Former pro tennis player Serena Williams’ The Adventures of Qai Qai is a story about a young girl who learns self-confidence with the help of her doll, Qai Qai. Inspired by her own daughter and her doll, this story is a great representation of how important it is to believe in yourself.
Kristen Chenoweth is an actress and singer best known for being the original Glinda in the Broadway musical Wicked. All about love and adoption, What Will I Do With My Love Today? shows young readers that everyone has so much love and kindness within them.
Actor Channing Tatum writes a book inspired by his daughter. It’s Sparkella’s first day of school—but it doesn’t go to plan. At its core, The One and Only Sparkella Makes a Plan reminds young readers that it’s alright to be yourself, regardless of what other people have to say.
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Kevin Jonas, a member of the band Jonas Brothers, and his wife, Danielle, write a story about a little girl who loves music and faces stage fright. There’s A Rock Concert in My Bedroom promotes confidence.
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Singer Kelly Clarkson rose to fame when she won the first season of American Idol. River Rose and the Magical Lullaby is a story of River Rose’s dream adventures, and the lullaby featured in the book has been sung and recorded by Kelly Clarkson! There is also now a Christmas sequel called River Rose and the Magical Christmas, illustrated by Lucy Fleming.
Check out both the lullaby (first icon) and the Read Aloud (second icon) below!
Actress Lupita Nyong’o’s Sulwe introduces readers to the nuances of the idea of colorism and explores concepts of self-esteem and beauty in a way that is accessible to young children.
Former President of the United States, Barack Obama, writes Of Thee I Sing for his daughters. A love letter to his girls, the book is an ode to thirteen revolutionary Americans and the lessons he hopes his children learn from them.
A companion to the book Pringle & Finn, influencer Paul Castle writes and illustrates both Pringle & Finn and The Secret Ingredient. Both books demonstrate the different ways families look. A metaphor for different types of families, this book is a fantastic introduction to LGBTQ+ friendly fiction.
This Read Aloud is brought to you by the author!
Check out our interview of Paul Castle here!
Bangladeshi American influencer Nabela Noor writes a story about Zubi, who recognizes the importance of being kind to yourself and seeing the beauty in every body. Beautifully Me is a great way to introduce body positivity to young readers.
TikTok sensation Gray and Mama illustrate how mealtime can be explored by trying new foods with Gray’s well known saying “Thank you, Mama.”
Actress and singer Bella Thorne’s Autumn Falls follows Autumn, who begins writing in a journal that used to belong to her late dad after a sour encounter with the school’s most popular girl. When the things she writes in the journal start to come true, Autumn wonders if the journal is the solution to all of her problems—or the cause.
Chris Colfer, best known for his role as Kurt on Glee, has written The Land of Stories series that follows twins Alex and Conner as they find themselves in a magical world with fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.
Model and actress Cara Delevigne’s novel, Mirror Mirror, is a mystery thriller about a group of friends dealing with the aftermath of their friend, Naomi, being found unconscious in a river. As Naomi fights for her life, her friends investigate the mysterious circumstances after police rule her case an attempted suicide.
Korean American singer-songwriter and actress Jessica Jung brings a story about the world of K-pop. The main character, Rachel Kim, achieves her dream of being recruited by a K-pop label. However, she must soon learn to navigate the realities and challenges of the industry.
While publishing children’s and young adult fiction has become a more popular way for celebrities to diversify and expand their brands, despite what some might think on the matter, celebrities use their experiences and recognition to market messages that are important to them. For Lupita Nyong’o it’s colorism, for Nabela Noor it’s body positivity and self love. Children’s and young adult fiction is often overlooked in its merit, but celebrities seem to understand the potential influence they can have on the next generation.
Vanshikha Vij, Pine Reads Review Writer