Lauren has made a beautiful book with a crucial message for kids—if something doesn’t feel right to you, speak up, and don’t be ashamed. And I hope that parents reading it to their children will remember something, too: listen.” —Dr. Howard Koplewicz, President, Child Mind Institute
Lauren Book was 10 years old when a new female nanny joined the family. After she turned 11, and for the next six years, Lauren endured daily sexual, emotional, and physical abuse.
Today an internationally renowned and respected child advocate, and founder and CEO of Lauren’s Kids, Lauren has turned her horrific personal experience into a vehicle to prevent childhood sexual abuse and help other survivors heal. Her mission is to end the abuse that affects 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys in the U.S.
- She and her father have led a successful legislative onslaught against predators, influencing the passage of nearly two-dozen Florida lawsto protect children.
- Committed to empowering children to protect themselves against abuse, Lauren created and now teaches a Pre-K to grade 12 in-school curriculum that provides children with the necessary tools to be the first line of defense against abuse.
- She has written her first book for children, LAUREN’S KINGDOM (Sweetwater Press; March 9, 2015; $16.99), an uplifting, inspiring, and instructive tale that reaffirms a life-saving message to children: It’s OK to tell.
- 2015 marks Lauren’s 6th annual 1,500-mile statewide Walk in My Shoes journey across Florida to end child sexual abuse and help survivors heal; tens of thousands of survivors and other supporters have walked with her, including the Miami Heat and the Miami Dolphins; the next Walk takes place March 14 – April 22 — during National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
- KIND snacks selected Lauren’s “Walk in My Shoes” as a KIND Cause recipient of $10,000 and named her a #kindawesome advocate.
- Lauren was named a 2013 L’Oreal Paris Woman of Worth.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lauren Book, M.S. Ed, a former classroom teacher and author of the memoir It’s OK To Tell, has been named a PEOPLE All-Stars Among Us and a L’Oreal Paris Woman of Worth, and awarded a Congressional Medal of Merit for her tireless work to protect childhood. A sought-after speaker, Lauren has addressed UNICEF, a symposium in The Hague, and taught her safety-awareness curriculum in the Cape Town, South Africa region. An Emmy-nominated and Gracie Award-winning television producer, she has been featured by USA Today, ABC’s “Katie,” FOX News, CNN’s HLN, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, and Maria Shriver’s Architects of Change. She lives in South Florida.
We know that 95% of sexual abuse is preventable through education and awareness. I will call you soon about this inspiring and passionate leader and advocate, Lauren Book.
