Guest blogger Dr. Frances Weiler, is the principal of North Bay Elementary School in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
August 29, 2005 changed the world — at least it changed my world. My home, my school, and my community were essentially destroyed. Thousands of homes were swept away by the fury of Hurricane Katrina, and […]

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Ever wonder what community groups do with the Borders gift cards they receive from First Book? The First Book Advisory Board in East Pierce County, Washington recently wrote us a first-hand account of how one of the groups they granted to is putting a Borders gift card to great use.
The Early Childhood Education and […]

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Last month, First Book held a Recipient Group contest which turned out to be a lot of fun! We asked our Recipient Groups to send us funny stories resulting from reading being a part of family and educational life.
It was a tough decision, but we finally decided on three winners to receive some exciting […]

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February 13th was proclaimed First Book Appreciation Day in the City of North Miami, Florida!! Anna W. and I were in town to accept the proclamation and meet with local dignitaries.
Among the actions being recognized was the donating of thousands of books from the First Book National Book Bank and other Partner Promotion books […]

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Wondering where all the books go? Periodically we will profile one of the many organizations that receive books from First Book. We work with community programs that serve children from low-income families.
Group Name: Bess the Book Bus, Inc.
Location: Tampa, Florida
Children Served Annually: 2,000
Description: Bess the Book Bus is focused on spreading […]

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As our faithful readers know, over the last 15 months Borders and its customers raised more than $1.6 million for First Book. All of the funds have gone directly to put new books into children’s hands, especially through the assistance of First Book Advisory Boards, First Book Recipient Groups and Borders stores across the country. […]

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Did you know that January is National Mentoring Month? This month, mentors and mentoring organizations across the country were highlighted for the positive impact that they have on young lives.
The Cincinnati Enquirer featured a story about three generations who were involved in mentoring, in which the successes of “mentee” inspired her to become a mentor […]

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We recently received this email from a Recipient Group in Louisiana:
Hello Friends at First Book,
I just wanted to let you know how important First Book has been to those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
I was the Assistant Director in Plaquemines Parish La. where the eye of Katrina crossed over first. We lost our home and […]

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The First Book National Book Bank recently received this email from one of our recipient groups:
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You provided 4,552 books for the children of Greenwood, Abbeville and McCormick Counties in South Carolina and the children, parents, and teachers loved them! As you might be aware, South Carolina ranks 48 […]

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Anna and I just completed a four day, 750 mile, trip along the Gulf Coast for a series of meetings and events. As our flight left National Airport last week for the 2 ½ hour trip to Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans we were both nervous and excited about what we would find and […]

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