Denene Millner Popular Books

Denene Millner Biography & Facts

Denene Millner (born October 21, 1968) is an American author, editor, television and podcast host, and journalist. She has authored more than 30 books, including six New York Times best sellers. She is the creator and director of Denene Millner Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and MyBrownBaby.com, a critically acclaimed blog that examines the intersection of parenting and race. Early life Millner grew up in Bay Shore, New York and graduated with a B.A. in communications from Hofstra University. Career Millner was a reporter for the Associated Press and a political and entertainment reporter for the New York Daily News. She served as Executive Editor at Honey and Articles Editor at Parenting, where she later worked as a columnist. In March 2011, Millner was chosen by Black Voices website as one of 40 Influential Black Female Writers. and in 2017 Forbes named her a top influencer in the parenting sector. Millner has written and collaborated on over 30 books of fiction, non-fiction, and youth literature including co-authoring six New York Times best sellers: Act Like a Lady, Think Like A Man (in paperback and hardcover), Straight Talk, No Chaser (both with comedian Steve Harvey), I Am Charlie Wilson with R&B performer Charlie Wilson, Around the Way Girl with actress Taraji P. Henson, and Believing in Magic with Cookie Johnson. Millner's other books include the young adult novel Miss You, Mina, written for Scholastic; the humor book, The Angry Black Woman's Guide To Life, and the novel The Vow, both written with Angela Burt-Murray and Mitzi Miller; and the three-book teen series Hotlanta written with Mitzi Miller. In 2015, The Vow was turned into a movie on the Lifetime network, called With This Ring, starring Jill Scott, Regina Hall, and Eve. Millner co-wrote three novels and three books of non-fiction with her former husband Nick Chiles, including Love Don't Live Here Anymore and What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know, both Essence best sellers. In 2007, Millner wrote the novelization of the screenplay for Dreamgirls and in 2012, the novelization for Sparkle. In 2019, Millner began hosting Speakeasy with Denene, a Georgia Public Broadcasting podcast that uses "art, culture, and entertainment to explore the beauty and humanity of blackness," and served as executive producer on the made-for-TV movie Angrily Ever After. Millner co-hosts the GPB television show A Seat at the Table, that focuses on issues affecting black women. Millner's multigenerational epic novel, One Blood, was published by St. Martin's Press in 2023. Denene Millner Books In 2016, Millner became an editor at Bolden Books with her own imprint, Denene Millner Books. Three years later, Millner moved the imprint to Simon & Schuster. The imprint publishes titles by African-American authors and illustrators, for readers of all ages. Millner describes her imprint as "a love letter to children of color who deserve to see their beauty and humanity in the most remarkable form of entertainment on the planet: books." In 2017, while still under Agate/Bolden, the imprint published the children's book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, which received a Newbery Honor, an Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, Caldecott Medal, two Coretta Scott King Awards, and the Kirkus Prize for Best Children's Literature. Following the move to Simon and Schuster, the imprint published a number of acclaimed books including Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera, recipient of a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor Book award and Just Like A Mama, nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Selected Titles Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James (2017) Early Sunday Morning by Denene Millner, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton (2020) If Dominican Were a Color by Sili Recio, illustrated by Brianna McCarthy (2020) Just Like a Mama by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (2020) Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera, illustrated by the author (2020) My Brown Baby: On the Joys and Challenges of Raising African American Children by Denene Millner (2020) My Rainy Day Rocket Ship by Markette Sheppard, illustrated by Charly Palmer (2020) There's a Dragon in My Closet by Dorothea Taylor, illustrated by Charly Palmer (2020) What Is Light? by Markette Sheppard, illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson (2020) Personal life Millner was formerly married to journalist Nick Chiles, with whom she has two children. Selected works References External links Millner's blog on black parenting. Discover the Denene Millner popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Denene Millner books.

Best Seller Denene Millner Books of 2024

  • Turning synopsis, comments

    Turning

    Joy L. Smith

    In this raw, searingly honest debut young adult novel, a former aspiring ballerina must confront her past in order to move forward from a devastating fall that leaves her without t...

  • Stella and the Mystery of the Missing Tooth synopsis, comments

    Stella and the Mystery of the Missing Tooth

    Clothilde Ewing

    In this effervescent companion to the picture book Stella Keeps the Sun Up, Stella goes on the hunt to figure out who’s behind her friend’s missing tooth.Stella, her bestie Roger, ...

  • Ninja Nate synopsis, comments

    Ninja Nate

    Markette Sheppard

    A boy adopting a ninja alter ego to cope with a new disability finds the courage to share all of himself in this actionpacked and heartfelt picture book from the author of My Rainy...

  • Early Sunday Morning synopsis, comments

    Early Sunday Morning

    Denene Millner

    In this heartwarming story of love and family, a community comes together to help a young girl find the courage to lift her mighty voice.Sundays are June’s favorite days because sh...

  • Stella Keeps the Sun Up synopsis, comments

    Stella Keeps the Sun Up

    Clothilde Ewing

    In this incandescently fun, hijinksfilled picture book, a young girl schemes to keep the sun up in the sky so she never has to go to bed.If Stella had her way, she would stop sleep...

  • Willis Watson Is a Wannabe synopsis, comments

    Willis Watson Is a Wannabe

    Carmen Bogan

    A young boy discovers there are real, everyday heroes all around him and decides he wants to be one, too, in this sweet and empowering picture book.Gramps says, “When you grow up, ...

  • My Rainy Day Rocket Ship synopsis, comments

    My Rainy Day Rocket Ship

    Markette Sheppard

    Rainy summer days are no match for a little astronaut who builds the perfect rocket ship for an indoor space adventure to another galaxy, where the sky is his only limit!A stormy a...

  • Yaya and the Sea synopsis, comments

    Yaya and the Sea

    Karen Good Marable

    A family goes on a trip from the city to the sea in search of renewal in this “lively and lovely…beautiful” (Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award–winning author of Brown Girl Dr...

  • Carla and the Christmas Cornbread synopsis, comments

    Carla and the Christmas Cornbread

    Carla Hall

    In this heartwarming tale inspired by her childhood, superstar chef and TV host Carla Hall shares the story of young Carla, who eats a sugar cookie meant for Santa on the night bef...

  • My Brown Baby synopsis, comments

    My Brown Baby

    Denene Millner

    From noted parenting expert and New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner comes the definitive book about parenting African American children.For over a decade, national par...

  • The River Is My Ocean synopsis, comments

    The River Is My Ocean

    Rio Cortez

    A grandmother and granddaughter share a magical trip to the Hudson River affirming intergenerational love and the power of water in this heartsong of a picture book.Every day, Abue...

  • La mateixa sang synopsis, comments

    La mateixa sang

    Denene Millner

    Tres dones. Tres generacions. Un sol destí.La Grace creix feliç amb la seva mare i la seva àvia a Virgínia fins que de cop el seu món s'esfondra i l'envien a viure a Brooklyn amb l...

  • You So Black synopsis, comments

    You So Black

    Theresa Tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D

    Based on Theresa Wilson’s (a.k.a. Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D.’s) beautiful, viral spoken word poem of the same name, You So Black is a picture book celebration of the richness, th...

  • Just Like a Mama synopsis, comments

    Just Like a Mama

    Alice Faye Duncan

    Celebrate the heart connection between adopted children and the forever families who welcome them with kindness, care, and unconditional love in this powerful picture book from the...

  • When I See You synopsis, comments

    When I See You

    Brynne Barnes

    An imaginative picture book with enchanting verse and whimsical illustrations journeying through the “galaxy” in a pregnant mother’s belly as she prepares to welcome her child into...

  • Other Side of the Tracks synopsis, comments

    Other Side of the Tracks

    Charity Alyse

    This “stirring…emotionally raw” (Publishers Weekly) young adult debut novel about three teens entangled by secret love, open hatred, and the invisible societal constraints wrapped ...

  • Impossible Moon synopsis, comments

    Impossible Moon

    Breanna J. McDaniel

    A young girl undertakes an impossible trip to the moon, makes friends with the stars, and brings back something priceless in this gentle and lyrically told picture book about famil...

  • When Langston Dances synopsis, comments

    When Langston Dances

    Kaija Langley

    A young Black boy dreams of dancing in this exuberant, buoyant picture book celebrating the beauty of dance, and the wonder of Black Boy Joyperfect for fans of Firebird and Crown!L...

  • Bold Words from Black Women synopsis, comments

    Bold Words from Black Women

    Tamara Pizzoli

    Celebrate the power of Black womanhood in this firstofitskind collection of inspirational quotes from fifty activists, artists, and leaders, featuring bold, attentiongrabbing illus...

  • If Dominican Were a Color synopsis, comments

    If Dominican Were a Color

    Sili Recio

    The colors of Hispaniola burst into life in this striking, evocative debut picture book that celebrates the joy of being Dominican.If Dominican were a color, it would be the sunset...

  • Not My Cat synopsis, comments

    Not My Cat

    Stacey Patton

    Based on the author’s real experience, this charming and hilarious picture book follows a solitary homeowner who insists she’s much too busy to adopt a stray cat…until the cat adop...

  • Ashes of Gold synopsis, comments

    Ashes of Gold

    J. Elle

    In the “thrilling…masterful” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) conclusion to the Wings of Ebony duology, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicole Yoon calls “bold, inventiv...

  • Keep Your Head Up synopsis, comments

    Keep Your Head Up

    Aliya King Neil

    Teach little ones that it’s okay to have a bad day in this brightly illustrated, gently affirmative picture book about keeping our heads up and letting things pass.When a child wak...