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U.S. Paralympian Hosts Local Book Signing

Cody Michael Jones will be in Simi Valley Sunday, July 25

July 19, 2021

2016 Paralympian and 4x Gold Medalist in the U.S. Para Track and Field National Championships, Cody Michael Jones has a new kids book out and will be in Simi Valley on Sunday, July 25th for a fun book signing event!

His book, "Henry Makes it on Top" is a fantastically fictional story that parallels the challenges that students with disabilities face every day.



In Henry Makes it on Top, Henry, a student who uses a wheelchair, must find an imaginative and creative way to join his class on their field trip to the magical Mr. Goat. Why is this a challenge for Henry? The magical Mr. Goat lives far away on the top of a HUGE MOUNTAIN that is not wheelchair friendly.

Cody will be holding a book signing on Sunday, July 25th in Simi Valley

July 25th, 2021
2-4pm 
Santa Susana Park 

(Park by the Santa Susana Train Depot with the big rocks)

Stop by any time! Books for sale, a raffle with incredible prizes, a coloring station for the kiddos, photo op with the author (a Paralympian!!!)….and if you want, Cody can even read the book to you after he signs each book in a personal way! 
Cody may even broPop in for 5 minutes or hang around the park awhile.



The author, Cody Michael Jones, was born with cerebral palsy and he has not let that hold him back one bit. Between one-handed baseball, javelin throwing, public speaking and now writing a children's book - there isn't anything that will stand in his way. Learn more about this 2016 U.S. Paralympian's journey here.

We caught up with Cody for a quick interview. When we asked him what inspired this book he said, "I was at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center (formerly the Olympic Training Center) when COVID hit hard and everything shut down. I wanted to do something productive with my time and decided one night to be creative. It’s something I always wanted to do and I did it! There are so many children’s books out there, but very few talk about disabilities... let alone talk about them in an easy way for non-disabled students to understand. I decided to change that."

Using this book as a medium, Cody is hoping to teach children that Henry is a kid and that disability is not a bad thing nor does it make Henry any less of a human. His disability does, however, lead to unique challenges and this book speaks to that. For parents and educators, this book is a great way to teach students without disabilities how to interact with students with disabilities. It also gives the 7+ million students with disabilities out there greater representation and a sense of respect and inclusion.

If you want to support Cody and his efforts, stop by the book signing! Or the best way to get the book is through Amazon. Please leave a review! If you like it, let people know! If you don't, let Cody know how he can improve. Reviews help Amazon suggest it to more people so you can help the mission and vision of Henry Makes it on Top reach more people by leaving a review.

If you are an educator, or community member and wondering if Cody could speak to your class or group, the answer is Yes! Cody has spoken to nearly half of the schools in Simi Valley and many more in the surrounding area about his life and disability awareness. When asked about public speaking, Cody let us know that, "It is one of my greatest passions and the students really respond!" If you want to check his availability send him an email at cody@codymichaeljones.com. Or check out more information on his website: codymichaeljones.com

The last question we had for Cody was, "What other adventures are on the horizon for you and Henry?". To this, he responded, "Gold medals? Homeruns? Space adventures? School bullies? When you read the book, you’ll learn that Henry is a fearless kid with a creative mind. I am also open to submissions. If you or your student have an ideas you want to see published, please reach out!" 

You can connect with Cody on his website, Facebook, or Instagram.