First Book Blog

Research & Insights: 2021 Highlights & Network Impact

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights

Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 225 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income communities. First Book currently reaches an average of 5 million children every year and supports more than a third of the estimated 1.3 million classrooms and programs serving... 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

Educator and Parenting Solutions to Deal with Tantrums

Posted in: Our Partners

This post was written in collaboration with the Mind in the Making team. Tantrums are an inevitable and expected part of life with young children that can be very challenging for adults, especially as we deal with the long-term impacts of the pandemic. As children learn how to manage their... Read more

Build the Change: The LEGO Group’s Network Impact

Posted in: Impact Stories, Our Partners

In 2021, the LEGO Group, a partner of First Book, worked to take a new approach to provide resources to our growing network of educators. Instead of creating resources based on corporate goals or assumptions, the LEGO Group worked with First Book to conduct research and create materials that were... Read more

How Books Shape Our Dialogue Around Diversity & Race

Posted in: Author Voices

In 2021, the Children’s Cooperative Book Center reviewed 3,357 books and found that only 9.3% were written by Black authors and 13.3% featured Black characters. While the statistics are staggering, the problem with the lack of diversity in books extends beyond any bookshelf as the books we read and learn... Read more

Disney Launches 10th Annual Magic of Storytelling Campaign in Collaboration with First Book

Posted in: Press Room

This guest post was written by Allison Citino, Director, Communications, Games, Publishing and Merchandise. Calling all book lovers, storytellers, and magic makers! This week Disney kicked off its 10th Annual Magic of Storytelling campaign with First Book, a nonprofit organization that puts free or affordable books and resources into the hands... Read more

Meet Cece Bell – First Book Friend, Author & AppleTV Superstar

Posted in: Author Voices

On January 7, the First Book family celebrated the El Deafo premiere on AppleTV, written and illustrated by long-time friend, donor, and author Cece Bell. Truly a wonderful human being and supporter of First Book, Cece and her husband Tom Angleberger, have always been generous when it comes to the... Read more

First Book and Ashoka Join Forces with Swiss Haute Horlogerie Manufacturer Audemars Piguet to Launch Initiative to Inspire Youth as Changemakers

Posted in: Press Room

 Collaboration Will Equip Young People in Low-Income and Historically Excluded Communities with the Opportunities and Tools to Create Change Program Kicks Off with Actionable New Changemaking Resources for Educators January 18, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) – First Book, the largest online community of educators serving kids in poverty, and Ashoka, the... Read more

How StoryBook Treasures Creates Engaged Readers

Posted in: Our Partners

In low-income households, the ratio of books is 1 book per 300 children. To put that number in perspective, in middle-income households, there are approximately 13 books per child. The gap is eye-opening and hard to digest, which is why the partnership between StoryBook Treasures and First Book is so... Read more

Why The Nonprofit Sector Can No Longer Dance Around Infrastructure Challenges

Posted in: Thought Leadership

Guest post written by Kyle Zimmer, President, CEO & Co-founder of First Book. Kyle is a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council. This article was originally published on Forbes. Nonprofits are tackling humanity’s most complex problems — but without the fundamental infrastructure afforded our private sector counterparts. There is an old saying... Read more