Gifts of Love
Bringing Books, Joy, and a Powerful Message to Students
Little Netta’s Gift Author Visit Program Overview
A book gives a child something they can hold, revisit, and call their own — sometimes for the first time. Meeting the author makes the story come alive, affirms their voice, and helps them believe their own ideas matter too.
The Little Netta’s Gift Author Visit Program is more than a book distribution effort. It combines literacy and book access, social emotional learning, and character development with a joyful, affirming experience that students will remember for years. Through Mike Brown’s high-energy presentations, children engage with themes of kindness, empathy, generosity, self-worth, representation, youth empowerment, and cultural enrichment — all while receiving a tangible reminder of the story in the form of their own book to keep.
In the 2025–2026 school year, Mike aims to bring Little Netta’s Gift to life for more than 5,000 elementary students at under-resourced schools across the country. Each visit includes:
- An engaging author presentation tailored to the school’s schedule (classroom visits, grade-level sessions, or full assemblies)
- A free copy of the book for every student to take home
- In some cases, additional copies for school libraries or classrooms for ongoing access
This program offers a joyful, affirming experience that celebrates literacy, fosters kindness and empathy, and provides access to books and unique opportunities — like meeting and interacting with a real author — that many children may never have experienced before.
How You Can Help
On average, $20 supports a book and author visit for a student, and many schools have 300 or more students. Your sponsorship helps make it possible to give every child their own copy and bring the author visit to life.
Common Sponsorship Tiers:
- $25,000+ – Supports multiple schools
- $10,000 – Supports an entire large school
- $5,000 – Supports an entire small school
- $2,500 – Supports a full grade level
- $500 – Supports one classroom
Custom amounts are also welcome. Every gift helps bring books and a joyful, affirming experience to more children.
You can make your gift online HERE
Or mail a check to:
Soulstir LLC
12412 Bittersweet Commons Blvd W, #365
Granger, IN 46530
About Mike Brown
Mike is a speaker, author, and founder of Soulstir, a mission-driven publishing company. He was the first Black student to serve as the iconic Notre Dame Leprechaun. Known for his high-energy presence and soul-stirring storytelling, he uses books and live experiences to help people recognize their worth and stir up the gifts within them to impact lives.
About the Book
Little Netta’s Gift is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that teaches the power of kindness, empathy, and giving. It is based on the true story of Lil’ Jeannetta Robinson, affectionately known as Little Netta — a joyful six-year-old from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On her sixth birthday, December 27, 1980, she noticed that some of her friends had not received Christmas presents. In a beautiful act of selflessness, she gave away her own birthday gifts to them at her party.
Little Netta is Mike Brown’s late cousin, and her legacy of love lives on through this heartwarming story and the work it has inspired.
In the News
ABC57 News Coverage from a 2024 Little Netta’s Gift Author Visit
https://www.abc57.com/news/former-notre-dame-leprechaun-shares-heartwarming-story-with-local-school
Mike Brown, former Notre Dame Leprechaun, now brings that same energy and heart to students across the country.