Debbi Michiko Florence: Creating the Drumming Mochi Queen, Jasmine Toguchi
Debbi Michiko Florence, the author who brought us eight-year-old mochi-loving, flamingo-focused Jasmine Toguchi, was about eight years old herself before she realized eating a side of rice with a plate...
View Article“We Need to Help Our Kids.” Laura Geringer Bass on The Girl With More Than...
Laura Geringer Bass, author of The Girl With More Than One Heart, and Saradine Nazaire, whom she mentors through Girls Write Now. First Book talked to author Laura Geringer Bass about her latest book,...
View ArticleI AM LITTLE RED: Teaching Kids About Child Trafficking
Wolves can come in all shapes and sizes. Do I have your attention now? Mary Mazzio with Ricky Martin. Mazzio and her team received the Ricky Martin Foundation’s Tau Humanitarian Award for I AM LITTLE...
View ArticleI Pledge Allegiance
This blog was originally posted on June 20, 2014. It has been updated with new outbound links. Today’s guest blog post is by Libby Martinez, co-author of the children’s book I Pledge Allegiance, on...
View ArticleRedefining Youthful Rebellion: YA Authors on Social Justice
“I think young people have something to say, and I think that they do the best they can to say it and sometimes the language isn’t there, but we as adults have an obligation and a responsibility to...
View ArticleTelling Our Stories: Author Laura Geringer Bass & the #BeYourOwn Writing...
Everyone has a story to tell. Often, we need a little encouragement to listen to the voice inside our heads and hearts that tells us, “Be your own!” We are so proud to work with author Laura Geringer...
View ArticleLIGHTS ALIVE! Why Telling Your Story Matters
Guest post by author Laura Geringer Bass. There is a scene in my new middle grade novel, The Girl with More than One Heart, that is based on a real life parent conference I had once with my son’s...
View ArticleQ&A with Mary Louise Sanchez, author of “The Wind Called My Name”
Today we wish a happy “book birthday” to The Wind Called My Name – a middle-grade historical fiction novel about a young Latina girl & her family settling in Wyoming during The Great Depression. We...
View ArticleQ and A with Gaia Cornwall, author of ‘Jabari Jumps’
Gaia Cornwall is an illustrator and children’s book author, best known for her book “Jabari Jumps.” We asked her about her creative process, what it’s like to read her book with children, and her tips...
View ArticleBuilding Inclusive Classrooms with YASMIN en Español
Today’s blog post is written by guest blogger Saadia Faruqi, author of the YASMIN series of early reader titles. As a Pakistani American immigrant with a love of English literature, I’ve always found...
View ArticleAre you an Elephant or a Piggie? A Conversation with Mo Willems On...
Friendiversary is all about appreciating your friends, old and new, and remembering the good times you’ve had together. For First Book, one of our oldest and best author friends is Mo Willems,...
View ArticleA Special ‘Thank You’ from Author Marissa Meyer
Teachers prepare each and every one of us for the road ahead in life — impacting our lives in a way that goes beyond the classroom. Our friend, Author Marissa Meyer — the brains behind The Lunar...
View ArticleFive Questions with Hena Khan
Happy book birthday to Hena Khan’s new book Amina’s Song, published today (March 9, 2021)! This past January, as a part of our activities for National Day of Service, Khan did a live reading of Amina’s...
View ArticlePat Mora on Bookjoy
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Children’s Day, Book Day on April 30 — the kickoff of a year-long commitment to celebrate reading! First Book is excited to celebrate with author, Pat Mora, to...
View ArticleCelebrating Mo and Cher Willems
Every May, the First Book family celebrates the Month of Mo and all the amazing stories that Mo Willems has brought to our network educators and their students. We celebrate with giveaways, Marketplace...
View ArticleClassroom Discussions: The 9/11 Aftermath for People of Color
Guest blog post written by Saadia Faruqi, a Pakistani American author, essayist, and interfaith activist. She writes the children’s early reader series “Yasmin” and other books for children. It’s been...
View ArticleCelebrating the Written Word with Ruth Chan
Ruth Chan is the author and illustrator of many books for young children, several of which are featured on First Book’s Marketplace. We sat down to chat with Ruth, a First Book favorite author, to...
View ArticleMaking Tamales with Author, Jennifer Torres
Guest blog post written by Jennifer Torres, an award-winning author who writes stories about home, friendship, and unexpected courage inspired by her Mexican-American heritage. One of my favorite parts...
View ArticleMeet Cece Bell – First Book Friend, Author & AppleTV Superstar
On January 7, the First Book family celebrated the El Deafo premiere on AppleTV, written and illustrated by long-time friend, donor, and author Cece Bell. Truly a wonderful human being and supporter of...
View ArticleHow Books Shape Our Dialogue Around Diversity & Race
In 2021, the Children’s Cooperative Book Center reviewed 3,357 books and found that only 9.3% were written by Black authors and 13.3% featured Black characters. While the statistics are staggering, the...
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