First Book recently had the pleasure of interviewing a local D.C.-area author, Mindy Klasky. Ms. Klasky has written numerous short stories and six fantasy novels, including the award-winning, best-selling The Glasswrights’ Apprentice. Her latest novel, published by Red Dress Ink, is Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft, a lighthearted, fictional tale featuring a love-struck D.C. librarian who […]

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Across the country, 260 First Book Advisory Boards bring our mission right into their home towns. They work hard, they make it happen and in the end there are many happier children who will remember their first book. Since we wouldn’t be successfull without the commitment and dedication of our volunteers, we asked David McMillian, […]

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As many of you who follow children’s literature may know, today, Friday the 13th, marks the end of one of the most successful, gloomy, and hilariously macabre series of books ever written for children. Lemony Snicket’s “Series of Unfortunate Events” finally concludes today with the release of the aptly titled and much anticipated […]

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Last week at the Frankfurt Book Fair, Google unveiled its latest intriguing component: a new Web site that is designed to help literacy organizations contact each other, provides links to reading resources and features video segments. Check it out by visiting Google.com/literacy.

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This post is part of a weekly series of synopses of children’s books, written by First Book staff members.
Satchmo’s Blues, by Alan Schroeder, illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Louis Armstrong grew up in New Orleans listening to jazz at Economy Hall. After seeing a trumpet in the window of a pawn shop, he decided he was […]

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This message is from best-selling author James Patterson.
Five Reasons to Take Advantage of the Few Days Remaining to Nominate for the 2006 PageTurner Awards and Get Somebody $5000, $50,000 or $100,000!
Nominations for the 2006 PageTurner Awards close Monday, October 16, 2006. There are only a few days left to nominate booksellers, teachers, librarians, schools, book […]

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Saturday, October 28, is Make a Difference Day — a national day recognizing volunteerism in America. To celebrate, we are planning a book distribution in New York City in conjunction with the United States Coast Guard and we need your help. From 6 am to 10 am, rain or shine, we need people to carry […]

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Donna O’connor, our wonderful Advisory Board Chair in Kansas City, has high praise for Townsend Press and a donation they made to the First Book National Book Bank. Donna writes:
I planned to write you for some time now to let you know how popular the Bluford High series has been at both of my schools. […]

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First Book recently unveiled its first-ever First Book Marketplace Special Edition. This award-winning book, entitled Playing Loteria/El juego de Loteria, is published by Luna Rising/Rising Moon. A perfect book for many of the programs First Book serves, the bilingual Playing Loteria tells the story of a little boy who visits his grandmother in Mexico. With […]

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Recently, I asked Helen Coffey, Chair Extraordinaire of First Book-South Bay Los Angeles, to tell me about what she’s been up to so I could share it on this Blog. It seems like every week I get an email from her telling me about another organization she has presented to or will be partnering with. […]

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