10-year-old author will talk about his latest book on campus
A published author and public speaker at age 10, George A. Latham IV will read and sign copies of his latest book called I Can Work in Sports, which he wrote in collaboration with the Detroit Pistons. He'll be at HFC on Wednesday, October 8, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Michael A. Berry Amphitheater (Room L-115) on the first floor of the Andrew A. Mazzara Administrative Services & Conference Center (ASCC) (Building L on the main campus).
The HFC School of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Future Teachers Association (FTA) are co-hosting this event. Fifth-graders from William Ford Elementary School in Dearborn will attend. George, a fifth-grader at Cornerstone Jefferson-Douglass Academy, is looking forward to coming to HFC, which will be his first time on a college campus.
“I’ll be talking about my book with fellow fifth-graders,” said George. “It’ll be fun.”
“As FTA president and an HFC student earning her associate degree in pre-elementary education, I think this event is a great opportunity for both HFC and the elementary school students,” said Adrianne Hernandez. “It gives them a chance to meet an author and get excited about reading, while strengthening the connection between HFC and local schools. It’s a meaningful experience.”
“People can be whatever they want, as long as they work hard for it”
LaToya Latham, George’s “momager” (a mashup of mother and manager) spoke to her son several years ago about his future.
“My mom asked me how I wanted to make own money. She gave me suggestions. She said I could open a lemonade stand or I could write a book. I chose to write a book, because I love to read and want to inspire others to read,” recalled George.
George began jotting down ideas in a notebook before writing his first book, I Can Be, which his parents researched and edited, and artist LaTosha Haith illustrated. Created for children ages 4-7, this coloring and activity book encourages children to be what they want to be in fun ways. Activities include pages to color, mazes, word searches, word problems, and math problems. It was published in 2021.
“I wanted to write a book that would let others know they can be whatever they want to be, as long as they work hard for it,” said George.
In 2023, he published his second book, I Can Be (Sports Edition), which presents a sports angle. The book elicited a lot of media attention. LaToya’s college friend Chris Economeas is the Pistons Senior Director of Community and Social Responsibility. Economeas asked George if he would like to work with the Pistons on a book, which eventually became I Can Work in Sports, illustrated by Darrell Jeffreys, Jr.
“Of course I said yes!” said George. “It was a cool experience!”
Meeting and interviewing the Pistons players and executives
I Can Work in Sports explores career opportunities available in the sports industry, including basketball, beyond being an athlete. It shows young readers that they can be involved in sports even if they’re not an athlete. The book aims to inspire young readers to think about their future and recognize a variety of career paths.
For this book, George got to meet all of the Pistons and interviewed Pistons executives:
- President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon
- President of Business Operations Melanie Harris
- Creative Director and Brand Executive Justin Winget
- Senior Manager of Public Relations Corey Moore
“George interviewed everybody he wrote about in the book. They gave details about their roles. It was a nice experience,” said LaToya.
In mid-August, George and his momager appeared on FOX 2 Detroit and Local 4.
“I had a good time getting to meet the players and the other people who work for the Pistons,” said George.
Student voices matter at any age
George’s accomplishments earned him several awards, including:
- The Principal’s Award for Academic Excellence at Jefferson-Douglass
- The Spirit of Detroit Award
- The U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award
“It felt amazing to get a paper signed by President Joe Biden,” said George.
Jefferson-Douglass declared it was George A. Latham IV Day on March 20. At the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year, George founded a book club at Jefferson-Douglass called the “I Can Be Club,” which is aimed at encouraging first through third-graders to read.
HFC Pre-Education Director Dr. Carolyn Casale invited George to HFC. Casale, along with William Ford teachers Ahqam Algalham and Holly Lutteke, are looking forward to George’s presentation.
"Our fifth-grade students getting to meet a young author around their age is powerful and meaningful,” said Algalham. “It allows them to see someone like themselves achieving big goals, which makes the idea of becoming a writer feel real and possible.”
Added Lutteke: “We are so excited to meet this talented young author. Opportunities like this inspire our students and show them that their voices matter at any age. We’re also incredibly grateful for our ongoing partnership with HFC, whose support helps make experiences like this possible for our elementary students.”
The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. For questions or more information about this event, contact Casale at 313-317-6580 or ccasale@hfcc.edu.