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Changing Lives One Page at a Time

March 11th, 2010 by Guest Blogger · Books & Reading, First Book Events, Guest Blog Posts, Literacy

Guest blogger Stacy Conway is the marketing and communications manager for the Pi Beta Phi Foundation.

Even before my daughter was born, I read to her. I remember propping up myself in bed, resting a book on my big belly and reading out loud to the little girl inside. And I haven’t stopped reading to her. Now eleven months old, she loves books. Oftentimes she’ll crawl over to me, hold up a book and look at me imploringly with her big blue eyes. Then I scoop her up, put her on my lap and read out loud to the little girl by my side.

Books have always been a part of my daughter’s life. I assumed it was the same for every child. Then I met Elaine Powers. Elaine was guest speaker at Pi Beta Phi’s Leadership Academy, a three day conference for members. Pi Phi has made a commitment to combat illiteracy, and has partnered with First Book to make this happen. Elaine is Executive Director of Lemay Child and Family Center, a First Book recipient group. Through grants from First Book, Lemay Child and Family Center is instilling a love of reading in young children.

Elaine shared a story about a little girl at the Center. She and her sister, like many of the children at the Center receive financial scholarships so they may attend. Their mother mainly raised the girls, but sometimes their father would show up at the end of the day to take them home. Whenever Dad did pick them up, he’d tell the girls to immediately collect their things so they could leave. He didn’t stop to talk with the teachers, or inquire about his daughters’ progress. He didn’t make small talk with the other parents, or ask the girls’ about their day. There was no interaction between him and his children.

Until one day, when he went to pick up his daughters, and found them in the midst of a pajama party. The Center had planned the event, encouraging the children to dress in their pajamas while they listened to “bedtime stories.” When the father walked in, his little girl ran to him, held up a book and asked if he would read to her. [Read more →]

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Vintage Veronica Hits Bookstores and Book Give-away!

March 10th, 2010 by Becky H. · Books & Reading

Yesterday was a big day here at First Book as Vintage Veronica (ISBN 978-0-375-85923-6; Knopf, 2010) written by our very own Erica S. Perl, hit bookstores.  The book is about Veronica Walsh, a “fashion-minded, fat and friendless” fifteen-year old whose summer working at The Clothing Bonanza, a vintage clothing store inspired by The Garment District in Cambridge, MA, pulls her in directions she never imagined.  There’s the Nail, the animal-loving stock boy, Zoe and Ginger, the over-the-top salesgirls, and Bill, who Erica describes as the “elder statesmen of the store.”  As Veronica gets pulled and pushed by peer pressure, she discovers more about herself than she ever thought she would.

“I have always loved vintage clothing,” says Erica.  “When I visited the Garment District I had the idea to write about the behind the scenes life of the store and a girl finding herself  in that situation.” And with a swirl of interesting characters and little vintage clothing thrown in, Vintage Veronica is the perfect book for any teen wrestling with the trials and tribulations of adolescence.

To celebrate the release, there will be book signings in three cities: Washington, DC, New York City and Boston (at the store that inspired the book, The Garment District).  Erica is also partnering with First Book and Random House to help raise awareness that First Book is not only here to help little ones, but older children and teens as well.

Here at First Book, we are proud to have an author on staff and excited for teens to enjoy a page-turner like Vintage Veronica so they can fall in love with reading.

If you would like to win your very own signed copy of Vintage Veronica (and let’s be honest here, who wouldn’t?) post a comment in response to this blog post and one lucky winner will be selected at random to receive a signed copy of the book!

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Presenting First Book’s Online Help Center

March 8th, 2010 by Becky H. · Book Distributions, Book Recipients, Marketplace

Here at First Book, we understand how busy life can be for our Recipient Groups.  We also know that at the end of the day, when that bell finally rings and all those precious little ones pile onto the buses and head home, the last thing most teachers, principals or administrators need to deal with is trouble placing an order on the First Book Marketplace or confusion about completing a Book Bank application.

To make sure our Recipient Groups can get books from us as quickly and effortlessly as possible, we present to you . . . drum roll please . . . First Book’s very own Online Help Center! So if you have ever wondered: “What is the First Book National Book Bank?”  “How do I place an order on the First Book Marketplace for the first time?” Or “how do I update my registration?” then look no further!  The answers to all these questions (and many more) await you at First Book’s Online Help Center!

Of course we are always here to answer questions from Recipient Groups. But, since we can’t be in the office 24/7, we hope that our Help Center will make getting books from us as easy as possible.  So now, when that bell rings at the end of the day, all those little ones can pile onto their buses with backpacks full of books and minds ready to dive into the wonderful world of reading.

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Help us Receive $200,000 through Members Project from American Express and TakePart.com

March 8th, 2010 by Melinda H. · First Book Events, Literacy, Nonprofit Technology, Philanthropy

First Book is excited to be one of 50 cause-related charities showcased in this year’s Members Project intiative from American Express and TakePart.  Participants to the site can vote once a week for a charity, and every three months, the charity that garners the most votes will win $200,000.

For First Book, this funding would provide 100,000 new books to kids living in high poverty communities throughout the U.S.

We applaud American Express and TakePart for taking corporate social responsibility to a new level.  Not only is the funding commitment important, but participants will be able to engage more fully with the featured causes.  After voting for First Book, TakePart.com’s social advocacy platform will allow you to connect with other like-minded participants online and find literacy-related volunteer opportunities in your community.   It’s corporate responsibility 2.0.

Please help First Book reach more kids with wonderful new books. Visit www.takepart.com/membersproject and cast your vote for First Book!

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Odds and Bookends: March 5

March 5th, 2010 by Katie B. · Authors & Illustrators, Books & Reading, Literacy Links and Articles

This Week is Words Matter Week
Check out the Words Matter Week blog, sponsored by the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors for interesting prompts and daily blog challenge questions.

There’s something about ‘Alice’

The Boston Globe features a great article on Lewis Carroll’s book and readers obsession with Alice’s story. In other “Alice” news, Tim Burton’s 3-D movie version opens today!

U.S. Plans New Measure for Poverty
This week the federal government announced it would begin producing an experimental measurement of poverty next year, a step toward the first overhaul of the formula since it was developed nearly a half-century ago.

Fairbanks man works to get boys to read more books
A great profile on Tim Stallard and the Alaska chapter of the Guys Read program, which seeks to encourage and improve boys’ reading levels.

Teaching kids to read from the back of a burro
For hundreds of children in the rural villages of Colombia, Luis Soriano is more than a man riding a stubborn donkey – he is a man with a mission to save rural children from illiteracy.

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Meet the First Book Staff: Kim R.

March 4th, 2010 by Nicole T. · Advisory Boards, Around the First Book Office

Meet the staff members that make the First Book magic possible!

Kim R.Name: Kim R.

Hometown: Beantown (Boston MA)

What do you do at First Book? I head up the Outreach and Advisory Board Team.  We have a big goal in 2010 of doubling the number of groups we serve by getting the word out to more programs who need books, and helping make First Book and our work a household name.  Can you tell a friend today?!

What are you reading now? Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris and Revolution of the Heart by Bill Shore

Do you have a favorite quote or saying you live by? “To those whom much is given, much is expected.” -John F. Kennedy

Tell us a fun fact about you? I love to ski.  There’s been a lot of snow in DC this winter, but no mountains…:(

Where is the most exciting/exotic/interesting place you have visited? Hong Kong and Berlin

Mac or PC? Both.

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Delivering Books to the Sunshine State and Beyond

March 3rd, 2010 by Nicole T. · Book Distributions

First Book Volunteer Prepares Boxes of Books for ShippingLast month, I traveled with two of my colleagues to Jacksonville, Florida and distributed 450,000 new books, generously donated by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, to children in need nationwide. It was unusually cold in Jacksonville but we were happy to leave the snow in Washington, DC behind for a few days to provide more than 200 Recipient Groups in the Sunshine State and beyond with brand new books.

I have met a lot of amazing people on my First Book travels and had the pleasure of meeting several more in Jacksonville.   The distribution would not have been possible without the fabulous support of Chris from our warehouse partner Teacher Supply Depot.  Chris helped us obtain the warehouse space, met trucks full of books at theThe GIFTS Literacy Program presents First Book with a Certificate of Appreciation warehouse while cooking dinner on Christmas Eve, and organized a terrific group of volunteers.  She also provided space for a Meet and Greet event where we got to meet several of our Recipient Groups and heard wonderful stories about kids receiving their first new books.

We were also very excited to meet Betty from Books-A-Go-Go, a true First Book hero.  Betty has been a supporter of First Book for many years and worked tirelessly with Chris to bring the First Book National Book Bank to Jacksonville.  Andrea would also like to personally thank Betty for sharing her warm, furry gloves!

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Make Your Mark for Literacy Today!

March 2nd, 2010 by Danielle M. · Books & Reading, Literacy, Philanthropy

Every year on or around March 2nd, thousands of Pi Beta Phi members take time to advance literacy in their communities through the annual Fraternity Day of Service. And this year is no exception! This week, Pi Beta Phi chapters and clubs across North America use their creativity and passion for literacy to raise funds and organize service projects to provide new books to children in need in their communities.

Working together with First Book, Pi Beta Phi has embarked on their third annual “Make Your Mark for Literacy” Fraternity Day of Service campaign. Pi Phi members have been hard at work decorating individual bookplates that will be placed in thousands of new books. For every bookplate decorated, one child will receive a brand-new book from First Book, toward the goal of donating 50,000 books.

Click on the bookplate image to view a slideshow of the unique bookplates Pi Phi members have created.

Want to pitch in and help celebrate this day of service? Visit The Literacy Site and participate in the “Make Your Mark for Literacy” Click Challenge. Thanks to Pi Beta Phi, the value of your click is doubled through March 15, bringing even more books to kids in need!

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You’re never too old, too wacky, or too wild to pick up a book and read with a child

March 2nd, 2010 by Rachael Walker · Books & Reading, Guest Blog Posts, Literacy

Guest Blogger Rachael Walker is the Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, a national multimedia initiative which aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, and others who touch the life of a child by providing comprehensive, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle. Rachael began her career in children’s literacy at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), has also served as a consultant to the NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and was most recently the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Metro DC.

Know what today is?  Dr. Seuss’s birthday! March 2 is the day that Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

It’s also Read Across America Day, the National Education Association’s annual celebration for toddlers, teens and everyone in between to celebrate their literacy and language skills and the joys of reading.

Besides all the Seuss silliness, the thing that I really love about the day is that it is a day of reading for everyone.  Though the National Education Association originated and sponsors the celebration, everyone is invited to be in the company of a child and a book.

Looking for some last minute ideas to celebrate the day? [Read more →]

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It’s a First at First Book

March 1st, 2010 by Joan S. · Authors & Illustrators, Books & Reading, Marketplace

The Very Hungry Catapiller-Bilingual From time to time, the programs who get books from us let us know what they need. One of the biggest requests we get is for more Spanish language or bilingual offerings.

Well, we heard you, and we’d like to share the big news about an exclusive First Book first edition of the bilingual English/Spanish board book, Eric Carle’s classic picture book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Beginning this month, for the low, low price of $3.25, this book is available exclusively on the First Book Marketplace to our registered groups. This book is the only English/Spanish version on the market and a wonderful resource for our youngest readers. At retail, the board book in English or Spanish retails for $10.99.

We are thrilled to offer this exclusive, beautiful book to the programs serving kids who otherwise would not have classic children’s books in their lives.

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