My mother was a high-school biology teacher for 32 years, every week was Teacher Appreciation Week in our house. To say I understood her impact on a child’s life is an understatement, but I hear of her impact often. “Oh, you’re Ms. Awad’s daughter? She was the best teacher I… Read More

The following is a guest blog post written by educators Loretta Holmberg and Ann Mengel, VIPTeach Global Online Teaching Fellows, First Book network educators, and leaders of the Books for Baltimore project. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of children have not been in physical… Read More

In 1992, First Book began with a mission to provide brand-new books to children in need. Throughout the years, the mission has stayed constant, but the needs have changed and expanded. Nearly 30 years later First Book continues to build a path out of poverty through educational equity and breaking… Read More

The following is a guest blog post written by our partner Reach Out and Read of Greater New York Dr. Faye Kokotos, a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Montefiore, recently described well-child visits during COVID-19 as an anxiety-ridden experience: “The waiting room is eerily quiet; the… Read More

The following is a guest blog post written by our partner Reach Out and Read of Greater New York There is no denying, life as we knew it prior to March of this year has been a challenge in so many ways. We have all had… Read More

Holiday Campaign to Raise $1 Million and Provide 1 Million Books to Kids in Need WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2020 — First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise focused on equal access to quality education, today announced that it has launched its second annual #GiveAMillion campaign designed to raise $1 million between… Read More

The following is a guest blog post written by our partner Books for Keeps. Books are a torch during times of darkness and human searching. In March of this year, as the skies over our world seemed to turn black, and we all wondered what would happen… Read More

Books unlock new worlds for readers of all ages – and for some students in the Oakland, California area, those new worlds are MATHICAL! That’s because, thanks to support from the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), 93 educators in the First Book Network from California’s Alameda County received credits to… Read More

First Book regularly works with programs that support the military and their families – and this spring, we launched additional outreach to support veterans. With the COVID-19 restrictions, veterans receiving care in VA hospitals and facilities across the country are experiencing extended stays and limited social interaction opportunities.  To help… Read More

Theresa Pearson had a great plan to support her students during the COVID-19 pandemic. She ordered more than 1,500 books from First Book thanks to a  COVID-19 funding grant opportunity, and the books were shipped to her school, Chester W. Nimitz Elementary in Alabama. Unfortunately, in just a few short… Read More