Author Archive: First Book Staff

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

Q&A with Marissa Meyer: Celebrating 10 Years of Cinder

Posted in: Author Voices

Marissa Meyer is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, Heartless, The Renegades Trilogy, and Instant Karma, as well as the graphic novel duology Wires and Nerve. She holds a BA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University and a MA in Publishing from Pace University. In... Read more

First Book, an Innovative Leader in Education Equity, Releases Groundbreaking Research Illustrating the Impact of COVID-19 on Emotional Wellness of Students in Underserved Communities

Posted in: Press Room

Nearly One Thousand Educators Participated; Report that over half (53%) of the students they serve struggle with their mental health. WASHINGTON, April 5, 2022—First Book, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring education equity for children living in poverty, today announced the results of a national survey designed to identify emotional... Read more