Author Archive: First Book Staff

Research & Insights: 2022 Highlights & Network Impact

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights

First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that strives to support students and educators in low-income communities by providing brand-new, high-quality books. We also strive to support these communities by providing additional resources that meet the needs of educators today. Our primary audience is our growing Network, which currently includes... Read more

Kari Kurjiaka Named Project Director for Diverse Books for All Coalition; Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Joins the Coalition

Posted in: Press Room

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 25, 2023) – Kari Kurjiaka has been named project director for the national Diverse Books for All Coalition. Most recently, Kurjiaka served as senior manager of literacy & external affairs for Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, a founding member of the coalition. In addition, the Society... Read more

10 Scary (And Semi-Scary) Stories for Kids and Teens

Posted in: Our Bookshelf

Scary stories let readers explore their fears or indulge their cravings for high-stimulation content in a safe, controlled space – between the pages of a book. To help you get started, the wonderful team behind the curation of First Book’s Marketplace has selected 10 books that offer gentle seasonal content... Read more

Nonprofits Join Forces to Expedite Access to Diverse and Affordable Children’s Books

Posted in: Press Room

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Supports the Initiative with $1 Million Grant to First Book  WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 18, 2022) – Twenty-seven nonprofits and membership organizations from across the U.S. are joining forces to tackle a common challenge that has impeded children’s literacy for decades:  the lack of high-quality, affordable children’s books by... Read more

Helpful Resources for Educators during Banned Books Week

Posted in: Focus on First Book, For Educators

As we go into Banned Books Week, the news about unprecedented efforts to unjustly ban books from schools and libraries has never felt more urgent. Here at First Book, we have an intentional commitment to providing diverse, honest, and affirming titles on the Marketplace. We know that, consistent with the... Read more

First Book and Room to Read Come Together to Distribute 30,000 Books in Dari and Pashto to Refugee and Immigrant Afghan Children

Posted in: Press Room

The Collaboration Taps into Strengths of Each Organization to Answer this Critical Need September 8, 2022 (Washington D.C.) — First Book, the largest online network of educators serving children in need, and Room to Read, the global education organization creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, today announced... Read more

Meet First Book’s 550,000th member: NYC educator Tamika

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

This summer, Tamika made First Book history by becoming the 550,000th educator to join the First Book Network. A teacher at a middle school in the New York public school system, Tamika attended a Reading Opens the World book give-away held in the Bronx by the United Federation of Teachers,... Read more

First Book and Education Researcher Susan Neuman Launch Groundbreaking Classroom Library Tool as Students Struggle to Access Literacy Rich Environments

Posted in: Press Room

Educator Survey Spotlights Inequity and Financial Hurdles of Building an Engaging and Effective Classroom Library WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 17, 2022) – First Book, the largest online network of educators serving children in need, in partnership with literacy expert and education researcher Susan Neuman, is launching a new tool to assess... Read more

How Microsoft’s Literacy Tools Improve Reading Comprehension in Classrooms

Posted in: For Educators, Our Partners

Educators are continuously confronted with a growing and diverse range of student needs, necessitating a responsive and individualized approach to teaching. In recent years, the prevalence of literacy challenges, particularly among English language learners and students with learning differences, has increased significantly, particularly in underserved communities. To level the playing... Read more

It’s Challenging to Stay Focused and Use Self-Control—But There Are Strategies that Work

Posted in: Our Partners

This post was written in collaboration with the Mind in the Making team. As life begins to return to pre-pandemic days, more and more demands seem thrown our way—more appointments, events, commutes, and things on our to-do list. With our busier schedules come lots of pressures. Sometimes it’s hard to... Read more