Posts tagged Michelle Obama

MLK, The Obamas & First Book

Jan17
2012 Rochee Jeffrey Written by Rochee Jeffrey

“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Every year, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day presents us with an opportunity to renew our commitment to serving our communities.

Yesterday, President Obama, Michelle Obama and First Book helped to refurbish a local elementary school library in Washington DC.  Together with a large group of volunteers, they cleaned, painted and organized 600 books donated to the school by First Book.

Credit: MSNBC

First Book was pleased to be a part of the First Family’s Day of Service.

Visit http://www.firstbook.org/get-involved to learn more about how you can serve your community with First Book.

 

 

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The 2010 National Book Festival

Sep20
2010 Written by Becky H.

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend (other than reading a book, of course), then look no further!  This Saturday, September 25th, The Library of Congress and Honorary Chairs, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, will hold the 2010 National Book Festival in Washington D.C.’s National Mall. The Festival, for the 10th year running, will celebrate the joy and magic of reading by bringing together authors, their fans, and book-lovers of any kind.

This year, over 70 authors, including Rosemary Wells, author of Bunny Money (a First Book favorite), and Katherine Paterson, the current  National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and author of the Newbery Medal- winning  Jacob Have I Loved, will attend the event to discuss their work, talk with fans, and sign books.

So come join this tremendous celebration of literature this Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM in the National Mall!

For more information about the 2010 National Book Festival, including a complete list of authors and events, visit http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/.

Posted in Books & Reading, General, Literacy - Tagged , , , , ,

United We Serve: Packing Backpacks with the First Family

Jun30
2009 Chandler Arnold Written by Chandler Arnold

Last Thursday, June 25th, I was lucky enough to join the President, the First Lady, and hundreds of Congressional family members to prepare 15,000 backpacks with books and other items for the children of servicemen and women. With the incredibly generous support of Random House Children’s Books and Disney Publishing Worldwide, First Book was able to donate 30,000 books (two for each backpack!) with a retail value of almost $250,000.

The service event highlighted ‘United We Serve,’ President Obama’s call to all First Book President Kyle Zimmer and President ObamaAmericans to engage in service projects and create meaningful impact in their towns and communities. The ‘United We Serve’ summer service initiative began June 22nd and runs through the National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11th. The initiative is being led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency dedicated to fostering service in communities across the country.

Curious about the books the President and the First Lady helped us pack?  Here’s the list — full of great choices for your own summer reading!

  • Clementine by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Marla Frazee
  • Magic Tree House #28: High Tide in Hawaii by Mary Pope Osborne
  • The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
  • The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
  • Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud
  • Holes by Louis Sachar
Posted in Authors & Illustrators, Books & Reading, First Book Events, Philanthropy - Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

President and Mrs. Obama Read to DC Schoolchildren

Feb04
2009 Written by Joan S.

Since we are all about books and reading at First Book, we couldn’t have been happier to see that the Obamas are all about reading, too.

So many of us know that we should read to our kids 20 minutes a day, but it is nice to see a “should do” remains a “can do” for the First Family.

When we forget the pleasure and fun of reading as an activity we lose a bit of the magic it offers. We applaud the idea that in a busy country of instantly connected networks and technologies with all too often fractured family time, one family took the time to share the simple, timeless joy of reading with kids who now have the best reason to read…even the President is doing it!

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