Amanda Gorman has a new children’s book that is reaching new heights. “Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem” is a New York Times Bestseller. The nation’s youngest poet laureate released her book on Sept. 11. It focuses on the journey of a young girl who hopes to make a change in the world.
“This is a dream come true; ever since I was a little girl I wanted to write children’s books and I’m so excited for this one to be out in the world after a four-year journey,” Gorman posted on her Instagram to announce her bestselling status. She added that her book has helped increase sales in the juvenile fiction segment by 5.5% over the last year
No.1 changemaker
Gorman has been working on the book since she was a student at Harvard University.
“My hope was to craft a poem that would take young readers on a journey of self-discovery and ultimately empower them to see how they could become change-makers,” the 23-year-old told The Guardian.
New York Times bestselling illustrator, Loren Long, also worked on President Obama’s book “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters,” which is currently No.1 on Amazon’s Children’s Prejudice & Racism Books category.
“Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem” is available in both hardcover and audiobook on Amazon, Target, and Walmart. It follows her recent No. 1 New York Times bestseller poetry collection, “The Hill We Climb”, which includes her inaugural poem with the same name that dazzled millions at President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUf47-1v-bl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Poetic justice
When she’s not penning another masterpiece, she’s amplifying her voice on several platforms.
A few days after her inauguration performance, she signed a contract with IMG Models, the same modeling agency as model sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid. Last month, she was named Estée Lauder’s first-ever Global Changemaker. The deal locks the poet and activist as curator of the Estée Lauder Companies’ new WRITING CHANGE Literacy Initiative. The program aims to help with literacy for young girls and women.
The beauty giant will donate $3 million over the three years to the initiative to advance literacy as a “pathway to equality, access, and social change.” Gorman also co-chaired this year’s Met Gala with actress Keke Palmer.
In Variety’s recent Power of Women issue, Gorman described the impact of fame in her life as “terrifying in many ways, not feeling in control of your own image or voice.” But she shares how her mother keeps her grounded.
“She’s always quoting me from ‘Hamlet’: ‘To thine own self be true,” she told Variety. “If you stay true to yourself, then no matter what kind of winds blow against you, you become the oak that never moves.”
There’s also manifestation on Pennsylvania Avenue. Gorman has expressed interest several times about running for the presidency in the future.
