Chante Thomas is a twenty-eight-year veteran fifth-grade teacher in Shaker Heights, Ohio and has been writing children’s stories over the span of her career.

In 2017, she decided it was time to bring her stories to life and published her first book, Where I’m From, sharing the geographic story of five diverse children with roots in the United States, Africa, and Asia.

Her second book, Go To School Tommy is about the power of a smile, and her third book, Sean and the Book Cures, told from a kid’s perspective, takes readers through the unforgettable year Covid-19 disrupted lives. Chante is currently finishing her fourth book, Sean and the Great Sacrifice, Can You Spare a Kidney?— a story about love and organ donation.

Chante is the mother of two sons and is a caregiver to her 88-year-old mother. Her desire is to inspire youth to not only read but to also encourage them to create, build and write their own stories yielding from their own personal adventures.

For more about Chante, visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

In today’s conversation, we’ll be talking about the role of books in helping children and adults better understand themselves, other people, and life events.