Retired boxer Laila Ali will release her first children’s book later this year.
Crown Books for Young Readers will publish Ali’s A Spark of Greatness: The Autobiography of a Fighter in the fall, the press announced in a news release. The book will be illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera, whose Me & Mama was a Caldecott Honor Book and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book.
Ali, daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, began boxing as a teenager and had her first match in 1999, knocking out her opponent, April Fowler. She went on to become one of the best-known competitors in women’s boxing, winning all of her 24 fights and acquiring several super middleweight titles. She fought her last match in 2007.
She went on to work in television, appearing in reality competition series including Dancing With the Stars, Celebrity Wife Swap, and The Masked Singer. In 2002, she co-authored the motivational memoir Reach!: Finding Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power with David Ritz.
A Spark of Greatness, Crown says, will tell the story of Ali’s childhood and career in boxing. The publisher says the book is a “beautiful true story of resilience and determination [that] encourages every reader to find their own spark, trust their power, and let their inner confidence shine.”
A Spark of Greatness is slated for publication on Sept. 8.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
