AKRON, Ohio — NBA superstar LeBron James has written a second children’s book based on the values of the I Promise School the former Cavaliers champion launched in Akron, his home town.

What You Need To Know

  • “We Are Family” is a middle school-age book LeBron James co-wrote with author and journalist Andrea Williams

  • The book is a follow up to his New York Times bestselling picture book “I Promise,” published in 2020

  • Both stories were inspired by the values the I Promise School is built upon, which teach kids to try their hardest, respect others and honor their family

 “We Are Family” is a middle school-age book James co-wrote with author and journalist Andrea Williams. The book is a follow up to his New York Times bestselling picture book “I Promise,” published in 2020.

“We Are Family” will be published on Aug. 31 by HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Both stories were inspired by the values the I Promise School is built upon, which teach kids to try their hardest, respect others and honor their family.

In the new book, five new friends with very different backgrounds band together to save their basketball season. In the process, the kids find just getting a chance can sometimes make all the difference.

People often don’t realize the kinds of challenges others are dealing with, James said in a release. In “We Are Family” the kids chase their dreams despite the odds being against them, he said.

“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,” James said.

James is committed to helping students at the I Promise School be the best they can be, and his work is inspiring, said David Linker, a HarperCollins executive editor, said in the release.

“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,” Linker said. “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.”     

The LeBron James Family Foundation opened the I Promise School in 2018, as part of the Akron Public Schools District. The schools is STEM-focused and has an emphasis on social-emotional well-being.

To ensure students’ success, the school offers wrap-around services for students’ families, including medical and mental health resources, job and family services, financial literacy programming, GED opportunities, legal aid, a food pantry and other basic essentials.

The I Promise School has expanded to offer transitional housing, financial health programming, and community gathering at House Three Thirty in Akron.