First Book

First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 200 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. By making new, high-quality books and educational resources available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. The First Book network the largest and fastest growing network of educators exclusively serving children in need, which recently surpassed more than 475,000 members, or one in three of the estimated 1.3 million classrooms and programs in the U.S. serving children in low-income communities. Founded in 1992, First Book furthers educational equity by amplifying the voice of these under-resourced educators and providing them with access to an ongoing supply of high quality, relevant books and educational resources for free or at low cost.Insights from First Book’s network helps drive the content, formats and types of educational resources that the organization secures. For example, in a First Book survey, 90 percent of respondents indicated that children in their programs would be more enthusiastic readers if they had access to books with characters, stories and images that reflect their lives and their neighborhoods. In response, First Book launched its groundbreaking Stories for All ProjectTM, a market-driven initiative bringing thousands of diverse books featuring different cultures, ethnicities, languages, family structures, abilities and experiences to the First Book Marketplace and mainstream retail locations.Eligible educators, librarians, and program leaders serving children in need can sign up at firstbook.org/register. For more information on First Book’s work, see First Book’s Impact Report, visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.