Denene Millner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Denene Millner
Born	(1968-10-21) October 21, 1968 (age 56)
Education	Hofstra University (BA)
Occupation	Writer editor host

Denene Millner, born on October 21, 1968, is an American writer, editor, and host. She has written more than 30 books, and six of them have become New York Times best sellers. Denene is also the person who created and leads Denene Millner Books, which is a special part of Simon & Schuster publishing. She also started MyBrownBaby.com, a popular blog that talks about being a parent and how race fits into that.

Early Life and Education

Denene Millner grew up in a town called Bay Shore, New York. She went to Hofstra University and earned a degree in communications. This helped her start her career in writing and media.

Denene Millner's Career Journey

Denene Millner began her career as a reporter for the Associated Press. She also reported on politics and entertainment for the New York Daily News. Later, she became an Executive Editor at Honey magazine and an Articles Editor at Parenting magazine. She even wrote a regular column for Parenting.

In 2011, a website called Black Voices recognized Denene as one of 40 important Black female writers. In 2017, Forbes magazine named her a top influencer in the world of parenting.

Writing Many Books

Denene Millner has written or helped write over 30 books. These books include stories, non-fiction (true stories), and books for young people. She co-authored six books that became New York Times best sellers. Some of these were with famous people like comedian Steve Harvey, singer Charlie Wilson, actress Taraji P. Henson, and Cookie Johnson.

She also wrote a young adult novel called Miss You, Mina for Scholastic. She co-wrote other books like The Vow and a teen series called Hotlanta. In 2015, The Vow was made into a TV movie called With This Ring. Denene also wrote books based on movie screenplays, like for Dreamgirls and Sparkle.

Hosting and Producing

In 2019, Denene started hosting a podcast called Speakeasy with Denene for Georgia Public Broadcasting. This podcast explores Black culture and art. She also helped produce a TV movie called Angrily Ever After. Denene co-hosts a TV show called A Seat at the Table, which talks about issues important to Black women. Her big novel, One Blood, was published in 2023.

Denene Millner Books: A Special Publishing Imprint

In 2016, Denene Millner started her own special publishing group called Denene Millner Books. At first, it was part of Bolden Books, but in 2019, it moved to Simon & Schuster. This imprint publishes books by African-American writers and artists for readers of all ages.

Denene says her imprint is "a love letter to children of color." She wants kids to see themselves and their beauty in books. In 2017, her imprint published a children's book called Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut. This book won many important awards, including a Newbery Honor and a Caldecott Medal. After moving to Simon & Schuster, the imprint published other praised books like Me & Mama and Just Like A Mama.

Some Books from Denene Millner Books

• 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 (2017)
• My Rainy Day Rocket Ship by Markette Sheppard, illustrated by Charly Palmer (2020)
• What Is Light? by Markette Sheppard, illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson (2020)

Personal Life

Denene Millner was married to journalist Nick Chiles. They have two children together.

Selected Books by Denene Millner