An image of a selection of children's books by black authors and illustrators on a darker orange background with a lighter shape that is filled with squiggles.

Article-Card-Black-authors-and-illustrators-2023-Update

Children's reading lists

13 wonderful children’s books by Black authors and illustrators

Books for people who want to change the world

Main-Activist-Flatlay201.jpg

Reading lists

Picture of children's books recommended by the Obama's

Article-Card-Obama-Recommendations-Childrens-Books.jpg

Children’s books loved by the Obamas

The best memoirs of all time including Michelle Obama's Becoming, Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air, Chanel Miller's Know My Name and Patricia Lockwood's Priestdaddy.

best-memoirs-main-image-1800×1200.jpg

The best memoirs of all time, as chosen by our readers

Books-to-help-you-deal-with-imposter-syndrome_Nathalie-Lees_Hero-Desktop_Penguin

Best books to help you deal with imposter syndrome

PenguinChristmas_SecretSanta_ArticleCard.png

Books to solve your Secret Santa dilemma

michelle-obama-university-becoming.jpg

Features

5 inspiring things we learn about Michelle Obama in Becoming

michelle-obama-970×4151.jpg

Extracts

A look inside the first pages of Becoming by Michelle Obama

Overcoming: A Workbook

Based on Michelle Obama’s bestselling and critically acclaimed book THE LIGHT WE CARRY, OVERCOMING: A WORKBOOK is a beautiful and practical toolkit for navigating life’s challenges. 
 
“Pay attention to how you’re feeling. 
Notice what’s being signalled by both your body and your mind. 
It’s okay to pace yourself, get a little rest, and speak of your struggles out loud. 
It’s okay to prioritise your wellness, to make a habit of rest and repair." 
 
Bringing former First Lady Michelle Obama’s timeless advice to readers in a fresh, interactive and instructional format, OVERCOMING: A WORKBOOK includes: 
<ul><li>Creative activities</li><li>Reflective writing prompts</li><li>Habit tracking tools</li></ul>And more to provide the ultimate guide to unlocking your small power, sharing your whole self, showing up in relationships, and of course, “going high”. 
 
With her signature candour and warmth, Michelle Obama draws on her experiences to offer readers the tools and principles she has leaned on to overcome difficulties in all areas of life.

Michelle Obama served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Mrs. Obama started her career as an attorney at the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama. She later worked in the Chicago mayor's office, at the University of Chicago, and at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Mrs. Obama also founded the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an organization that prepares young people for careers in public service. She is the author of the #1 global bestseller Becoming and the #1 national bestseller American Grown. The Obamas currently live in Washington, D.C., and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

Based on Michelle Obama’s bestselling and critically acclaimed book THE LIGHT WE CARRY, OVERCOMING: A WORKBOOK offers readers a practical toolkit for navigating life’s challenges, as well as imaginative prompts and activities designed to guide readers in reflective and active practices for fortifying oneself in the face of uncertainty, obstacles and self-doubt. 
 
Bringing former First Lady Michelle Obama’s timeless advice to readers in a fresh, interactive and instructional new format, OVERCOMING: A WORKBOOK presents creative activities, reflective writing prompts, habit tracking tools, and more to provide the ultimate guide to unlocking your small power, sharing your whole self, showing up in relationships, and of course, “going high”. With her signature candor and warmth, Michelle Obama draws on her experiences to offer readers the tools and principles she has leaned on to overcome difficulties in all areas of life. 
 
This beautiful and interactive workbook is Obama’s call to “pay attention to how you’re feeling. Notice what’s being signaled by both your body and your mind”, as well as her reminder to us all that “it’s okay to pace yourself, get a little rest, and speak of your struggles out loud. It’s okay to prioritise your wellness, to make a habit of rest and repair."

Overcoming In Uncertain Times

The Light We Carry

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
Her life. Her learnings. Her toolkit to live boldly. 
 
How do we build enduring and honest relationships? 
What tools do we use to address feelings of self-doubt? 
What do we do when it all starts to feel like too much? 
 
In her bestselling follow-up to the worldwide phenomenon Becoming, Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and insightful reflections to help us consider the important questions that many of us wrestle with. 
 
Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she explores how we find inner strength; create and deepen relationships with others; and better protect and strengthen ourselves. In doing so, she shares the tools, habits and principles that she has developed to successfully adapt to change, like &ldquo;starting kind&rdquo;, &ldquo;going high&rdquo;, and assembling a &ldquo;kitchen table&rdquo; of trusted friends and mentors. 
 
With trademark humour, candour, and compassion, and a powerful blend of fresh stories and profound advice, The Light We Carry will inspire readers to identify their sources of gladness, connect meaningfully, and remain hopeful and balanced in a turbulent world. 
 
 
Praise for The Light We Carry: 
 
&lsquo;Honest, funny, wise and perceptive&rsquo; The Times 
 
&lsquo;Obama is so disarmingly honest . . . You can&rsquo;t argue with the hard-fought wisdom of such an accomplished woman&rsquo; Guardian 
 
&lsquo;The soothing balm we all need&rsquo; Grazia 
 
&lsquo;Deeply personal and hugely inspirational&rsquo; O Quarterly

Honest, funny, wise and perceptive

The pragmatic hopefulness you find on every page of Obama's book is perhaps the best reason to go out and buy a copy

There is plenty of wisdom in this book to help the rest of us

Obama's gift for brilliant, evocative and honest writing is undeniable

Obama's road map for uncertain times resonates in ways that other self-help books do not

The former First Lady's follow-up to Becoming is the soothing balm we all need right now

Ideal for anyone looking to give the gift of wisdom

Expect wisdom and insight from the former first lady as we continue to navigate uncertain times

A powerful look at how to work though fear, and will inspire readers to take a step back to reflect and recharge

Michelle Obama served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Mrs. Obama started her career as an attorney at the Chicago law firm Sidley &amp; Austin, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama. She later worked in the Chicago mayor's office, at the University of Chicago, and at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Mrs. Obama also founded the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an organization that prepares young people for careers in public service. She is the author of the #1 global bestseller Becoming and the #1 national bestseller American Grown. The Obamas currently live in Washington, D.C., and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

In her bestselling follow-up to the worldwide phenomenon Becoming, Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and insightful reflections to help us find inner strength; create and deepen relationships with others; and better protect and strengthen ourselves. 
 
Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the tools, habits and principles that she has developed to successfully adapt to change, like &ldquo;starting kind&rdquo;, &ldquo;going high&rdquo;, and assembling a &ldquo;kitchen table&rdquo; of trusted friends and mentors. 
 
Full of humour and candour, fresh stories and profound advice, The Light We Carry will inspire readers to remain hopeful and balanced in a turbulent world.

Becoming

An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir; 17 million copies sold worldwide 
 
Now in paperback featuring a new introduction by Michelle Obama, a letter from the author to her younger self, and a book club guide with 20 discussion questions and a 5-question Q&A, the intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States. 
 
In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her -- from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world's most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it -- in her own words and on her own terms. 
 
Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations -- and whose story inspires us to do the same. 
 
MICHELLE OBAMA'S NEXT BOOK, THE LIGHT WE CARRY, IS OUT NOW! 
 
*One of Goodreads Most Popular Books of the Past Decade* 
 
Sunday Times bestseller, November 2018

Intimate, inspiring and set to become hugely influential

Inspirational without trying to be . . . a coming-of-age tale, a love story and a family saga all in one

This revealing memoir offers new insights into her upbringing on the south side of Chicago and the highs and lows of life with Barack Obama. . . Becoming is a 400-page expansion of this essential doctrine ['when they go low, we go high'], without compromising a refreshing level of honesty

An inspirational memoir that also rings true

This is a rich, entertaining and candid memoir. And overall she's a fun person to sit alongside as she tells you the story of her life, warts and all. . . it is as beautifully written as any piece of fiction

In the best moments of Becoming, the miracle of Michelle Obama arises

Obama's memoir is a genuine page-turner, full of intimacies and reflections. . . Allied to this candour is a steeliness of purpose. It is no exaggeration to say that every page of this book is, explicitly or otherwise, a reproach to Donald Trump, and a call-to-arms to those who would defeat the 45th President and all that he stands for

I found myself lifting my jaw from my chest at the end of every other chapter, not because of any seedy insight into stories I'd always wondered about, but because, armed as I was with knowledge about her career, her mannerisms, and even her elbow-heavy dancing, this was not the Obama I thought I knew. She was more

Inspiring. . . After 421 pages of Becoming, I closed the book hoping that one day she would use her formidable intelligence, humanity - and humour - to offer a more tangible vision for how America might fight the rising tides of polarisation and hate

Open and engaging. . . Obama writes with candour about the good times and bad

Of course, Becoming is Michelle Obama's story, of how she moved from a girl on the South Side of Chicago to becoming one of the most powerful women in the world. But in the final pages of the book, Obama writes, "It's all a process, steps along a path. Becoming requires equal parts patience and rigor." Here, Obama is pushing us to reckon with our own becomings - to realise our own story and to have the power to tell it

She's a woman we've all fallen in love with because she radiates joy and wisdom, and Becoming encapsulates this perfectly. It's also deeply honest - reading it makes you feel as though she's your close friend opening up to you

This beautifully written memoir... Twenty-five years ago she fell in love with a driven idealist, a man determined not to accept the world as it was. She feared his forceful intellect and ambition might swallow hers; instead, she found her voice

Becoming serenely balances gravity and grace, uplift and anecdote.... Becoming is frequently funny, sometimes indignant or enraged, and when Michelle describes her father's early death from multiple sclerosis it turns rawly emotional

This is a vivid and interesting account and all of that is to her credit. I certainly thought better of her by the end: she has put her heart into this

This is undeniably a political book, both a fierce critique of Donald Trump's administration's politics of hatred and a powerful remind of a better, more compassionate America

Candid, engaging. . . To read her reflections is to recall and hope for a better America. Mrs Obama pulls back the curtains around their lives in a way she could not while Mr Obama was in office. Besides her lovely turn of phrase, she is a gifted and empathetic observer

Deeply moving. . . Becoming is fundamentally about how to be a person in the world, how to live a purposeful life, and how to use the chances you have been given

Her wonderful candid and affecting autobiography, Becoming. . . brims over with such emotional truthfulness. . .what a tale. With its generosity of spirit, self-knowledge and hope, it is the perfected antidote to the man who now lives in the White House. A plangent, defiant, honest and uplifting book

This brilliantly written and emotionally authentic memoir fills in some important gaps...not just a fascinating read but a genuinely moving one too

Now in paperback featuring a new introduction by Michelle Obama, a letter from the author to her younger self, and a book club guide with 20 discussion questions and a 5-question Q&A, the intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States 
 
THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER 
 
THE NO. 1 BESTSELLER 
 
In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her -- from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world's most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it -- in her own words and on her own terms. 
 
Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations -- and whose story inspires us to do the same.

Becoming: Adapted for Younger Readers

*A younger reader's edition of the number-one bestselling memoir by former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. With a new introduction from Mrs Obama herself* 
 
What's important is our story, our whole story, including those moments when we feel a little vulnerable . . . 
 
Michelle Robinson started life sharing a bedroom with her older brother Craig, in their family's upstairs apartment in her great-aunt's house. Her parents, Fraser and Marian, poured their love and energy into their children. She would go on to become Michelle Obama, the inspirational First Lady of the United States of America. 
 
Now adapted for younger readers, with new photographs and a new introduction from Michelle Obama herself, this memoir tells a very personal, and completely inspiring, story of how, through hard work and determination, the girl from the South Side of Chicago built an extraordinary life. 
 
A tale of ups and downs, triumphs and failures, this is an incredibly honest account. It will take you from the early years - first kiss, first school, first love - to the wonders of the White House, and the moment Mrs Obama shook hands with the Queen of England. 
 
A book to read, share, and talk about with the adults in your life, this is a call to action and compassion, and hope for change in uncertain times, and in a scary world. 
 
You'll be inspired to help others, and understand that no one is perfect. Just like Michelle Obama, you too are finding out exactly who you want to be (and, actually, so are the adults in your life). 
 
Above all, it is a book to make you think: who are you, and what do you want to become?

REVIEWS FOR THE ORIGINAL EDITION OF BECOMING 
 
'A rich, entertaining and candid memoir. And overall Obama's a fun person to sit alongside as she tells you the story of her life . . . it is as beautifully written as any piece of fiction' Independent 
 
 'A genuine page-turner, full of intimacies and reflections' Evening Standard 
 
 'Offers new insights into her upbringing on the south side of Chicago and the highs and lows of life with Barack Obama . . . a refreshing level of honesty about what politics really did to her' Guardian 
 
 'An inspirational memoir that also rings true' Daily Telegraph

What's important is our story, our whole story, including those moments when we feel a little vulnerable . . . 
 
Michelle Robinson started life sharing a bedroom with her older brother Craig, in their family's upstairs apartment in her great-aunt's house. Her parents, Fraser and Marian, poured their love and energy into their children. She would go on to become Michelle Obama, the inspirational First Lady of the United States of America. 
 
Now adapted for younger readers, with new photographs and a new introduction from Michelle Obama herself, this memoir tells a very personal, and completely inspiring, story of how, through hard work and determination, the girl from the South Side of Chicago built an extraordinary life. 
 
A tale of ups and downs, triumphs and failures, this is an incredibly honest account. It will take you from the early years - first kiss, first school, first love - to the wonders of the White House, and the moment Mrs Obama shook hands with the Queen of England. 
 
A book to read, share, and talk about with the adults in your life, this is a call to action and compassion, and hope for change in uncertain times, and in a scary world. 
 
You'll be inspired to help others, and understand that no one is perfect. Just like Michelle Obama, you too are finding out exactly who you want to be (and, actually, so are the adults in your life). 
 
Above all, it is a book to make you think: who are you, and what do you want to become?

A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice

What's your journey of becoming? Based on Michelle Obama's bestselling memoir, this gorgeous journal contains more than 150 inspiring questions and quotes to help you discover your story. 
 
 'It's not about being perfect. It's not about where you get yourself in the end. There's power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice.' Michelle Obama 
 
In Becoming, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama shared her extraordinary journey, creating space for others to tell theirs. Now with Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice, she helps you find your story with: 
 
· Thought-provoking prompts to help reflect on your history 
· Fun activities to outline your goals, challenges and dreams 
· Enlightening questions to understand what motivates and brings hope 
 
 These pages will help you capture your voice so you can nurture your sense of becoming. Becoming creative. Becoming brave. Becoming you. 
 
"I hope you'll use this journal to write down your experiences, thoughts, and feelings, in all their imperfections, and without judgment . . . We don't have to remember everything. But everything we remember has value."

What's your journey of becoming? Based on Michelle Obama's bestselling memoir, this gorgeous journal features an intimate and inspiring introduction by the former First Lady and more than 150 inspiring questions and quotes to help you discover-and rediscover-your story. 
 
"It's not about being perfect. It's not about where you get yourself in the end. There's power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there's grace in being willing to know and hear others. This, for me, is how we become." - Michelle Obama 
 
In writing Becoming, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama shared her own extraordinary journey to help create space for others to tell their stories and to give people the courage to discover the power of their own voice. With this journal, she now provides you with the encouragement to find value in your own personal journey of becoming. Printed on cream writing paper, with a grosgrain ribbon, foil-stamped cover, and removable half-jacket, Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice includes thought-provoking prompts designed to help you reflect on your personal and family history; your goals, challenges, and dreams; what moves you and brings you hope; and what future you imagine for yourself and your community. Writes Mrs. Obama in the Introduction to the Becoming journal, "I hope you'll use this journal to write down your experiences, thoughts, and feelings, in all their imperfections, and without judgment. . . . We don't have to remember everything. But everything we remember has value." 
 
These pages will help you capture your own voice and journey so you can nurture your sense of belonging. Inside, you'll find an opportunity not only to take heart in the experiences that brought you to where you are today, but also to feel empowered to take those next steps, wherever they might lead.

Michelle Obama

Books by Michelle Obama

Articles featuring Michelle Obama

13 wonderful children’s books by Black authors and illustrators

Books for people who want to change the world

Children’s books loved by the Obamas

The best memoirs of all time, as chosen by our readers

Best books to help you deal with imposter syndrome

Books to solve your Secret Santa dilemma

5 inspiring things we learn about Michelle Obama in Becoming

A look inside the first pages of Becoming by Michelle Obama

Videos

Michelle Obama talks to schoolgirls about sisterhood and self-belief

Michelle Obama On Education & Self-Belief | Penguin Talks

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter