About the author
Who is Devin Paladino?
A self-published author whose work has reached readers worldwide — and who spent most of his childhood in a system that expected a different outcome.
- FromRockford, Illinois — the 815
- BasedTampa, Florida
- StudiedUniversity of South Florida
- PublishedTen books, self-published
- Sold atAmazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble
- Traveled13 countries, six continents
Devin Paladino is a self-published author whose works have reached readers worldwide.
A native of Rockford, Illinois, and a former foster child, Devin's journey to success is built on resilience and determination. His debut book, My Testimony, along with Dreaming Big Beyond the Sea, Just a Kid from the 815, and others, have earned widespread recognition and are available in major retailers such as Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Devin is committed to encouraging others to realize their potential, overcome challenges, and pursue their dreams, no matter where they come from.
How it started
His father went to prison when he was 13. His mother had been out of the picture since he was seven. He entered the foster care system young and moved between homes for years — long enough to memorize the statistics people quoted about children like him.
“It was tough bouncing from one foster home to another.”
Devin Paladino to the Ghana News Agency, January 2025A scholarship opened the way to college. During the COVID-19 pandemic, with the encouragement of one lecturer, he discovered he could write — and wrote My Testimony, his own account of it. Eight more books followed. He studied at the University of South Florida.
What he does with it
Devin does not treat the books as the end of the work. He carries them — into assemblies, libraries, Boys & Girls Clubs, and classrooms — and leaves copies behind. In January 2025 he donated 54 copies across five titles to the St. Nicholas Charity Foundation library in Tema, Ghana. In May 2025 he went back to Rockford to hand out free books at the Blackhawk Boys & Girls Club, in the city where it started.
“I'm not special. I'm not better than anybody. I just worked hard and wanted something different for my life.”
Devin Paladino to Rockford News First, May 2025His work has been covered by FOX 13 Tampa Bay, the Ghana News Agency, Rockford News First and Hillsborough Community College. He has traveled to 13 countries across six continents, and the range shows in the books: Rockford, the south side of Chicago, a Brazilian favela, a classroom in Tema.
Dreaming big, beyond the sea
Thirteen countries so far. The boy who was told how his story ended has been to Giza, the Great Wall of China, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and Paris.
For event organizers
Press kit.
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Short bio — 44 words
Devin Paladino is a self-published author and speaker from Rockford, Illinois. A former foster child, he has published ten books, donates copies to school libraries worldwide, and speaks to students about resilience, literacy and turning pain into purpose. He is based in Tampa, Florida.
Long bio — 121 words
Devin Paladino is a self-published author and speaker. He grew up in foster care in Rockford, Illinois, and began writing during the COVID-19 pandemic with the encouragement of a college lecturer. He has since published ten books, among them My Testimony, Just a Kid From the 815 and Fighting the Good Fight: Turning Pain Into Purpose, sold through Amazon, Walmart and Barnes & Noble. He gives them away about as fast as he writes them — 54 copies across five titles to the St. Nicholas Charity Foundation library in Tema, Ghana, in January 2025 — and speaks to students about literacy, resilience and what a single decision can change. He has traveled to 13 countries across six continents, and is based in Tampa, Florida.