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This morning at Martha’s Table, an amazing community program serving homeless families in Washington DC, First Book distributed our 100 millionth brand-new book. (Check out this great story on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.)
That’s not a typo. Since the organization was founded in 1992, First Book has provided 100 million brand-new, high-quality children’s books to kids in need throughout the United States.
We couldn’t decide what the actual 100 millionth book should be, so we let the people decide! Over 12,000 votes were cast in our ‘Ten Books Every Child Should Own’ contest.
And the winner?
“Green Eggs & Ham”, by Dr. Seuss!
Click here to see First Book’s 100 millionth book on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer
Kyle Zimmer, First Book’s president and co-founder, presented Chase-Kennedy Williams, age 4, with her very own copy of “Green Eggs & Ham”. Afterwards Kyle read the book to Chase-Kennedy and her classmates, after which they each got their own copy of the book to take home.
Watching Kyle give that book to little Chase-Kennedy was an incredible moment for everyone at First Book. The look on her face is one we’ve seen thousands and thousands of times when kids who have few or no books of their own are given a brand-new, beloved book of their very own, but we never get tired of it.
Martha’s Table has a special place in our hearts here at First Book. Not only is it a terrific program that does an enormous amount of good for children and families in our home town of Washington DC, it’s where First Book was born twenty years ago, when Kyle, then a corporate lawyer volunteering in her spare time, realized that the children she was working with had no books of their own at home. She founded First Book, along with two friends, to ensure that those children, and others, would have access to the books they needed.
A big thank you is due to all the many partners and donors who help make our work possible, along with the heroic educators at programs like Martha’s Table across the country who are on the front lines every day. We couldn’t do it without you!
Okay, celebration’s over. Back to work. 100 million books is a whole lot of books, but there are plenty more kids out there waiting for us.
Want to help distribute the next 100 million books? Click here to get involved.
