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Posts in the Books & Reading Category
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From the Mailbag: Winnie-the-Pooh Comes to Belarus!
July 3rd, 2008
Jen W.
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As frequent readers of this blog know, First Book receives all kinds of interesting notes and letters in our mailbag. (Actually, it’s more of a “virtual” mailbag, since a large majority of our correspondence comes in the form of email…but I digress.)This week, we received an interesting note from translator Vital Voranau, who is collaborating with a publisher in Belarus to make A.A. Milne’s beloved “Winnie-the-Pooh” available in print to Belarusian children for the first time ever!
For more information about Mr. Vornau’s translation of the adventures of our favorite “silly old bear” and how you can help share the joy of reading with children, check out the book’s site at http://www.vinia-pych.com.
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A cat with wings?
July 2nd, 2008
Katie B.
Leave a Comment »At First Book, sometimes we get notes from kids that pull at our heartstrings, while at other times, we get notes that are simply hilarious. The following message from Roneiqua falls into the latter category (and even includes a very life-like drawing!). Enjoy!
“The name of my book is CatWings. I enjoy my book, because I like cats and they are harmless. Thank you very much.” - Roneiqua
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Proud to Be An American Reader
July 1st, 2008
Rachael Walker
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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 literacy outreach 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.Every Fourth of July I think about Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, and his often quoted words, “I cannot live without books.” That our own democracy has grown and flourished owes much to Mr. Jefferson and his Declaration, but also to the rise of the printed word.
Independence Day is a great time to share books with children. Reading Rockets has a Celebrate America list of recommended reading for children ages 0-9. Use this list to throw together a book-nic to go along with your Fourth of July barbeque and read about real and legendary American heroes and heroines, revisit classic American songs, and follow the adventures of travelers across the United States while you wait for the fireworks.
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Last Day to Donate to First Book through Community Gives
June 30th, 2008
Diane N.
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For the last few weeks I have been writing to you about First Book’s partnership with eBay Foundation and the Community Gives campaign.
Last Thursday, I was given the chance to see the first ripples of our powerful partnership’s impact when we delivered the first of 333,000 new books that will be distributed this year to First Book children nationwide in celebration of First Book and eBay Foundation’s ambitious goal: to identify, connect and serve 50,000 of the most under resourced programs nationwide with access to an ongoing supply of new books.
On Thursday morning eBay employees and eBay community members came together to read to First Book children in bicoastal reading parties — one held near eBay’s headquarters at Dorsa Elementary School in San Jose, CA; the other near First Book headquarters at Anthony Bowen YMCA in Washington, DC.
I have shared a few photos from the event below. Please take look!
Today marks the last day of the campaign, which closes at midnight tonight. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of so many of you, we have nearly reached our goal.
For those who have not yet donated, I hope you’ll take a moment to do so now. This is your last chance to have your gift to First Book matched by any extra dollar from the eBay Foundation.
Please donate now at www.communitygives.org.
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An Intern’s Perspective
June 26th, 2008
Madison L.
Leave a Comment »On my third day of navigating around the sometimes-overwhelming city of Washington D.C., I began my summer internship at First Book. Having heard nothing but positive remarks about the organization and its mission, I enter the office excited and curious to begin my experience here.
I am working within the Community Development department and my responsibilities up to this point have included helping to organize grant applications, updating Advisory Board databases, compiling packets for graduates of Campus Advisory Boards, various research projects, and revamping the First Book item order form. I have also been given the opportunity to apply some of my previous experience and help enhance First Book’s presence in the online community through YouTube videos and other marketing techniques. I appreciate the sincere and welcoming response I have been given, the opportunity to work on substantial projects, and not to mention, there is never a boring moment with James as my supervisor and “mentor”.
Advisory Board Spotlight: Heather Winsby, First Book- St. Louis
June 23rd, 2008
Anna W.
Leave a Comment »First Book is proud to congratulate Heather Winsby, chair of First Book-St. Louis, in her recent honor of receiving the Junior League’s Drue Lane Webster Volunteer Service Award for outstanding volunteer service in the community.
Junior League St. Louis established the award in response to a contribution given by the honorable William H. Webster in memory of his wife, Drue. Since 1985, 37 women have been honored because they exemplify Drue’s selfless style of volunteerism and service to the community and the Junior League. After ten years of chairing First Book-St. Louis and overseeing the distribution of more than 70,000 new books to local programs, it is no wonder that Heather Winsby was chosen as this year’s recipient.
Community Development representative Anna Williamson was there to receive the $500 donation on behalf of First Book-St. Louis and share First Book’s excitement on this award. Congratulations, Heather!
Summertime: A Season for Readers of All Abilities
June 17th, 2008
Dale Brown
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Guest Blogger Dale Brown is the Manager of LD OnLine, a website designed to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities. LD OnLine features expert advice on learning disabilities and ADHD and a library of research-based information on learning disabilities. Dale is also a well-known author in the learning disability world and her work includes Steps to Independence for People with Learning Disabilities and Job Hunting for the So-Called Handicapped as well as hundreds of articles. Like most writers, I love reading. I am blogging from the home of my niece and nephew, Jessica and Jason, who are fellow book lovers. Jessica told me that she goes to the library almost every day. I shared with her my childhood memory of going to the library and coming home with twelve books or more–and having a hard time carrying them all!
The summer is a great time to enjoy your children and expose them to reading. I thought I would share some ideas with you about encouraging reading this summer with some particular emphasis on supporting children who have a hard time in the classroom during the school year.
- Take the time to learn about learning disabilities. A good place to start is LD Basics and Questions + Answers. The more parents and teachers know, the more children succeed and grow. Read about dyslexia (reading problems), dysgraphia (writing problems), dyscalculia (math problems) and ADHD. Review the signs, the symptoms and how to help. (more…)
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The Perfect Distribution
June 16th, 2008
Cris B.
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As our team of four walked into the Thompson School Book Depository warehouse in Oklahoma City on a windy Wednesday morning, we were amazed to see that all of our 230,000 books, 5500 boxes, and 120 pallets had been so thoughtfully organized by title by the warehouse staff. This small, yet incredibly considerate gesture saved us hours of work, making the distribution run much more smoothly. Additionally, not only were we given plenty of room to work in and a nice, cool breeze from outside (despite the 90 degree heat), to our astonishment we were also provided with our own personal forklift driver, Rito, who was always one step ahead of us. By the end of the first day and with the help from our small team of volunteers we were delighted to have labeled and shipped almost half of the books.
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Just One More Book
June 13th, 2008
Erin T.
Leave a Comment »As you can imagine, here at First Book we are very enthusiastic about reading and children’s literature. If there was ever a group of people who pleaded for an extra story at bedtime as children- it was probably us!
That is why I was excited when I recently learned of a fun children’s book podcast called Just One More Book! Three times a week a podcast is created from the creators’ favorite coffee shop. In their words, “Each weekday morning, we take a few minutes out of our morning coffee ritual to discuss one of our many favourite children’s books. We also feature weekly interviews with authors, illustrators and experts and enthusiasts in the areas of children’s literature and literacy as well as listener-submitted book reviews.”
Their podcasts vary from 5 to 25 minutes, and can be viewed on the website or downloaded onto an mp3. It is very convenient for the busy children’s book enthusiast!
Lights Out!
June 13th, 2008
Erin T.
Leave a Comment »Growing up in the rural Midwest, there are aspects of city living that I am still not quite used to. Take this morning for example. I walked the short distance to my usual metro station, and rushed to catch a train that was already sitting at the track. I entered, excited to see that there were plenty of seats available, and started to read a book. The train ride was slow, with extended stops at each station, but these things happen, especially in the summer heat. They kept announcing something about a fire at Metro Center (my destination), and some electrical issues, but at least we were moving forward. The usual 20 minute trip took 45 minutes, but the train wasn’t too crowded and I managed to finish my book. Not ideal, but it could have been worse.
As soon as I exited the station, I noticed something was amiss. The coffee shop was dark and people were congregating outside offices and stores. I carefully crossed the street, since there were no traffic signals, and joined a small group of First Book employees. It was 8:45 a.m.
Here is the thing about power outages in the city. Elevators run on electricity. So does the air conditioning that regulates these towers of concrete. And, even if you do climb the 10 floors to your office, you still won’t have the lights, computer, phones, fax, copier or coffee machine that enables your work.
