Read With Jenna pick
Jenna Bush Hager’s ‘Read With Jenna’ selection for April is Upward Bound by Woody Brown — the segment calls it an ‘extraordinary book’ that can ‘open hearts and change minds,’ making it a top recommendation for personal‑growth reading this month (today.com).
Upward Bound was published March 31, 2026 by Hogarth (Penguin Random House) in a 208‑page hardcover, ISBN 9780593979976. (belmontbooks.com) Author Woody Brown is a nonspeaking autistic writer who communicates via an alphabet/letter board with his mother, Mary, and he earned UCLA’s English department writing honors in 2022 before completing an MFA at Columbia in 2024. (penguinrandomhouse.com) The novel is set in a cash‑strapped adult day‑program in Southern California and weaves interlocking stories of disabled participants and their overworked caretakers. (publishersweekly.com) Publishers Weekly gave Upward Bound a starred review, and the book was named a “most anticipated” spring title by outlets including The New York Times and Time, with endorsement blurbs from Paul Beatty, Roddy Doyle, Angie Kim and Mona Simpson on its jacket. (penguinrandomhouse.com) Jenna Bush Hager announced the Read With Jenna April selection on the April 1, 2026 Today Show, and TODAY ran a segment that included Brown and his mother discussing his life and method of communication. (today.com) Past Read With Jenna selections have gone on to bestseller status — Javier Zamora’s Solito and Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures are both listed as Read With Jenna picks that achieved New York Times bestseller recognition. (penguinrandomhouse.com)
