In partnership with renowned publisher Simon & Schuster and First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to educational equality, the campaign... Read more

PBS and First Book Partner With Publishers to Bring 350,000 Books to Kids in Need

Posted in: Press Room

Books Donated by Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette Book Group are Available to PBS Stations Nationwide as Part of THE GREAT AMERICAN READ WASHINGTON (September 19, 2018) – First Book and PBS are partnering to distribute more than 350,000 brand new books to children in need through... Read more

The Cost of Empty Bookshelves: Kyle Zimmer, First Book President, Co-founder, and CEO

Posted in: Focus on First Book

Empty bookshelves in school libraries, kids without backpacks or lunch or socks, educators shelling out an average of $500 a year to outfit their classrooms–this is why we do what we do at First Book. And this year, we have the opportunity to make sure that every back-to-school start is... Read more

Redefining Youthful Rebellion: YA Authors on Social Justice

Posted in: Author Voices

“I think young people have something to say, and I think that they do the best they can to say it and  sometimes the language isn’t there, but we as adults have an obligation and a responsibility to hear the things that aren’t being said–and to help them carve the... Read more

What if Educators Had Everything They Needed? Kyle Zimmer, First Book President, Co-founder, and CEO

Posted in: Focus on First Book

By Kyle Zimmer, president, co-founder, and CEO of First Book. This post first appeared on Medium on June 12, 2018. A Texas elementary school media specialist recently shared a 43-second video that blew me away. In the video, a young boy named Isaiah holds a book by award-winning author Kwame Alexander, and... Read more

I AM LITTLE RED: Teaching Kids About Child Trafficking

Posted in: Author Voices, For Educators

Wolves can come in all shapes and sizes. Do I have your attention now? So warns Lady J, the animated version of Academy Award-nominee Jessica Chastain, as she walks “Little Reds” through the dangers of a very scary problem: Child sex trafficking. Lady J is the narrator of I AM... Read more