News Update

Gov. Newsom writes children’s book based on his childhood dyslexia diagnosis

Gov. Gavin Newsom hasn’t shied away from talking about his childhood dyslexia diagnosis and how it impacted his education. Now he has written a children’s book based on his experience.

Ben and Emma’s Big Hit, set to be released Dec. 7, centers around a boy who loves baseball and struggles with reading. When he starts thinking of reading and baseball in the same way, he realizes he can overcome any obstacle if he keeps trying, according to the Amazon summary.

Newsom’s dyslexia diagnosis came up several times during the 2022 fiscal year budget process. His administration bolstered special education funding by $1.5 billion between 2019 and 2021, including extra money for direct services as well as recruiting and training teachers.