MXO ‘The Arts Unplugged’: LeBron James To Release His First Children’s Book This Summer!

EW.com, By Derek Lawrence, Posted February 28th 2020

Four-time NBA MVP. Three-time NBA champion. Space Jam 2 star. And now, children’s book author.

HarperCollins Publishers announced a two-book deal with LeBron James, with his debut picture book, I PROMISE, set for an August release, and to be followed next year by a middle-grade novel.

“Books have the ability to teach, inspire, and bring people together,” said James in a statement. That’s why these books, and the opportunity to get children and parents reading together, mean so much to me. Most importantly, we wanted to make sure these stories are ones that every single kid can see themselves in. I PROMISE is powerful in that way and I can’t wait for people to read it.”

Illustrated by Nina Mata, I PROMISE is described as “a lively and inspiring picture book that reminds us that tomorrow’s success starts with the promises we make to ourselves and our community today.”

The book’s name comes from the I Promise School in James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio. The NBA superstar founded the elementary school in 2018, aiming to give a stable learning environment to at-risk kids.