AKRON, Ohio – Basketball star and Akron native LeBron James has co-authored a second children’s book, “We Are Family,” set for publication on Aug. 31.
“We Are Family” is a middle-grade novel by James and writer Andrea Williams about five new friends who have different dreams and backgrounds but work together to save their basketball season and prove that they can succeed if given the chance, HarperCollins Children’s Books announced Tuesday in a news release.
The book is a follow-up to James’ New York Times bestselling picture book debut, “I Promise,” which published in August 2020 and is inspired by his foundation’s I Promise programs and the I Promise School in Akron.
“Everyone has a story and unique set of challenges they’re going through that we don’t hear about,” James said in the release. “‘We Are Family’ shows how an unlikely group of kids comes together to chase their dreams, despite having the odds stacked against them. It’s an important story of family, purpose and perseverance in the face of adversity that I hope inspires everyone who reads it to never stop dreaming and believing in what they’re capable of.”
Williams is a Nashville-based journalist and author who has written books for children and adults about civil rights and sports figures.
“It’s hard to overstate the life-changing power of sports,” Williams said. “We can see it on a community level, through the incredible work LeBron is doing with his foundation, and we can see it on an individual level in a book like ‘We Are Family.’ Not all of these kids are natural athletes, but through basketball, they are able to find happiness, hope, and, most important, family.”
The LeBron James Family Foundation is active in James’ hometown, including mentorship programs for more than 1,000 children who can earn full-tuition scholarships to the University of Akron and Kent State University if they stick to the program’s pledge and earn their high school diploma.
Akron Public Schools and the LeBron James Family Foundation opened the I Promise School in the city’s West Hill neighborhood in 2018 as a public school for some of the city’s most at-risk third-graders. A grade level has been added each year, and about 450 third- through sixth-graders are enrolled this year. The foundation funds year-round social services for students and their families, including GED programs, legal aid, medical and mental-health resources, job and family services, financial literacy programs and unlimited access to a pantry stocked with food and other essentials.
In July 2020, the foundation opened the I Promise Village, a renovated apartment building within walking distance of the school that provides rent-free transitional housing for students and families experiencing homelessness, domestic violence or other unforeseen circumstances.
The foundation is in the process of converting the historic Tangier restaurant and event venue into “House Three Thirty,” which will open in 2022 as a community gathering space near the I Promise School that will provide job training, financial literacy and other programs.
“LeBron’s commitment to helping kids be all they can be through his work at the I PROMISE school and broader I PROMISE program has made him an inspiration to us all,” said David Linker, executive editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books. “He is a leader and a role model, and I am so thrilled to have had the opportunity to partner with him on his first-ever middle grade novel. His passion, vision and dedication are evident on every page, and I know young readers are going to see something of themselves in the characters in this story.”
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