Do you remember some of your goals and aspirations when you were younger? Chental Song-Bembry began accomplishing her dream of becoming as an inspirational writer at the ripe age of 10. This is when she started developing the idea for her now successful book series, The Honey Bunch Kids. This series is about a group of diverse friends, Dizzy, Bubblegum Boy, Stuart, Cheeks, and Corrine, who learn important life lessons about respect, friendship and group dynamics through their hilarious life adventures in and out of school. Chental began writing the series at 13 and since then its popularity has grown exponentially.

Writing this book series has opened up numerous doors for Chental. Besides writing her stories, Chantel runs a literacy campaign called the Chental Song-Bembry Literacy Campaign. Through this initiative, she has been able to reach a variety of children and parents by traveling to different schools, churches, libraries, and book clubs to promote the importance of literacy. When asked about her thoughts on the importance of reading in today’s society, Chental responded by saying:

“Reading is more important now than it ever was because of the invention of smartphones. The increased use of smart phones is making attention spans shrink. This is why comic books are a great idea for kids! To promote literacy today, we have to change the angle. Literacy is so important in a child’s education. It’s the key to so many opportunities. Nobody can take your education from you. The more you read, the more confidence you have because of the knowledge you’ve gained through reading. I will always be an advocate for literacy.”

Chental went on further to say how truly honored and blessed she feels to be able to inspire others through her creative writing. She exclaimed, “I love being able to give back to my community and inspire others!” The Honey Bunch Kids is a diverse brand that showcases predominately African Americans as the main characters. She’s proud to be able to bring the world such a diverse brand that resonates with a universal audience due to its relatable messages.

Besides being a successful author she has been awarded with numerous awards and recognitions, including Black Enterprise Entrepreneur of the Week in 2011 and 2012, New Jersey Nets Hometown Hero Award, 2015 BET Honors “Early Riser,” Black Enterprise 2015 “Teenpreneur of the Year” Finalist, and HBCU Buzz “Top 30 Under 30.” She has even been privileged enough to meet First Lady, Michelle Obama!

Chental also has plans to further expand her brand. She’s been communicating with various networks in order to discuss a potential collaboration to get The Honey Bunch Kids on television. She’s also been working with Animation Production Company called Two Animators in order to explore the realm of comic books. Chental thinks transitioning her stories into comic book form will further expand her clientele and help her reach a wider audience. Currently they are working on a one minute animated short that should be released on YouTube soon! In the future, she hopes to create products such as book bags, sneakers, socks, and t-shirts. There’s so much more that she feels she can offer, so be expecting more from the Honey Bunch Kids in the very near future.

Chental is motivated to continually inspire others to reach for their dreams. Chental’s take home message is “Don’t ever think you’re too young to be successful. If you have an idea, go with it!

Contributor: Ally Massimi