Penguin Random House, author portrait placeholder image

Nikki Shannon Smith

Nikki Shannon Smith is the author of numerous books, ranging from picture books to young adult. Her work includes the Azaleah Lane chapter book series and five titles in Capstone’s multi-author historical fiction/adventure middle-grade series, Girls Survive. Nikki also wrote A Star Like Jesse Owens, a Smithsonian historical fiction title about the 1936 Olympics. Her forthcoming titles include Beautiful Colors (Random House/Little Golden Books, 2022) and additional board books in the Brown Baby Parade series. She is passionate about the authentic representation of all children and writes stories depicting the history and struggles of Black people as well as “Black joy.” She lives in Davis, California.

Books

Celebrating 100 years of James Baldwin

In celebration of James Baldwin, the literary legend and civil rights champion, and the centennial of his birth, we are sharing a collection of his work.   James Baldwin (1924–1987) was a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, appeared in 1953 to excellent reviews, and his essay collections Notes

Read more

The New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

The New York Times recently published their list “100 Best Books of the 21st Century.” We are pleased to announce that there are 49 titles published from Penguin Random House and its distribution clients included in this list. Browse our collection of Penguin Random House titles here. Browse the full list from The New York

Read more