Oct 3, 2026
Shauny Swims, Zahria Zaps, and Moving with Marty feature young Black heroes who face their fears, pursue their dreams, and find humor in everyday life.
Alexandria, Virginia Oct 3, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - Children's author Richard D. Kennedy, Jr. announces the release of three illustrated books for young readers: Shauny Swims, Zahria Zaps, and Moving with Marty. Each book centers on a Black child and a loving, supportive family, and each tells an uplifting story about confidence, determination, and the joy of growing up. Two of the books close with a "Words I Learned in This Book" glossary that builds vocabulary as children read.
Shauny Swims
Ten-year-old Shauny has been on the Tiger Sharks swim team for two years, and he is as responsible as he is talented: he lays out his swim bag, writes his events on his arm, and sets his alarm the night before every swim meet. But on meet day, the nerves set in. Many of the swimmers are older and more experienced, and Shauny is one of only a few Black swimmers at the pool. He was also disqualified in the backstroke at his last swim meet, and he couldn't stop asking himself "What if?" With help from his mom and his coach, Shauny learns to focus on the one thing he can control: the water between his lane lines. The result is a thrilling race, a first-place finish, and a personal best by four seconds. Shauny Swims is an encouraging story about managing anxiety, trusting your preparation, and finding courage in the moment that matters.
Zahria Zaps
Zahria has been fascinated with electricity her whole life. A high school sophomore at a STEM school, she dreams of becoming an electrician like her dad, and she has been taking apart and rebuilding electronics since she was little. When some classmates tell her that girls can't be electricians, she refuses to be discouraged. Her science teacher, Mrs. Thompson, hands her an application for a competitive summer apprenticeship program, and Zahria spends her spring break designing and building her own wireless phone charger. Through trial, error, and persistence, she perfects her invention and presents it to a panel of professionals. Zahria Zaps champions girls in STEM and the skilled trades, and it shows readers that failure is part of the learning process and that no one else gets to decide what they can become.
Moving With Marty
Moving day is a week away, and Dad is determined to get rid of the pesky fly that has been buzzing around the kitchen. There is just one problem: little Ja'Nae has named him Marty, and her big brother Isaiah is sure that "if you name him, he will follow us!" Sure enough, Marty turns up in the car, at the store, in the new house, and even on the family's airplane to Denver for Isaiah's soccer tournament. Moving With Marty is a lighthearted, laugh-out-loud family story that helps young children navigate big changes like moving, with a playful twist ending that will keep readers guessing.
Why These Books Matter
Across all three titles, Kennedy offers children stories where they can see themselves as swimmers, engineers, and the heroes of their own adventures. His books show involved parents, encouraging teachers and coaches, and kids who meet challenges with heart. They are ideal for home reading, classrooms, and libraries, and they open easy conversations about confidence, perseverance, and following your dreams.
"My goal with my writing is to celebrate family, and to highlight children of color in fields where they are underrepresented. Representation matters more now than it ever has before, and I want every child who reads one of my books to know that if they don't fit in, it's because they were made to stand out. Through reading my books, it is my hope that every child who reads them learns perseverance, mental toughness, resilience, and the importance of unapologetically embracing their talents, differences, and even their quirkiness. There are more books to come, and I am excited about the impact that will be made from my writing."
About the Author
Richard D. Kennedy, Jr. Is originally from Albany, GA. He currently lives in Warner Robins, GA where his is a teacher, lifeguard, and swim instructor. He comes from a huge family of a mother, father (deceased), four sisters, two brothers (deceased), and nearly 20 nieces and nephews. He is married with two children. His inspiration comes from his own experience as competitive swimmer and swim coach, fields in which people of color are underrepresented. The character's names for his books are inspired by the names of his children, nieces, and nephews. Richard holds an associate and bachelor's degrees in special education, and a master's degree in sports coaching.
Book Details
Shauny Swims by Richard D. Kennedy, Jr. (2025)
Illustrated by [Manat Gfx] | ISBN: [979-8307351680] | Price: [$14.99]
Zahria Zaps by Richard D. Kennedy, Jr., illustrated by Mannat Gfx (2025)
ISBN: [979-8283805306] | Price: [$14.99]
Moving With Marty by Richard D. Kennedy, Jr. (2026)
Illustrated by [Manat-Hana] | ISBN: [979-8254752868] | Price: [$14.99]
Available at: Shauny Swims available at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com
Moving with Marty and Zahria Zaps available at www.amazon.com
Media Contact
Richard Kennedy
[email protected]
Review copies and interview requests are available upon request.
Source :Richard Kennedy
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.
The reported cuts come as Apple has increased prices across its latest Pro lineup. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max is priced at $1,299, marking a $100 increase for each model compared with its predecessor
Read morePlacard-waving opponents highlight concerns about a data centre development on the local landscape.
Read moreThe monster storm slammed into the Florida Panhandle Friday night, ripping hotel roofs apart, toppling trees and sending enormous waves surging toward coastal communities.
Read moreHundreds of thousands of households are without power in Florida and Alabama as Isaias continues its path across south-eastern US.
Read moreIn environments studied for the 2026 State of Agent Security Report, roughly 1,280 third-party products now embed AI. About 282 of them sit behind single sign-on. The other thousand are invisible to identity infrastructure by default, not because anyone hid them, but because an identity stack can only govern what authenticates through it, and most agents never do. That gap is the clearest
Read moreArtificial intelligence company Anthropic has restricted live internet access across its internal evaluations after discovering instances of its Claude models bypassing safeguards, exploiting software vulnerabilities and accessing systems on real-world websites, including those operated by government agencies.
Read morePhiladelphia police said the tip was "flagged as spam", but criticised the tech company for taking more than two months to detect and report the breach.
Read moreDramatic flames from the huge Cairngorms wildfire in July have disappeared - but hot spots can continue to burn beneath the earth.
Read moreDramatic flames from the huge Cairngorms wildfire in July have disappeared - but hot spots can continue to burn beneath the earth.
Read moreAnthropic on Friday said it's cutting off live internet access for all its internal evaluations following the discovery of new incidents in which its artificial intelligence (AI) models exhibited misaligned behavior and targeted real websites. The AI company said it identified four broad categories of unintended model actions during evaluations and internal use of Claude - Claude Mythos
Read moreSpaceX Falcon 9 launches 21 military satellites into orbitSpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launched the Falcon 9 carrying the SDA’s fourth Tranche 1 data transport mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The launch was aimed at sending 21 military satellites to low-Earth orbit comprising the...
Read moreChinese meteorological experts have called for stronger measures to guard against extreme weather, abrupt transitions between drought and flooding, and unusual rainfall as a super El Nino is expected to have a greater impact in the coming months and into 2027.
Read moreYOUR NEWS, OUR NETWORK.
Do you have Great News you want to tell the world?
Be it updates about your business or your community, you can make sure that it’s heard by submitting your story to our network reaching hundreds of news sites across 6 verticals.
