During the past year, three “Write for a Cause” campaigns have funded more than 40,000 books for kids who need them most. A big thank you goes out to the Demand Media Studios team for being a committed partner in our battle against illiteracy!

To promote awareness and highlight the importance of literacy, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed September 8^th International Literacy Day.  First celebrated in 1967, International Literacy Day is intended to remind the international community of the status of literacy and adult global learning.

For the 2010 celebration, UNESCO is emphasizing Women’s Literacy.  UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova commented, “When a woman is literate she can make choices to dramatically change her life for the better.” Acquiring literacy skills, however, empowers women with a sense of self confidence, give them more control in the household and the ability to operate in wide political life. “Literacy is a first step towards personal freedom and broad prosperity.  When women are literate it is all society that gains,” Bokova proclaims.  Further, she asks all people to scale up their dedication to women’s literacy.

First Book joins UNESCO in celebrating International Literacy Day.  May we all do our best to continue providing people everywhere with access to high-quality books and educational opportunities.

To find out more about International Literacy Day, visit UNESCO at www.unesco.org and the International Reading Association at
www.reading.org.

¡Nos vamos a México! (Off We Go to Mexico!)
By Laurie Krebs and Christopher Corr

Very Hungry Caterpillar / La oruga muy hambrienta (bilingual board book)
By Eric Carle

Lady Of Palenque: Flower of Bacal, Mesoamerica, A.D. 749 (The Royal Diaries series) By Anna Kirwan

Pedro’s Journal
By Pam Conrad and Peter Koeppen

Número Uno

By Alex Dorros, Arthur Dorros and Susan Guevar

Order all of these books and more on the First Book Marketplace at www.fbmarketplace.org.  Order by Tuesday, September 7^th and books will ship the following Wednesday.

First Book’s Post Pick: 5 Vintage Children’s Books for the First Day of School

Latina Lista.net is the blog of Marisa Trevino, syndicated journalist and local public radio commentator writing about family, education and other social justice issues for over a decade. Dedicated Latina, playwright, and citizen.

First Book’s Post Pick: Latina Lista wants to help libraries in underserved communities get free books.

Choice Literacy is dedicated to providing innovative, high-quality resources for k-12 literacy leaders. Founded in 2006, the website has grown to include over 700 professionally produced and edited video and print features from top educators in the field.

First Book’s Post Pick: Creative Literacy Events for Families.

Corpus Libris. An Ongoing Photo Essay on Books and the Bodies that love them.

First Book’s Post Pick: All of it!

Movable, pop-up, folding, and multiple-construction books from the year 1570 to the present day comprise this Smithsonian Institution Libraries’ exhibition highlighting innovative book design, which is on display in the Smithsonian Libraries Exhibition Gallery, National Museum of American History, First floor west, through September 1, 2011.

“Mockingjay” Tops All National Bestsellers Lists; Scholastic Goes Back for Second Printing

Mockingjay, the third and final book in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy, has debuted at #1 on both the USA Today and The New York Times bestseller lists. In just its first week on sale in the U.S., Mockingjay has sold more than 450,000 copies in hardcover and eBook format — prompting Scholastic to print an additional 400,000 copies. That brings the total copies of Mockingjay in print in the U.S. to 1.6 million since the book’s release on August 24th.

Coming to a Book Near You: Awful and Awesome Book Trailers.

In a world where movie adaptations corrupt the imagination (picture Harry Potter, not Daniel Radcliffe), book trailers — videos for would-be bestsellers — were inevitable. Is this bad? Good? Silly? Thoughts…

Actress Maria Menounos And Nestlé Help Kick Of National Literacy Month

Nestlé announced the new charitable initiative, “The Nestlé Share the Joy of Reading Program,” which will donate up to $250,000 to Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit children’s literacy organization. The program will end in December of 2011. For more details, head to www.celebrationcorner.com/RIF

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!

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!

“The mission of The Shyann Kindness Project is to pass on kindness by providing fun and needed items to children in stressful situations, while inspiring the performance of random acts of kindness and acceptance of others.” The Shyann Kindness Project has served over 8,000 children since April 2006, and is comprised of three programs: the Kindness Gift-Giving Program, Shyann’s Helping Hands, and Shyann’s Mentors Program. Kindness Gift Giving Events occur twice a month at venues such as hospital emergency rooms and clinics, homeless feeding programs, shelters for women and children, and after-school programs in low-income areas. During Kindness Gift-Giving Events, volunteers distribute Kindness Gift Packages to children that consist of toys, crafts, stuffed animals, and brand new books provided by First Book after an interactive talk about the importance of kindness and acceptance of all people.

How long have you been a First Book Recipient Group?

Since March 2009.

How many children do you serve and what are their age ranges?

We have served over 8,000 children, ranging from newborns to 18 year old young adults, since April 2006.

How many books have you received from First Book since you registered?

Over 400 books.

Tell us about a recent event you have held to promote reading.

On April 21, the K-5th graders at Los Amigos Elementary School paid close attention as the story, Gorp’s Dream, a book focusing on kindness and acceptance of others, was read to them.  The children shared a lot of different kindness ideas during the interactive discussion and were very happy with everything they received as our way of passing on kindness to them.  Our volunteers received many thank you hugs from the grateful children.

Quotes from students, teachers, parents:

“Now I have books to do my book reports!” – Boy attending event

“Parents feel encouraged to take their children to the library when they see how much they enjoy reading the books they’ve received at our events.” – Sandy Rosati, Executive Director

“Bilingual books received from First Book have helped children who are learning English, as well as given parents the ability to read to their children.”

“We have children tell us they are choosing a book for one of their siblings or a cousin. It makes them very happy to share what they’ve received.”

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

A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines, by Anthony Bourdain

Most Likely to Have Been Read in a High School English Class

Native Son, by Richard Wright

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

1984, by George Orwell

A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole

Best Reads for Sport-Lovers (and Football Season)

The Hurricanes: One High School Team’s Homecoming After Katrina, by Jere Longman

Best Books to Exercise Your Brain

Blink, by Malcom Gladwell

Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism That Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs, by Muhammad Yunus

Pink Brain, Blue Brain, by Dr. Lise Eliot

Best Reads for the Worldly Kind

Half the Sky, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

The Temple of My Familiar, by Alice Walker

The White Night of St. Petersburg, by Prince Michael of Greece

Most Likely to be Read for Professional Development

The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World, by John Elkington

Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh

Best Books to Pair with a Major Motion Picture

Lovely Bones, by Alice Seabold

Up in the Air, by Walter Kirn

So that’s it! We hope this list will help you avoid that sinking feeling when you finish an amazing book and then wonder “What In the world will I read next?  So head to your bookstore or library and dive into one of these First Book Staff recommended books today!

And if you care to share what you are reading, post a comment below . . .  we’d love to hear about it!