Gavin Newsom writes children’s book inspired by his own struggles with dyslexia

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new children’s book inspired by his own experience with dyslexia will come out in December, the governor announced Thursday.

The book, “Ben and Emma’s Big Hit,” centers on a boy named Ben who struggles to read because he has dyslexia and uses his love of baseball to overcome challenges.

“Growing up, I struggled with dyslexia,” Newsom wrote in a tweet. “Eventually, I found my confidence on the baseball field. I wrote this book, Ben and Emma’s Big Hit, in hopes of helping other kids who are struggling with learning differences.”

The book will be printed in OpenDyslexic font, which is designed to be easier to read for people with dyslexia. The governor will donate all proceeds from the book to the International Dyslexia Association, according to a press release from the publisher, Penguin Random House.

The book is now on presale and will be released December 7. It was illustrated by Alexandra Thompson and written by Newsom and Ruby Shamir.

This story was originally published September 30, 2021 at 11:17 AM.