
Our Bookshelf
Our Five Favorite Poetry Books
We’ve selected our favorite poetry books for you to share with your readers of meter and rhyme. From clever poetry favorites and nursery rhymes, to craftily created illustrations and novels in verse, you’ll find poetry for all ages to inspire even the most reluctant future-poets. If you work with children… Read More

For Educators
Teaching Much More Than Basic Concepts
The hundreds of parents in First Five Permian Basin’s Parents as Teachers program are learning to be their child’s first teacher. They’re excited for the challenge. Topics like counting, shapes and colors are at the top of the list of concepts to teach their kids. “Our parents may ask… Read More

For Educators
Free Food to Fuel Your Students’ Learning
Working at a Title I school you learn pretty quickly that if basic needs aren’t met, students aren’t able to move past those needs. No one can learn when they’re hungry. When students are hungry they’re distracted and sleepy. It’s amazing to watch a… Read More

Impact Stories
How One Shy Girl Found Friends Through Books
We recently met Victoria Hammond, a Program Coordinator at Linwood YMCA in Kansas City. She told us about Leigh, a particularly shy girl in her afterschool program who found confidence and friends through reading. Victoria noticed that she played alone and didn’t have the self-esteem to introduce herself to the… Read More

For Educators
Five Fun Ideas to Celebrate Día de los niños, Día de los libros
Are you celebrating Día this year? We have five fun ideas to fuel your celebration planning. In its 20th year, Children’s Day, Book Day/El día de los niños, Día de los libros (known as Día) is the annual celebration of bookjoy created by children’s author Pat Mora. The… Read More
Impact Stories, Our Bookshelf
One Story to Engage ELL Families: The Wednesday Surprise
Last week, we featured Roxana Barillas, Director of Hispanic Engagement at First Book. She shared her thoughts on the ways educators can connect with ELL families. This week, Roxana shares one book from Build Strong Families With Stories that can help in engaging ELL families in their child’s… Read More

For Educators
Ways Educators Can Connect With ELL Families
Today’s guest blogger is Roxana Barillas, Director of Hispanic Engagement at First Book. When I came to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 12, I had no knowledge of English and jumped right into a new school. My mom worked multiple jobs to support my four siblings and me,… Read More

Our Bookshelf
World Read Aloud Day Book List: Our Five Favorite Books for February
February 24 is World Read Aloud Day. To celebrate, we’ve selected our five favorite books to read aloud with kids – tomorrow and all year long. You’ll find silly books with vivid illustrations, beautiful poems in English and Spanish and a nonfiction book about animals. To share with older readers,… Read More

Focus on First Book, Impact Stories
Home Libraries Make A Huge Difference
Home libraries make a huge difference in kid’s lives. A 20-year study found that, regardless of nationality, parents’ education level or economic status, the presence of books in the home is one of greatest indicators of a child’s academic success. Researchers found that having as few as 20… Read More
Focus on First Book, For Educators, Impact Stories
Tablets Help Struggling Readers Gain Confidence
Earlier this school year Sharlene Scott, an Alternative Language Arts teacher in Gardena, California, brought two brand-new tablets into class for her students to explore. She was able to purchase them on the First Book Marketplace thanks to a partnership with Blackboard, Inc. Sharlene loaded the… Read More