Cheerios, Jon Scieszka and First Book have teamed up to distribute new books to kids in need across the country through the 100,000 Book Giveaway.
From October 2009 through August 2010, visitors to the 100,000 Book Giveaway site helped to select the five states that would each receive 20,000 new books by answering trivia questions featured in this challenge. For every trivia question answered correctly, visitors could cast one vote for a state to receive new books for local children in need.
More than 1,500,000 votes were cast and First Book is delighted to announce the five states that received the most votes! Cheerios and First Book will be sending 20,000 new books to children in need in each of the following states:
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Arizona
- Hawaii
- New York
Congratulations to the winning states and to all those who participated in this year’s 100,000 Book Giveaway!
Although voting has ended, you can still enjoy the trivia questions on the 100,000 Book Giveaway site! The questions come from wonderful children’s books including Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown, other favorites such as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Stuart Little, Goodnight Moon and many others. We hope that you and your loved ones will take a minute to enjoy reading and answering questions from the books featured on the site!
Tags: cheerios
In celebration of the release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth, Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, is donating 26,000 new books to First Book! The children’s book series has introduced many children to the joy of reading and with this donation, First Book hopes to touch the lives of many more.
To spread the word about the book’s release in November, Wimpy Kid fans across the country have the opportunity to enjoy free purple ice treats from during the Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth 2010 Ice-Treat Truck Bookstore Tour.
First Book staff had a blast at the Wimpy Kid Ice-Treat Truck, which made a stop at Politics and Prose in Washington, DC. Wimpy Kid enthusiast gathered around the truck to receive their free purple popsicles and a chance to win a free copy of the latest installment in the series when it releases this November.
One mom present at the Ice-Treat Truck mentioned how fun the Wimpy Kid series is to enjoy with the whole family. Young purple-tongued readers expressed their excitement about reading the next book in the series as they gobbled up their second helpings of purple ice treats.
Make sure you check the schedule for the Summer Reading Ice Treat Truck Tour to see where the truck will be next!
Tags: amulet books·Diary of a Wimpy Kid·Politics and Prose·Wimpy Kid Ice-Treat Truck
Around First Book there is a lot of talk about books. Go figure, right? We talk about the bilingual edition of Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar, Ezra Jack Keat’s Snowy Day, Rosemary Well’s Bunny Money, Curious George, The Cat in the Hat and even what books got us hooked. And while we spend a lot of time discussing children’s books, we rarely talk about, well, what we’re reading. So I set out to find out what books my fellow First Bookers were reading to wrap up the summer. And so now, I present to you (drumroll, please . . . ) the 2010 Summer Reading Superlatives:
Most Read Around the Office
Committed, a Skeptic’s Guide to Marriage, by Elizabeth Gilbert
Yummiest Reads for Foodies
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, by Michael Pollan
My Life in France, by Julia Child [Read more →]
Tags: around the office·staff picks·summer reading·summer reading superlatives
National Book Festival Features Favorite Author Voting.
Book-lovers will be able to select from among the roughly 500 authors who have appeared at the nine previous National Book Festivals, or will appear at this years festival. Using an alphabetical listing or voting from a page that includes each author’s biography and photograph. The top 10 vote-getters will be displayed on the voting page, with daily updates.
Leave a Mark Book Auction
This auction features marked up books, but not just any marked up book. The author of each book went through and made notes in the margin…giving the winner of these books a behind-the-scenes look at the story. Plus the proceeds benefit First Book – You can’t get any better!
Nine States and DC Win Second Round Race to the Top Grants
Along with Phase 1 winners Delaware and Tennessee, 11 states and the District of Columbia have now been awarded money in the Obama Administration’s groundbreaking education reform program that will directly impact 13.6 million students, and 980,000 teachers in 25,000 schools.
Booksellers and Bloggers Team Up for Bookrageous Calendar!
The “bookrageous” concept has been applied to a grassroots fundraising project in which booksellers and other book lovers have posed for a calendar to benefit childhood literacy.
Tags: Bookrageous·First Book·Leave a Mark Auction·National Book Festival·odds and bookends
What do you get when you combine Hanna Montana: Truth of Dare, Ella Enchanted: True Love’s Kiss, Bess the Book Bus, Miss New Jersey, a stellar Advisory Board, and Philadelphia Public Schools? First Book’s most recent Book Distribution in the land of the Liberty Bell: Philadelphia!
Members of First Book-Philadelphia, First Book staff, volunteers, and Miss New Jersey at the Philadelphia Book Distribution.
Since I started at First Book, I have been continually intrigued by the Book Bank. As our clearinghouse for publishers and a resource for free books, the Book Bank is able to cater to programs that, without this resource, would have limited or no access to educational materials for the children they serve. And while I know the ins and outs of the Book Bank, until a few weeks ago, I had never experienced a Book Distribution on the ground. Which is why on Wednesday morning I woke up with books to kids on my brain and ready to see over 85,000 books distributed through the First Book National Book Bank. [Read more →]
Tags: Advisory Boards·Book Bank·Disney Publishing Worldwide·First Book - Philadelphia·Miss New Jersey·Philadelphia
Bess the Book Bus is nearing the end of her second nationwide outreach that will cover 36 states and deliver 27,000 books into the hands of children who otherwise may not have been able to experience the joy of owning their very own book.
Our trip began at the end of April and will end in the middle of September. This leg of the trip has taken us to areas such as Pittsburgh and Camden, NJ, two of the most underserved areas on this trip so far. We partnered with Transitions Lenses and VSP to bring both healthy sight and free books to the Boys and Girls Clubs there. Thanks to the support of Candlewick Press, Townsend Press, and our great friends at First Book, Bess is overflowing [Read more →]
Tags: bess the book bus·Candlewick Press·Department of Education·Townsend Press·Transitions Lenses and VSP
First Book’s national nonprofit partner, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record© day is only 45 days away. This ground breaking campaign brings children and adults together to read the same book, on the same day, in homes and communities all over the world. The campaign also kicks off Jumpstart’s yearlong program, preparing preschool children in low-income neighborhoods for success in school and life.
Countless celebrities including singing sensation, Justin Bieber; actor, Vince Vaughn; Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe winning actress [Read more →]
Tags: First Book Marketplace·Jumpstart·Justin Beiber·Pledge to Read·Read for the Record·The Snowy Day
A Novel Idea offers reviews and recommendations for children’s books as well as literacy tips and suggestions for parents and educators. The blog also highlights various children’s books authors and illustrators.
First Book’s Post Pick: Mystery Friend Friday: Meet Laura Numeroff !
Vocabulogic focuses on spreading word knowledge and linguistic insight. This blog provides neat links to tools and techniques for learning more about the English language.
First Book’s Post Pick: Helping Parents Become Strong Language and Literacy Partners
Books for Boys is a blog dedicated to providing helpful book recommendations for young boys. Blogger and children’s book author Max Elliot Anderson highlights books with topics that will surely motivate even the most stubborn boys to read.
First Book’s Post Pick: Television vs Reading
Raising Readers is a health literacy program based in Maine which provides books to children during well-child visits. Check out these great stories of spreading literacy and fun.
First Book’s Post Pick: Maine Parents – Best in the Nation
Tags: A Novel Idea·Books for Boys·Raising Readers·Vocabulogic
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt pledges $100,000 in children’s books
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has committed $100,000 in new children’s books to school libraries in need if 60,000 people pledge to see Waiting for Superman, a documentary film examining the public education crisis in the US. To make your pledge, visit www.waitingforsuperman.com/pledge.
eBay Giving Works
Shop to support First Book during eBay’s Spotlight on Education—happening August 23rd through August 29th. Sell items on eBay and direct a portion of the proceeds to First Book, or donate to First Book during check out when you buy from eBay.
New Seussville.com launches!
Random House Children’s Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprise have recently launched an all new Seussville.com, the official online home for all things related to Dr. Seuss. Seussville epitomizes Dr. Seuss’s belief in making books and learning fun and creative. The website brings Seuss’s hundreds of characters to life.
Evolution of Language
How did today’s world languages start? Why do people speak differently around the world? This article examines the beginnings of human language and how it evolved from the gestures and songs of our ancestors.
New iPhone app revives classic Choose Your Own Adventure series
U-Ventures is a new application for the iPhone which gets its inspiration from the classic Choose Your Own Adventure series of children’s books which take readers on new adventures based on their choice of plot twists.
Tags: Choose Your Own Adventure·Dr. Seuss·eBay·ebay giving works·Houghton Mifflin Harcourt·iPhone·Seussville·Waiting for Superman
