
Staff Picks to Make Summer Sweeter
Posted In:Our Bookshelf
May 24, 2021 Curling up with a book in the winter is great, but is there anything better than reading in the sunshine? First Book’s Book Nerds (a.k.a. the Title Selection & Merchandising teams) love tackling their to-be-read shelves during the summer months, so each staff member has selected four books they recommend… Read More

Books that Celebrate the Breadth of the Asian American Experience
Posted In:Our Bookshelf
May 6, 2021 To combat anti-Asian bias and discrimination, more educators are teaching about—and celebrating—the Asian American community. To assist educators, First Book is highlighting the breadth of Asian and Asian American stories. Our Marketplace Senior Manager of Merchandising, Yukari Matsuyama, put together the following list of 14 books to help… Read More

15 Novels in Verse to Celebrate Poetry Month
Posted In:Our Bookshelf
April 5, 2021 Guest post written by Lori Prince, Director of Merchandising at First Book Before my years at First Book, I was a poet. The poetry I knew as a child was the poetry of songs — folk music at home, hymns at church, show tunes in choir — so… Read More

Five Questions with Hena Khan
Posted In:Author Voices, Our Bookshelf
March 9, 2021 Happy book birthday to Hena Khan’s new book Amina’s Song, published today (March 9, 2021)! This past January, as a part of our activities for National Day of Service, Khan did a live reading of Amina’s Song – a companion book to Amina’s Voice – and through… Read More

52 Books to Celebrate Black History in Your Classroom
Posted In:For Educators, Our Bookshelf
February 4, 2021 In the last few years, educators and avid readers collectively recognized the urgency of reading anti-racist books and exercising self-education. It was apparent, perhaps more so than other years, why Black stories matter, especially in the classroom. While recognizing Black pain and struggle remains an important focus, celebrating Black joy,… Read More

2020 First Book Title Raves
Posted In:Focus on First Book, Our Bookshelf
December 28, 2020 The third annual “First Book Title Raves” list is here! Check out the 15 titles below, all of which were published in 2020 and earned accolades from our network of 500,000 educators who serve children in need. 2020 Picks Our 2020 Title Raves list was curated based on five-star… Read More

Mo-Love for Mo Willems
Posted In:For Educators, Our Bookshelf
May 29, 2020 From heartwarming stories featuring lively, unforgettable characters to virtual events connecting young creators to their wide imagination, all through May, we’ve celebrated everything Author Mo Willems. Educators and parents recognize the genius in Mo’s storytelling — how he introduces social concepts and provides solutions to various situations, all while entertaining… Read More

First Book’s Empowering Women Book List
Posted In:Focus on First Book, For Educators, Our Bookshelf
March 12, 2020 March is Women’s History Month – a time of year that emphasizes the celebration of women who overcame obstacles to break new ground, change attitudes, and forge a path for others to follow. Countless women have fought to make the world a better place in a push for equality for all… Read More

Creative Ways to Use Plush Toys in the Classroom
Posted In:Our Bookshelf
November 5, 2019 Plush Toys are much more than cute classroom decorations. They can be powerful tools for creating spaces where kids are excited and motivated to read and learn! The First Book Marketplace is home to a large selection of educational resources available at affordable prices to the members… Read More

Building Inclusive Classrooms with YASMIN en Español
Posted In:Author Voices, Our Bookshelf
September 26, 2019 Today’s blog post is written by guest blogger Saadia Faruqi, author of the YASMIN series of early reader titles. Read More