Bear and Bee
Big Emotions
by Liz Forsberg
Big feelings are easier with a friend.
Ages 2–6EmotionsFriendshipEmpathy
Who we are
The family behind the books.
Liz Forsberg writes stories for the smallest readers in the room. Chris Forsberg started the foundation that carries them. Between a kitchen table and a merch tent, the two things met, and grew into a national foundation that puts books in children's hands through schools, libraries, hospitals, community organizations and motorsports events.
- books for young readers
- 4books for young readers
- people leading the foundation
- 5people leading the foundation
- coasts, one mission
- 2coasts, one mission
Four books. One kitchen table.
The Story of Forceby Chris Forsberg
The founder
Chris ForsbergFounder & Chairman · Author
Chris Forsberg is a three-time Formula Drift champion. He is also the author of a picture book about a very small cat with a very large dream.
The Story of Force follows a rescue cat who wants to race, written by someone who knows what wanting something that badly feels like. It ends the only way it could: Never give up. Never stop dreaming.
He started selling copies at the merch tent, a few at a time, to the children who came to watch him race. That grew into a national foundation, founded as Driven to Read and now called Shine with Stories.
3× Formula Drift championNissan ZAuthor of The Story of Force
The storyteller
Liz ForsbergCo-Founder · Executive Director & Creative Director
Liz writes the quiet ones. Bear and Bee is about feelings that arrive far too big for the small body holding them. The Sand Monkey's Secret is about a promise kept between a girl, her grandma and the dunes.
Both are written for the same reader: someone little, sitting close, still learning that a book can hold what they feel. That is the whole job, as she sees it. Put the right words in front of a child early enough that reading feels like being understood, not being tested.
She co-founded Shine with Stories and runs it day to day: authorship, publishing, creative direction and program execution.
Written small, on purpose.
The Sand Monkey's Secret
by Liz Forsberg
One sunset. One secret promise. A summer to remember.
Ages 3–8KindnessAdventureKeeping promises
Would You Love Me If I Was a Caterpillar?
by Liz Forsberg
A new book from Liz Forsberg.
Reader details coming soon
Release and availability details for Liz's books are coming soon.
Why the family does this
Every child deserves to shine.
A children's literacy foundation that puts meaningful books, literacy support and learning opportunities into the hands of children and families.
Leadership
One national foundation, five people who answer for it.
Shine with Stories runs as one national foundation with coordinated West Coast and East Coast programs: a single mission, a single set of publishing standards, and regional leaders building partnerships close to home.
Chris Forsberg
Founder & Chairman
Chris sets the direction, speaks for the foundation in public, and brings in the corporate partners.
Liz Forsberg
Co-Founder, Executive Director & Creative Director
Liz runs the foundation day to day: writing, publishing, creative direction, and getting programs out the door.
Laura Forsberg
Director of Story Development & East Coast Regional Director
Laura finds the stories and leads the East Coast, building the partnerships closest to home.
Thanked in the dedication of The Sand Monkey's Secret for the idea that started the story.
Ray Lacoste
Education Director
Ray reads the books as a teacher would, checking the literacy value and the age fit.
Danielle Lewis
Director of Development & Community Partnerships
Danielle raises the funds, looks after the donors, and puts the reading events together with schools and volunteers.
The Foundation is associated with Chris Forsberg and Forsberg Racing, which connects literacy with motorsports, engineering and family audiences. Shine with Stories keeps its own governance, finances, programs and accountability.
Keep reading
Meet the books, or meet the mission.
Four children's books, and one national foundation working to put meaningful stories in classrooms, libraries, hospitals and community programs across the country.