Posts tagged United We Serve

Odds and Bookends: September 11

Sep11
2009 Written by Nisha T.

Target Volunteers School Library Makeover
Target, First Book and the Heart of America Foundation have teamed up to provide books to children in need across the United States. Target kicked off the project this week on September 10 as part of the United We Serve initiative.

National Library Card Sign-up Month Begins
September is National Library Card Sign-up Month, a month dedicated to encouraging children to take advantage of all the resources their local library has to offer. The American Library Association began this initiative in order to highlight this free service to children and their parents.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week
Don’t forget! This upcoming week is the Second Annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week. The week will last from September 14 through the 18. Blogs are judged based on quality of writing, category originality and diversity of content, visual aesthetic and functionality, as well as audience engagement.

JK Rowling to be featured in her own comic book
World-renowned author, JK Rowling is the subject of a new comic book which is due to come out this December. Bluewater Comics has also published a graphic novel about Twilight author Stephanie Meyer and is expected to choose two more female figures for future publications.

Happy Birthday Jon Scieszka and Jack Prelutsky!
Beloved children’s book authors Jon Scieszka and Jack Prelutsky celebrated their birthdays this past Tuesday September 8. Jon Scieszka is the author of the Trucktown series as well as The Stinky Cheese Man. Jack Prelutsky is known for his book The Frogs Who Wore Red Suspenders and others.

Posted in Books & Reading, Literacy Links and Articles - Tagged , , , , , , ,

Sneaking In A Smarter Summer

Jul29
2009 Written by Mitali C.

Guest blogger Carol Rasco is President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), an organization that motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life.Read for Change

“No more pencils,
no more books!
No more teachers’
crazy looks!”

Are your kids enjoying summer vacation? Great! But don’t toss out those books and pencils — they can be part of “summer fun!” Exercising kids’ brain muscles all summer brings big benefits in the fall. And not exercising them can mean a loss of hard-earned skills. Picking up a book and reading with kids is the best way to sneak a lot of learning into these lazy, hazy days.

As part of President Obama and the First Lady’s United We Serve summer service initiative, RIF has launched Read for Change to provide parents, caregivers and volunteers a visible measure to record time spent reading with young children at home and in their communities over the remainder of this summer.

The site features a minute meter, which will track the time spent reading to children with a goal to reach 3 million minutes by September 11, 2009—the National Day of Service and Remembrance. RIF will then randomly select five participants to receive a children’s book collection and the opportunity to select a school in their community to also receive a book collection.

Posted in Books & Reading - Tagged , ,

Celebrate Education Week with United We Serve

Jul27
2009 Written by Kyle Zimmer

Today marks the beginning of Education Week July 27-31, a highlight of ‘United We Serve,’ President Obama’s call to nationwide community service. This is a challenge to all Americans to engage in sustained, meaningful service because ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things, which is directly aligned with what we do here at First Book.

Kyle Zimmer and President Obama

Kyle Zimmer and President Obama

We have seen first-hand how our friends, volunteers, and the heroic programs reaching kids in need serve tirelessly, year-after-year, educating our children. We know you are already heroes, whether you are working in classrooms directly with children in need or making a simple monetary donation to provide more books for kids who need them. We are deeply thankful for all of you who help elevate educational opportunities for children across the nation.

Three easy ways you can participate in Education Week:

  1. Visit http://www.serve.gov and look for volunteer opportunities in your area.
  2. Visit http://www.serve.gov and post a volunteer opportunity in your community.
  3. Start a “Books for Kids, Books for Keeps” virtual book drive to raise funds to get more books to kids through First Book. READ MORE »
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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,