Major retailer now selling teen’s book

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    ELK GROVE, California (KCRA ) — A 17-year-old from Elk Grove is finding success with a new joke book he wrote during the pandemic.

It’s been selling on Amazon, but a major chain just picked it up. CVS stores nationwide are now carrying Josiah Johnson’s joke book. The Sheldon High School teen said he now has enough money to pay for four years of college.

Johnson said he was blown away to see his book, “Jo’s Jokin Jokes,” on store shelves at the CVS on Bradshaw Road in Elk Grove this week. It’s selling for $5.

Johnson wrote his first joke book when he was 13, and it was a big hit at his school.

Fast forward four years and his Vol. 2 joke book is being sold just in time for Easter at CVS stores across the country.

It’s a book that he hopes will break barriers and bring people joy during the pandemic.

“I never would have thought that I would be an author of my joke book, but having the idea, it really helped me, and then seeing it in the store,” he said. “It’s like, us African Americans, they see us mostly as athletes, but you got entrepreneurs, authors, doctors.”

“For me to be in the community of the people in the low percent that are (African American authors), that’s our culture, that’s super dope. Just knowing that I’m doing something that is bigger than myself,” he added.

The Sheldon High School junior has been getting a lot of great business advice from his dad, who is the founder of Rapid Brands.

Chris Johnson said his family is not just focused on making money, they want to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“I’m so excited that Josiah … at 13 years old created a joke book, and now at 17 it’s in stores nationwide. I think that could bring people a lot of joy and hope that that idea that they have is possible. Just takes a ton of faith and hard work and it can happen,” Chris Johnson said.

Josiah Johnson’s joke book is in the Easter aisle of your favorite CVS pharmacy. Also, look for him on a Netflix documentary soon. Crews are filming a documentary about his budding basketball career.

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