Supporters Like You

When the nation’s report card came out, most of the news was discouraging. Fourth-grade reading scores dropped again, continuing a slide that began years ago. Except in one place.

Mississippi surprised the country by outperforming national averages in fourth-grade reading, despite having the highest poverty rate in the U.S. Headlines called it the “Mississippi Miracle.”

Susan B. would call it something else. Susan is the Reading 2 Succeed Project Manager for the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, and a longtime First Book member. She has spent her career helping children learn to read, and she knows there are no miracles. There are only educators who refuse to give up.

Susan does not start with data. She starts with children.

She remembers a young girl from Russia who spoke no English and cried constantly at school. Unsure what would help, Susan ordered Russian-language books through First Book. When she handed them to the child, everything changed. The tears stopped. Her face lit up. She finally felt seen.

Then there was the child whose mother spoke only Bengali. Conferences relied on Google Translate. Communication was hard. But when bilingual books from First Book went home, something shifted. Families felt welcomed. Learning felt shared.

Every child in Susan’s district chooses books to keep. Family literacy nights end with books going home. Susan has placed Little Free Libraries across the community and created portable libraries for churches and barbershops.

She remembers refilling one library inside a school when a nervous child walked in, spotted an English-Spanish book, and sat right down on the floor to read. When the child asked if the books needed to be returned, Susan smiled. “No,” she said. “They’re yours.”

That is what access looks like in practice. It is also what supporters of First Book make possible. Across the country, First Book equips educators like Susan with brand-new, culturally relevant books so children are not asked to learn without tools.

The Mississippi story is not a miracle. It is proof. Proof that when educators are trusted, supported, and resourced, children rise. And that progress happens one child, one book, and one determined educator at a time.

On a quiet morning at an elementary school in Maryland, Assistant Principal Casey S. sits with a fourth grader who is having a rough day. She does not rush him. She points to a shelf instead.

“You can read,” she says, “or you can build.” He chooses LEGO. His hands move. His breathing slows. The moment passes. This is how Casey changes school for children. One small choice at a time.

Casey is quick to admit she did not love reading as a child. Her parents once paid her to finish a book. She laughs about it now, but she remembers the frustration. That memory shapes everything she does.

After years teaching multiple grades, serving as a Title I interventionist, leading special education teams, earning a doctorate from Johns Hopkins, and teaching future educators, one belief guides her work: Every child deserves a book that feels like it belongs to them.

Casey found First Book after receiving a New York Times Book Desert Wish. It opened the door to high quality, affordable books that reflect her students’ lives. English and Spanish titles. Bilingual Haitian Creole books. Stories about sports heroes, humor, family, and friendship.

One student wore a Lionel Messi jersey almost every day. Casey ordered The Little Golden Book About Lionel Messi in English and Spanish. He read one at school and shared the other at home with his family.

Another student, a Haitian Creole speaker, became the classroom expert when Casey ordered bilingual books for his class. He read aloud in his home language. His confidence filled the room. “These are the moments,” Casey says. “We want them to want to be here.”

Schools like Casey’s are expected to meet growing needs with limited tools and that is why First Book matters. The books in calming corners. The LEGO kits in classrooms. The bilingual titles that connect school to home. These are not extras. They are how belonging is built.

First Book supporters help create those moments every day by providing culturally relevant books, classroom resources, and tools that help children feel calm, capable, and included. And Casey’s story is a reminder that change does not always start with big programs. Sometimes it starts with a child, a choice, and the right book on the shelf.

When Taylor crossed the finish line of the Brooklyn Half-Marathon, she accomplished far more than completing a grueling 13.1 miles. Through her run, Taylor helped place 873 brand-new books into the hands of children who need them most.

A dedicated supporter of First Book, Taylor set an ambitious fundraising goal of $1,800, enough to provide 400 new books to kids in need. But thanks to her determination and the generosity of friends and family, she more than doubled that goal, raising $2,182.85 through a First Book virtual book drive. The result is hundreds of children gaining access to books they may not otherwise have had.

Taylor’s decision to run her first half-marathon was inspired by family. After watching her brother’s girlfriend complete the Brooklyn Half-Marathon the year before, Taylor found herself overwhelmed with emotion at the finish line. Seeing runners of all backgrounds cross the line made her realize that if they could do it, so could she. Though she had been a casual runner before, the experience motivated her to take on a new challenge with purpose.

Choosing First Book as her fundraising partner was deeply personal. Taylor shared that her mother and her mom’s best friend, Shelly, once volunteered at a reading program in a New Haven school. When they visited the school library, they were shocked to find nearly empty shelves. Determined to help, they began collecting books from friends and family across Connecticut to turn the library into a welcoming space for students.

That experience opened Taylor’s eyes to an issue she had never considered before. Like many children, she grew up with access to a fully stocked school library and never questioned whether books would be available. Learning that some communities face extreme shortages, including neighborhoods where there is only one book for every 300 children, was heartbreaking.

“I was sad,” Taylor said. “Then disappointed. How could children be so far from the opportunity to read a book?” As an avid reader herself, Taylor understands the power of books to inspire imagination and provide escape. She hopes the children who receive books through First Book will find joy, comfort, and possibility within their pages.

Taylor is especially passionate about providing brand-new books. To her, something new carries pride and meaning for a child. A book that belongs to them alone can become part of their identity and spark creativity in a lasting way.

Reflecting on the impact of her efforts, Taylor shared that while she initially felt proud to support a nonprofit, she was also humbled by the generosity of those who rallied behind her. “Seeing the number of books is great,” she said, “but thinking about making 873 children smile is better than anything.”

Volunteerism and a love of reading have always been part of Taylor’s life. Raised in a family that valued giving back, she remembers her parents reading to her and her brother often. Her grandfather had a simple rule: he did not care what they read, as long as they read something.

Through her half-marathon and fundraising drive, Taylor turned that lifelong lesson into action. Her story is a powerful reminder that one person’s commitment can open the door to learning for hundreds of children.

To help put brand-new books into the hands of kids in need like Taylor did, visit firstbook.org and start your own virtual book drive today.