First Book

Press Release: HarperCollins Partners with Humble Bundle
August 21, 2014

Today, Humble Bundle teamed up with HarperCollins Publishers to launch the Humble Bookperk Bundle on https://www.humblebundle.com/books . Customers can pay what they want for a collection of digital literary works from bestselling authors, like Neil Gaiman and James Rollins, while helping support select charities.

The Jim Henson Company Partners With Penguin Young Readers Group To Launch "The Dark Crystal" Author Quest
June 18, 2013

The Jim Henson Company and Grosset & Dunlap, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, are reaching out to fans and fantasy writers to enter The Dark Crystal Author Quest, an online contest that will award one winner with a $10,000 contract to write the first book in a new young adult series based on the world of the classic fantasy film. Beginning today, entrants can visit www.darkcrystal.com/authorquest to read contest rules and guidelines and review all the background materials, descriptions, and history needed to create a submission. Entries will be accepted beginning October 1, 2013, and must be received no later than January 1, 2014. The site is a preview of the upcoming official Dark Crystal website, www.darkcrystal.com, that will be the online destination for all things Dark Crystal.

BookRenter Customers Choose Education as Most Important Cause
May 3, 2010

(Press Release) San Mateo, Calif., May 3, 2010—BookRenter, the leading online textbook platform company, today announced that it is joining the fight against youth illiteracy by providing new books to the children who need them most. Starting today, with every rental order placed, BookRenter will fund the donation of new, age-appropriate books for children in need. Also, to enable customers to truly act locally, customers can choose the specific U.S. state where children will receive the books funded by their order.

Hooked on Rapid Growth
August 1, 2007

Hooked on Phonics was created in 1987 as an instructional program to assist school-age children who were struggling with reading skills. Sold primarily through infomercials, the name grew increasingly recognizable as more and more television viewers stumbled upon the advertisements and their memorable “Hooked on Phonics worked for me!” tagline. Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, the company introduced a handful of additional products, including “Hooked on Math,” but still remained true to its original direct-to-consumer sales model. In 2005, Hooked on Phonics, now known as HOP LLC, was acquired by Baltimore-based Educate Inc. (which also owns Sylvan Learning Center) and was

Grandma Knows Best
June 1, 2006

Grandma Janet Mary Sinke has some story to tell. A grandmother of eight (with a ninth on the way) who is battling Parkinson’s Disease—a neurological condition affecting the motor system—she started her own independent publishing company, My Grandma and Me Publishers, in 2003. Despite having no publishing experience to draw upon, Sinke’s books have been recognized for their innovative marketing efforts. Two of her recent works—“Grandma’s Treasure Chest” and “Grandpa’s Fishin’ Friend”—were finalists for the PMA’s (The Independent Book Publishers Association) 2006 Ben Franklin Award for children’s picture book, with the latter title taking home the honor. In addition, she has sold more than