Oscar Award-winning actor Goldie Hawn and bestselling author Lin Oliver are collaborating on a new middle grade series for Penguin Workshop. The After-School Kindness Crew series will kick off on May 5, 2026 with its first installment, Pooch on the Loose. The book, which features illustrations from Breanna Chambers, follows fourth-graders Tony, Mia, and River as they attempt to solve interpersonal dramas with kindness and mindfulness.
The series is inspired by the Goldie Hawn Foundation’s MindUP program, which offers resources to children to learn emotional and stress management. Founded in 2003, the program now serves more than seven million children in 48 countries.
“The principles developed by the MindUP program stress kindness, self-awareness, and empathy,” Oliver said in a statement. “It’s been an absolute pleasure to create the After-School Kindness Crew, the story of three outlier kids who form a club that promotes these values and puts them into everyday action.”
Hawn added, “I want to create these relatable stories to remind children of the power of kindness, while giving them moments of laughter and calm.”
Renee Kelly and Tyiana Combs will edit the series; Alan Nevins at Renaissance Literary & Talent represented Hawn and Ellen Goldsmith-Vein at the Gotham Group represented Oliver in the deal for world rights, all languages.
