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Authored by First Book Staff on December 16, 2021
Posted in: Press Room
On Thursday, December 16, a virtual conversation between Kevin Hart and six students from his alma mater elementary school will stream to the entire Philadelphia School District.
Random House, First Book to donate over 1,000 copies ofMarcus Makes a Movieto Philadelphia schools.
New York, NY (December 15, 2021)—In partnership with First Book and the School District of Philadelphia, Random House Children’s Books is excited to bring beloved comedian, actor, producer, entrepreneur, andNew York Timesbestselling authorKevin Hartback to his hometown of Philadelphia for a major virtual event with Philadelphia schools on Thursday, December 16. The conversation, moderated by CBS Philly reporter Natasha Brown, features a Q&A with the author and six students from his alma mater, Allen M. Stearne Elementary School. During the event, Hart discusses his new children’s novel,Marcus Makes a Movie, the first in a new series, and shares his message to kids that through hard work, perseverance, and teamwork, they too can make their dreams a reality. More than 1,000 copies ofMarcus Makes a Movieare being donated to participating schools for their classrooms and libraries, and each 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade student at Allen M. Stearne Elementary School will receive their very own book.
In his answers to Brown and the Stearne students, Hart shares personal experiences that influenced aspects ofMarcus Makes a Movieand addresses such things as the need for stories that represent children of color, the importance of having a dream and working toward it, and his mission to inspire today’s youth to achieve greatness. Says Hart: “I want to be proof that if you put your mind to something, ultimately it can pay off.”
The pre-recorded event will stream to participating schools onThursday, December 16, and will be available for teachers to watch with their classrooms at their convenience through the end of the year.
Watch the pre-recorded eventhere.
Emmy-nominated producerKevin Hartwas born and raised in Philadelphia, where he launched his career as a comedian during an amateur night at a local comedy club. Over the years Hart has become a Hollywood powerhouse, opening ten films at number one at the box office. Hart has popularized characters in thebeloved Jumanji franchise andThe Secret Life of Pets 2,his newest stand-up special became Netflix’s biggest stand-up special of 2020, and his memoir,I Can’t Make This Up,debuted at number one on theNew York Timesbestseller list, remaining on the Top 10 Print Hardcover Bestsellers List for ten weeks straight. In addition to selling out theaters and arenas for his comedy tours, Hart is the founder of the Laugh Out Loud Network, which serves as a platform for emerging comedians and is home to two premium series both featuring Hart. Hart also launched Laugh Out Loud Radio channel 96 on SiriusXM, with Hart hosting alongside longtime friends and fellow comedians the Plastic Cup Boyz. In April 2019, their featured talk showStraight from the Hartbecame available on Pandora and now ranks as the number one podcast across all genres.
Random House Children’s Books(rhcbooks.com) is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, and nonfiction, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Founded in Washington, D.C., in 1992 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit social enterprise,First Bookis a leader in the educational equity field. Over its 29-year history, First Book has distributed more than 200 million books and educational resources, with a retail value of more than $2 billion. First Book believes education offers children in need the best path out of poverty. First Book breaks down barriers to quality education by providing its Network of more than 525,000 registered teachers, librarians, after school program leaders, and others serving children in need with millions of free and affordable new, high-quality books, educational resources, and basic needs items through the award-winning First Book Marketplace nonprofit eCommerce site. The First Book Network comprises the largest and fastest-growing community of formal and informal educators serving children in need.
First Book also expands the breadth and depth of the education field through a family of social enterprises, including First Book Research & Insights, its proprietary research initiative, and the First Book Accelerator, which brings best-in-class research-based strategies to the classroom via relevant, usable educator resources. First Book Impact Funds target support to areas of need, such as rural communities or increasing diversity in children’s books.
Noreen Herits,Executive Director, Publicity
nherits@penguinrandomhouse.com| 212-782-9043
Josh Redlich,Publicity Manager
jredlich@penguinrandomhouse.com| 212-782-8335
First Book Media
Visit our press roomfor additional information, including our media kit and contact information.
MARCUS MAKES A MOVIE
By Kevin Hart and Geoff Rodkey; illustrated by David Cooper;
Crown Books for Young Readers | 224 pages | Ages 8–12 | On sale June 1, 2021
HC: 978-0-593-17914-7 / $16.99/$22.99 | EL: 978-0-593-17916-1 / $9.99/$10.99
Audiobook narrated by Kevin Hart
Listening Library | On sale June 1, 2021
DN: 978-0-593-21243-1 / $18.00/$24.00 | CD: 978-0-593-41117-9 / $30.00/$40.00
