First Book

Humble Bundle Surpasses $250 Million Raised for Charitable Causes Around the Globe

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 8, 2024

Key Points: 
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240208593644/en/
    Humble Bundle has raised more than $250 million since its inception in 2010 to help out charities around the globe, furthering its mission to be a force for good.
  • (Graphic: Business Wire)
    Founded in 2010 by Jeff Rosen and John Graham, a couple of gamers seeking a new way to raise money for various charities, Humble Bundle pioneered the game bundle-for-charity model.
  • Since then, the company has expanded its offerings and grown its focus on doing good, integrating it into every aspect of its business and operation.
  • Taking on Global Warming: Humble raised more than $1 million last year for charities committed to addressing some of the biggest contributors to climate change.

Michael Sampson Books Acquires Children’s Book by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Laura Numeroff, Releasing Mother’s Day 2025

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Publishers Weekly announced that Michael Sampson Books will be publishing a new children’s picture book by Laura Numeroff, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Key Points: 
  • Publishers Weekly announced that Michael Sampson Books will be publishing a new children’s picture book by Laura Numeroff, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
  • Numeroff’s new book, Max and Mama, will be illustrated by Masha Sudovykh who, like Numeroff, is an avid animal lover.
  • Max and Mama is a mother-son story that follows two corgis through a day of spending quality time together — set to release Spring 2025.
  • Michael Sampson, Publisher of Michael Sampson Books, was immediately drawn to Numeroff’s manuscript.

BUILD-A-BEAR GIVES BOOKS AND BEARS

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 28, 2023

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Build-A-Bear Foundation, the 501(c)3 charitable arm of Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW), continues its mission to add a little more heart to life by sharing hugs, inspiring creativity, and helping children and families in need. With expanded partnerships and a promise to donate one million books and 100,000 bears through First Book by 2027, the organization has further established its focus on children's literacy as a core pillar of its charitable work.

Key Points: 
  • With expanded partnerships and a promise to donate one million books and 100,000 bears through First Book by 2027, the organization has further established its focus on children's literacy as a core pillar of its charitable work.
  • Since the kickoff of our most recent partnership in 2022, Build-A-Bear Foundation has donated 225,000 books through First Book over the last two years.
  • The two organizations committed to reach even more children and agreed to distribute one million books to kids who need them most over the next five years together.
  • "We are thrilled to share the joy of literacy through the donations of books and bears to children across the globe," said Chris Hurt, President of Build-A-Bear Foundation.

First Book, General Motors, and Blue Star Families partner to distribute 35,000 STEM books to military families and local educators

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 9, 2023

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 11, in partnership with Blue Star Families, First Book and General Motors are hosting a Veteran's Day STEM Book Family Festival to distribute 35,000 diverse STEM books to local Title I educators, military families, and community members. More than 300 guests from the First Book Network, the families they serve, and members of the National Capital and Baltimore chapters of Blue Star Families are gathering at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. for a day of family activities and free STEM book giveaways.

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 11, in partnership with Blue Star Families, First Book and General Motors are hosting a Veteran's Day STEM Book Family Festival to distribute 35,000 diverse STEM books to local Title I educators, military families, and community members.
  • "We are thrilled to collaborate with GM and Blue Star Families to inspire the next generation of STEM innovators through a love of reading."
  • Blue Star Families, the leading network of military families supporting more than 275,000 members across the globe, has been a vital partner in distributing books and supporting the healthy development of children in military families.
  • "Blue Star Books was one of Blue Star Families' first programs because we understood that harnessing the power of reading high-quality books was an easy and evidence-based way to support military families," said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Star Families.

KENDRA SCOTT FOUNDATION LAUNCHES "LITTLE YELLOW LIBRARY" LITERACY PROGRAM

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 2, 2023

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kendra Scott Foundation, in partnership with First Book, today unveiled its inaugural Little Yellow Library at PS 108 in Brooklyn, New York.

Key Points: 
  • Little Yellow Library is the latest program from the Kendra Scott Foundation, which supports low-income Title I schools by providing access to books through First Book for classrooms and libraries that need them most.
  • In launching Little Yellow Libraries, the Kendra Scott Foundation will help enrich the lives of youth through education, ultimately helping children thrive in school.
  • Education serves as one of the foundation's primary philanthropic programs; Kendra Scott Foundation works to uplift educators, underserved students, and families through scholarships, literacy and learning, and library enrichment.
  • "At Kendra Scott, philanthropy comes first – it's a key pillar of our core values," explains Kendra Scott, Founder, Executive Chairwoman and Chief Creative Officer of the namesake brand.

National Nonprofit Driving Educational Equity with Virtual WGT by Topgolf Tournament

Retrieved on: 
Friday, October 13, 2023

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In partnership with Topgolf and World Golf Tour (WGT), First Book is launching the inaugural First Book Open virtual golf tournament. The interactive, online charity event offers a fun, innovative way to support First Book's long history of transforming the lives of educators in under-resources communities.

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In partnership with Topgolf and World Golf Tour (WGT), First Book is launching the inaugural First Book Open virtual golf tournament.
  • Details on how to donate and participate in the month-long tournament will also be provided.
  • The live stream event is followed by 30 days of virtual golf that unites the collective strength of purpose-driven collaboration to support kids in need and eliminate barriers to educational equity.
  • With 800,000 users monthly, WGT offers a platform to not only entertain, but catalyze collective impact in an exciting new way.

New First Book Study Tackles National Issue of Banned Books

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 3, 2023

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new study released by First Book Research & Insights, educators report that the national conversation around book challenges and bans is negatively impacting their classrooms, profession, and student learning. More than 1,500 educators serving children in under-resourced communities responded to the First Book survey to reveal educator perceptions on book restrictions in their school districts, and their impact on student learning.

Key Points: 
  • Through this study, educators discussed the destructive impact that book bans are having on teacher morale.
  • The study revealed that book bans have a chilling effect whether or not teachers are facing book bans in their districts.
  • The recent Diverse Books Impact Study report, which was released in September, highlights the positive impacts of diverse books in classroom libraries.
  • "Educators have expressed their wealth of knowledge and expertise through First Book's research on both the impact of diverse books and book banning," says Zimmer.

National coalition announces commitment at Clinton Global Initiative 2023 Meeting to distribute 600,000 diverse children's books

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 19, 2023

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2023 meeting today, the Diverse Books for All Coalition presented an urgent plan designed to ensure that our increasingly diverse population of children have access to books in which they can see themselves, their families and communities. Through its Commitment to Action, the Coalition will aggregate its collective market power to purchase and distribute 600,000 new, high-quality, affordable children's books by and about diverse cultures, races, identities, and abilities over the next 18 months. The Coalition represents more than 40 nonprofits and member organizations supporting millions of children from low-resource communities.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2023 meeting today, the Diverse Books for All Coalition presented an urgent plan designed to ensure that our increasingly diverse population of children have access to books in which they can see themselves, their families and communities.
  • Of the 600,000 books, the Coalition has already initiated the purchase and distribution of 130,000 diverse books through four selected publishers – Abrams, Barefoot Books, Candlewick, and Penguin Random House.
  • To learn more about the work and goals of the Diverse Books for All Coalition, or to donate to support their work, go here .
  • First Book's full report on the impact of diverse books is available to download here .

Kraft Heinz’s Beloved Kids’ Brands Enter the Book Business with New FUNdamental Textbooks

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 6, 2023

On a mission to make education fun and engaging, Kraft Heinz’s most beloved kids’ brands are getting into the book business with the launch of the new FUNdamental Textbooks.

Key Points: 
  • On a mission to make education fun and engaging, Kraft Heinz’s most beloved kids’ brands are getting into the book business with the launch of the new FUNdamental Textbooks.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230906434731/en/
    Kraft Heinz’s Beloved Kids’ Brands Enter the Book Business with New FUNdamental Textbooks (Graphic: Business Wire)
    Each book delivers an engaging ‘lesson’ on Jiggleometry (Jell-O), Nibbleomics (Kraft Mac & Cheese), Slurpstory (Capri Sun) and Stackonomy (Lunchables), while providing a delicious surprise snack via hollowed out pages featuring brands kids know and love.
  • In addition, Kraft Heinz is making a one-time donation of $50,000 to First Book.
  • Online survey commissioned by Kraft Heinz consisting of 1,033 U.S. parents of kids ages 6-12, August 2023.

Leading education organizations launch Reading Universe prototype to help teachers build a nation of confident readers

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 25, 2023

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WETA, the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book have launched a prototype of Reading Universe, an online, step-by-step professional development pathway for teachers, paraprofessionals, and reading coaches to learn more about evidence-based reading instruction — and then translate it into classroom practice that will complement any curriculum. Just in time to support educators' preparations for the new school year, the site features an interactive taxonomy of reading skills, lesson plans, in-classroom videos, printable activities, and decodable texts – all for free.

Key Points: 
  • Reading Universe distills 50 years of education research in order to strengthen literacy skills across the country.
  • "Reading Universe's innovative framework delivers on an age-old promise of quality education for all," said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book.
  • "WETA is proud to bring Reading Universe to educators across the country," said Sharon Percy Rockefeller, president and CEO of WETA.
  • To learn more about Reading Universe and begin accessing the latest best practices and insights for teaching reading and writing, visit ReadingUniverse.org.