How to use this Page

2010 was a big year for First Book, and we couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks to our friends, fans, and generous supporters, we have a lot to celebrate.

Here are some of the cool things you helped make possible this past year:

We Reached the Milestone of 80 Million Books
At our annual Book Bash fund-raiser in New York City, we handed a basket of books to Round the Clock Nursery. One of the books in that basket was the 80 millionth book that First Book has distributed to kids in need since our founding in 1992.

We Shared the Stage With World Leaders
Kyle Zimmer, our president and co-founder, spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Kyle discussed the impact and importance of the First Book Marketplace as a leading model for social entrepreneurship.

We Worked in Our Local Communities
Local First Book volunteer groups (known as Advisory Boards) in cities, towns and counties nationwide helped distribute $3 million worth of new books to kids in their communities.

We Teamed Up With ‘Reading is Fundamental’
First Book and Reading is Fundamental (RIF) joined forces to provide 600,000 new books to children in RIF programs across the country.

We Added New Books to Our Marketplace
We added lots of great new titles to our online Marketplace – including authors like Eric Carle, Jeff Kinney, Susan Meddaugh, Mo Willems and many others – so teachers and program leaders have even more choices.

We Got People to See Waiting for “Superman”
First Book was excited to kick off the pledge campaign as a promotional partner for this powerful documentary film.

We Released Special Editions
First Book continued one of our favorite traditions this year, releasing several new special editions, including Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie books and Eileen Spinelli’s ‘While You Are Away’.

We Distributed One Million Books With Target
To celebrate the launch of the ‘Read With Me’ campaign, Target helped us distribute one million new books to schools across the country. When a million people pledge to commit to read with a child, Target will provide another million books.

We Read a Lot of Short Stories
Volunteers from First Book’s local Advisory Boards read nearly 8,000 stories submitted through the Cheerios® New Author Contest in order to pick the top 25. That’s more than twice as many submissions as last year!  (Check back in March to read the winning entry).

We Helped Kids Learn About Science and Math<

First Book/Le Premier Livre will distribute 25,000 new books to children from low-income communities across Canada if 5,000 people pledge to see the award-winning documentary film Waiting For “Superman” when it opens in theatres in Toronto October 1st. Go to www.WaitingForSuperman.com and pledge today to see the film and help get 25,000 new books to children across Canada!

It’s time for the 2010 National Book Festival!

Don’t forget to head to the 10^th annual National Book Festival, this Saturday, September 25^th in Washington D.C.’s National Mall.  From children’s authors to poets, over 70 authors and thousands of book lovers will attend this event in celebration of the joy of reading. For more details about the festival, including a complete list of attending authors, visit http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/.

TIME Magazine’s What Makes a School Great

Waiting for Superman, a new documentary by the Academy Award winning, David Guggenheim, focuses on the future of the American education system, and what you can do to help ensure every child receives a great education.  Check out TIME Magazine’s most recent article “What Makes a School Great,” to learn more about this documentary and its impact.

Meet Your Match Through Your Favorite Book!

While most dating sites connect people through compatible personality traits and shared interests, allikewise.com, an online dating site, has taken a different approach: connecting people through their book tastes! Check it out at http://alikewise.com/.

More Books, Better Readers, Brighter Futures

Children’s Access to Print Materials and Education-Related Outcomes, a recent study commissioned by Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and conducted by Learning Point Associates, found that increased access to print materials drastically improves student’s reading performance and, encourages elementary school students to read more.  To learn more visit: http://www.rif.org/meta.

I’ve been home sick with a horrendous cough and cold this week.  I’ve had to cancel everything for the past three days in an effort to get well.  Needless to say, I got bored very quickly.  However, my boredom has afforded me with an opportunity to learn more about “Waiting for ‘Superman’,” the documentary that’s [...]