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Supporting First Book is a natural for me. Both my mother and grandmother were school teachers, and I have a degree in elementary education. I realize that despite all the literacy messages out there that tell parents to read to their children, there are a large number of parents who cannot act on that information because they don't have access to books.
I look forward to helping the armies of First Book heroes in every community who are working in homeless shelters, soup kitchens, church basements, and libraries to get books into the hands of the hardest to reach children.
Throughout history, storytelling has been one of the most profound ways for people to communicate. It connects people in a special and unique way. Stories entertain us, comfort us, and allow us to explore cultures and adventures that are very different from our own.
The fact that the Harry Potter books have sparked children's interest in reading is just wonderful. As a national spokesperson for First Book, I've learned that once a child takes a journey into a book, the magical adventure begins. The child often gets hooked on reading and may even bring his or her parents along! Books introduce children to worlds far beyond their front doors.
Through this partnership with First Book and Build-A-Bear Workshop, we are able to give hundreds of thousands of children the wonderful spark of a new book. We also celebrate the efforts of all the volunteers throughout the country who are working to reach those in our communities who need our help.
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