First Book Blog

Time for Change Youth Challenge Announced

Posted in: For Educators, Our Partners

First Book and Ashoka are excited to welcome educators back to the Time for Change initiative by kicking off the school year with a BIG announcement. Time for Change is a multi-year initiative in partnership with Ashoka and Audemars Piguet. We’re working together to equip educators and young people with resources to incorporate... Read more

Leading Education Organizations Launch Reading Universe Prototype to Help Teachers Build a Nation of Confident Readers

Posted in: Press Room

WETA, the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book join forces to establish a free, innovative professional development platform that provides educators with evidence-based guidance and tools for how to teach reading and writing Washington, D.C. (July 25, 2023) – WETA, the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book have launched a... Read more

Nine Books to Teach Kids About Body Positivity

Posted in: Our Bookshelf

This guest post was written by Audrey Vinkenes, a First Book Marketing and Communications Intern. She is currently a grad student at the University of Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland. It’s never too early to encourage children to feel positive about their bodies! According to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott... Read more

Nine Historically Accurate and Relevant Holocaust Books for High School Students

Posted in: Our Bookshelf, Our Partners

In collaboration with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), we have curated a diverse collection of historically accurate and relevant books for educators to utilize in their classrooms. This collection, tailored for high school students, encompasses a variety of genres, themes, topics, and reading levels to meet a range... Read more

First Book and the Guru Krupa Foundation Unite to Amplify Educational Resources in New York City and Los Angeles

Posted in: Our Partners

We are thrilled to announce the incredible news of the renewed partnership between the Guru Krupa Foundation and First Book! Thanks to the Foundation’s generous grant, First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to ensuring equal access to quality education for children living in under resourced communities, will be able... Read more

Three Reasons to Join First Book: Insights from Our Network of Educators

Posted in: For Educators

Joey Mathis is a First Book Marketing and Communication intern. She is currently an undergrad student at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. According to a survey conducted by First Book in 2021, nearly 60 percent of educators spent between $100 and $500 out-of-pocket on classroom supplies. With classroom budgets often... Read more

Open eBooks: First Book’s Most Popular Digital Resource Gets an Upgrade 

Posted in: For Educators

First Book is a non-profit social enterprise that works to provide eligible educators with brand-new, high-quality books at affordable prices. As an organization, First Book truly values accessibility and adaptability. Books are an important resource, but we know many educators have limited (and sometimes zero) budget to provide physical books... Read more

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

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Magic Tree House Collection

Posted in: For Educators, Impact Stories, Our Partners

This year is the 30th anniversary of Mary Pope Osborne’s beloved Magic Tree House series. The incredibly popular series, published by Penguin Random House, has sold over 143 million books worldwide and includes over one hundred titles. Those titles include the Merlin Missions subseries for advanced readers and the Magic... Read more