NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal returned to his hometown of Newark Tuesday to greet hundreds of third- and fourth-graders.

Shaq was there to read from and talk about his new book series, "Little Shaq."

Shaq says he hopes the book will inspire kids to read more often.

"I see a lot of kids now that know how to work their iPads and their iPhones better than they know how to read and comprehend," says O'Neal. "So I wanted to write a relatable book talking about my experiences here in Newark as a child."

The kids also got lunch, watched a movie, and took home their very own copy of the book.