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May 22, 2008
Get on Board: Things To Do
Back by Popular Demand: Keep Your ABs in Shape and Earn Additional Borders Gift Cards. Due to the success of last year's contest, First Book is proud to announce this summer's Keep Your ABs in Shape promotion. But don't worry, unlike other stay-in-shape contests this one does not require weigh-ins, the need for soy-based concoctions or easing up on the hot dogs and burgers. No, all we ask is that you and your Advisory Boards remain active during the traditionally slow summer months by continuing to fundraise and grant books.
Borders gift cards will be given to the ABs who award the most dollars in book grants AND to the ABs that raise the most money between June 1 and August 31.
So as your friends and neighbors struggle to stay in shape by eating tofu-flavored ice cream and watching Jack La Lanne videos, all we ask is that you keep your ABs in shape by exercising your fundraising and book granting muscles. Your Community Development representative will be tracking all fundraising and catalog book granting activities during the promotion period and will announce the winners from each region by mid September. For more details please give us a call.
 Donate to First Book Through eBay’s Community Gives. First Book’s campaign with eBay Foundation is in full swing! Now through June 21, donate to First Book through Community Gives and eBay Foundation will give $1 too. First Book is one of only three organizations selected for the campaign, the first of its kind from eBay.
We need your help to succeed. Please share this message with friends, employees, and any other networks that will help get the word out . Visit the ORC to learn more.
Food for Thought: Things to Know
 First Book and KPMG Pilot a New Corporate Initiative. We are thrilled to announce a new collaboration between KPMG and First Book. KPMG, an international firm providing Audit, Tax, and Advisory services to corporate clients, has launched the KPMG Family for Literacy initiative in conjunction with First Book. The collaboration is currently in pilot phase in six communities nationwide.
The goal of this initiative is to promote and improve literacy in select KPMG communities. KPMG associates and their families have been encouraged to get involved with First Book and our mission to support programs serving kids in need. The initial involvement and activities surrounding this exciting new relationship have been remarkable. (Read more)
 First Book University Held at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. An FBU Seminar and Reception took place on Saturday, April 12th at the fabulous museum on the outskirts of Amherst, MA that celebrates picture book art. Inspired and created by Eric Carle, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art provided a great venue for our latest FBU Seminar attracting Advisory Board members from Syracuse University to Fairfield County in Eastern Connecticut
Sherry Longo of KPMG and First Book-Fairfield County (CT) receives her First Book University diploma from Director of Training, Elizabeth Matthews.
(Read more)
 First Book National Book Bank (FBNBB) Update. Thanks to input from Advisory Boards, all First Book National Book Bank applications for distributions will now go live at 2pm EST. We hope that this change will allow more of our Advisory Boards to take advantage of the resources of the FBNBB, regardless of your time zone!
FBNBB is working with our publishing and warehouse partners to bring distributions and millions of new books this summer to locations across the country! Confirmed locations include Oklahoma City, OK, Denver, CO and Tacoma, WA.
The Oklahoma City application is now available at http://www.nationalbookbank.org! Books can be picked up in Oklahoma City on June 12 for free, or shipped to your Advisory Board at a cost of $0.25 per book (with a limit of 2,000 books per Advisory Board). This is a "special distribution," so it will NOT count towards your once-per-year limit of receiving books from the National Book Bank. In other words, ALL Advisory Boards are eligible to apply for the Oklahoma City distribution!
Applications for the Denver, Tacoma, and other distributions will be announced later this summer via e-mail. If your AB is not already registered with the FBNBB, you are encouraged to do so at www.firstbook.org/register Questions? Please e-mail the First Book Help Team at help@firstbook.org!
 The Marketplace is always open for business! Recipient Groups in your community that register with First Book have immediate access to books at deeply discounted prices from the First Book Marketplace’s growing inventory. There are Marketplace titles to meet the needs of all types of programs serving children from low-income families, including many new offerings, Spanish and bilingual titles, board and cloth books for the youngest readers, award winners, and special collections of assorted titles for different age ranges. Great titles for summer reading include, Dear Mr. Henshaw, the E.B. White Collection: Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan, and Monster by Walter Dean Myers. We have also added a number of history titles, including Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad, First to Fly: How Wilbur & Orville Wright Invented the Airplane, and Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone: The Brown V. Board of Education Decision. The average price of a Marketplace title is just $1.85 (50-90% off retail) including shipping and handling .
First Book Attends Parent-Child Home Conference. On May 5th and 6th 2008, First Book staff attended the annual Parent-Child Home Conference in Long Island New York. For over 40 years the Parent-Child Home Program has been bringing its two year early childhood literacy program into the homes of families with 2 and 3 year olds. By facilitating home visits, program coordinators bring a new book or an educational toy each time they visit the family. This program aids in bridging the achievement gap so that program graduates successfully complete school and achieve performance levels equal to their middle income peers. (Read more)
First Book Welcomes Caroline Dixon . Caroline Dixon recently joined First Book as a Manager of Community Development. A native Washingtonian, Caroline has more than 18 years of volunteer management, program development and implementation, community outreach, and event planning experience.
She began her career at the American Forest Foundation (AFF) where she spent 16 years developing her skills in the field of environmental/conservation education. Caroline then spent a brief, but extremely rewarding, time in the voluntary health arena developing transition programs for teens and young adults living with spina bifida. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Hawaii Pacific University.
Caroline, a devoted Redskins fan, currently resides in historic Anacostia located in Southeast, Washington D.C. and is the aunt of the most amazing child ever born -- 19 month old Joshua Andrew. Please join us in welcoming Caroline to the First Book team!
Spotlight of the Month
Spotlight of the Month: First Book-Harlan County, KY. While planning their second annual Speed Read event, First Book-Harlan County, KY developed a unique concept involving local schools. With the support of area principals and reading recovery teachers, Advisory Board members traveled to Harlan County schools and conducted Speed Reads in several classes. Each child was asked to donate 1 penny per word read. After some initial hesitation, the kids embraced this fun idea---many even wanting to read multiple times.
Not only did this concept provide the kids an opportunity to showcase their reading skills, but as a bonus the Advisory Board awarded the class that raised the most money a pizza party paid for by Board member donations. Also, the school with the most donations was presented a trophy designed by First Book-Harlan County board members.
Four schools participated and raised over $1,100.00 --- that's 110,000 pennies. Because most of the children attending these schools are also in First Book-Harlan County, KY's target group, the kids will directly benefit from these Speed Read events.
First Book honors the Harlan County, KY Advisory Board for their creativity and terrific results. Well done!
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