February 22, 2008

Get on Board: Things To Do

Submit Questions to Beverly Cleary for D.E.A.R. D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything And Read and The National Education Association; National PTA; the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association; First Book; Reading Rockets; the General Federation of Women’s Clubs; the Newspaper Association of America Foundation and HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks have collaborated to establish a nationwide initiative encouraging families to designate a special time to “drop everything and read.”

On April 12th, families are asked to take at least 30 minutes to put aside all distractions and enjoy books together. In preparation for the third annual National D.E.A.R. Day, Reading Rockets is collecting questions for beloved Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary and Cleary’s most popular children’s book character, Ramona Quimby, is the program’s official spokesperson. She’ll answer the best and most original questions on April 12 in a new exclusive audio interview.(read more)

Participate in First Book networking. Looking for a way to network with other First Book supporters and recruit new members to your Advisory Board? Well these networking sites are the perfect place to do just that, and First Book has profiles on all of them! These sites allow you to share information with other members and to stay connected with everyone from your friends in the First Book national office to the volunteers in your own community. These sites are also a great way to recruit new members to your Advisory Board! So sign on, join our cause, invite your friends, and continue sharing the magic of reading with children in your community!

Take Action: 2009 Fiscal Year Budget Jeopardizes RIF Funding. The President’s proposed fiscal year 2009 budget eliminates the RIF Book Distribution Program.  Unless Congress reinstates funding for this program, RIF will be unable to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children.

While RIF is hard at work demonstrating to Congress the importance of reinstating their program’s funding, they need the help of all of us who believe in the power of books in the lives of children. We urge all of the First Book community to reach out to their members of Congress to request the reinstatement of RIF funding. Your voice, as a constituent, is the most important resource we have to make sure that Congress protects this critical program.

Please ACT NOW and help RIF build support for reinstating the funding by sending an e-mail to your members of Congress. Ask them to support the reinstatement of RIF’s funding in the coming budget process.We hope you will share this message with family, friends and colleagues who could also contact members of Congress. Thank you in advance for your support!

Food for Thought: Things to Know

A Winner is Named! Cheerios Announces Winner of National Search for the Next Great Children’s Book Author. Thank you to all the Advisory Boards that served as judges in the Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® Children’s Book Contest.

...and the winner is The Great Dog Wash by Shellie Braeuner from Nashville, Tennessee.

Ms. Braeuner’s submission bested nearly 1,000 entries. In addition to a cash prize of $5,000, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing division has agreed to publish The Great Dog Wash which will be available in paperback form inside Cheerios boxes beginning in Spring 2009 and through booksellers in Summer 2009.(read more)

The First Book Marketplace continues to celebrate Black History Month with stories of African-Americans who made a powerful difference in the course of American history. One of numerous outstanding titles we are offering is Moses, an award-winning hardback book about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad that retails for $15.99 but is available from the Marketplace for just $2.25. Additionally, we have added many new Spanish and Bilingual titles and Board Books as well as several all-time staff favorites like Freight Train by Donald Crews, Ten Nine Eight by Molly Bank, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Holes by Louis Sachar. Books from the First Book Marketplace are sold in carton quantities and the average price is just $1.85 per book.

Spotlight of the Month

First Book-Johnson County, Iowa.
Congratulations to First Book-Johnson County, Iowa for hosting a successful Speed Read Challenge on November 30, 2007! The Advisory Board raised over $5,000 and significantly increased awareness about First Book through radio, television, and print coverage in newspapers.

Hosted at an area mall during Literacy Week, the Advisory Board invited 30 local celebrities to compete against one another in a single elimination bracket system arranged to narrow down the speedy readers. Each reader raised donations to support their Speed Read participation. The top fundraiser and fastest reader were awarded grand prizes for their contributions. Adding to their fundraising success, a Kohl’s A-Team volunteered at the event resulting in a $500 donation. Thank you for your amazing efforts and keep up the great work, First Book-Johnson County!