"We have a little girl in our program, a pre-school child. She liked her book so much, she slept with it every night under her pillow. She wouldn't part with it for anything!"
What's your favorite book? Do you remember the very first book that was your own, that maybe set you on the path to a lifetime of reading?
Though lots of kids have been Back to School already, the day after Labor Day really feels like the first day of school as we turn the page into September and start thinking about putting the flip flops away.
Many of us have warm fuzzy memories of our first day at school. For me I still love a new box of crayons and keep one on my desk, you never know when coloring will come in handy! The best part of any Back to School day for me though were the new books! I still have so many of the books from my early reading years and I credit them for starting my life long love of reading and collecting books.
There are so many kids,however, that don't have the joy of owning their very own books, a joy that goes such a long way toward creating a Reader.
That is where First Book comes in....First Book's commitment is to ensure that all kids have that special connection with books by giving children from low income families their First Book! Through community based mentoring and family literacy programs First Book has distributed over 85 million books and educational materials and resources to school and groups throughout the U.S. and Canada since the program began in 1992.
With donations from Book sellers and publishers and corporate partnerships , First Book and its National Book Bank reaches children all across the country. In addition the First Book Marketplace sells books and educational materials at great discounts to organizations working with low income children and families.
In an independent Harris poll the results of First Book's model are impressive. The poll surveyed over 2,000 First Book participants and determined that " More than half of the children — 55% — reported having an increased interest in reading. Additionally, the number of young people demonstrating a "high interest in reading" nearly tripled (increasing from 23% to 61%) after receiving books from First Book."
"A teacher told us that when she asked her class to bring in a book from home, three of the students brought in the phone book because that was the only book they had" Kyle Zimmer, First Book
Many of us have warm fuzzy memories of our first day at school. For me I still love a new box of crayons and keep one on my desk, you never know when coloring will come in handy! The best part of any Back to School day for me though were the new books! I still have so many of the books from my early reading years and I credit them for starting my life long love of reading and collecting books.
There are so many kids,however, that don't have the joy of owning their very own books, a joy that goes such a long way toward creating a Reader.
That is where First Book comes in....First Book's commitment is to ensure that all kids have that special connection with books by giving children from low income families their First Book! Through community based mentoring and family literacy programs First Book has distributed over 85 million books and educational materials and resources to school and groups throughout the U.S. and Canada since the program began in 1992.
With donations from Book sellers and publishers and corporate partnerships , First Book and its National Book Bank reaches children all across the country. In addition the First Book Marketplace sells books and educational materials at great discounts to organizations working with low income children and families.
In an independent Harris poll the results of First Book's model are impressive. The poll surveyed over 2,000 First Book participants and determined that " More than half of the children — 55% — reported having an increased interest in reading. Additionally, the number of young people demonstrating a "high interest in reading" nearly tripled (increasing from 23% to 61%) after receiving books from First Book."
Books are a treasure in my life and I cannot imagine my world without them. In celebration of Back to School Visit First Book and help so many children get the gift that opens worlds.
"A young boy and I taught his mother how to read and we all cried for joy together. It couldn't have happened without First Book."
