Denene Millner Books Moving to S&S

Denene Millner (photo: Lila Chiles)

Author, journalist and MyBrownBaby.com founder Denene Millner is moving her Denene Millner Books imprint to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing from Agate Publishing, where it began two years ago. The imprint will be part of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and will publish books for all ages by African American authors and illustrators.

At Agate, Denene Millner Books titles included Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James, which received a Newbery Honor, a Caldecott Honor, and Coretta Scott King Honors for both author and illustrator.

The inaugural list of the imprint at S&S will launch in spring 2020. Future titles include Just Like a Mama by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (granddaughter of children's book illustrator Jerry Pinkney); My Rainy Day Rocket Ship by Markette Sheppard and illustrated by Charly Palmer, winner of the 2018 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent; Me and Mama by Cozbi Cabrera; Ya Ya and the Sea by Karen Good-Marable; and If Dominican Were a Color by Sili Recio.

Millner has written or co-written 28 books, including Steve Harvey's Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man and Straight Talk No Chaser, Cookie Johnson's Believing in Magic, and Taraji P. Henson's Around the Way Girl. She is a columnist at Parenting and contributing writer for Essence, Parenting, Women's Health, Ebony and other publications. Millner also is a co-host on the Georgia Public Broadcasting talk show A Seat at the Table.

Millner commented: "From its inception, the mission of Denene Millner Books has been to shine a light on the everyday stories that color the worlds of black children--stories that all children need and deserve to see in books. What an honor to be able to bring these books into the world in partnership with one of the most storied publishers on the planet. I'm absolutely thrilled that, together, Simon & Schuster and Denene Millner Books will not only get these incredible works into the hands of more young readers, but also create the much-needed opportunities for black writers and illustrators to tell those stories."