Random House Children’s Books has announced a program of titles from Zaila Avant-garde, the Scripps National Spelling Bee winner who became an internet sensation; publication will begin this spring.
Avant-garde, now 16, will make her literary debut with the release of two titles. It’s Not Bragging If It’s True: How to Be Awesome at Life, a nonfiction volume due out from Random House Books for Young Readers on May 2, was edited by Sara Sargent. The middle grade book shares Avant-garde’s experiences on becoming a spelling champion at age 14 and offers readers advice on how to embrace their own uniqueness. A picture book, Words of Wonder from Z to A, illustrated by Keisha Morris and edited by Frances Gilbert, is scheduled for June 27 from Doubleday. In the book, Avant-garde highlights inspirational and affirming words to help young readers learn the alphabet.
Avant-garde’s 2021 victory at the Scripps National Spelling Bee made her the first African American to claim the champion title in almost 100 years. She was named the 2021 SportsKid of the Year by Sports Illustrated Kids, and is a two-time Guinness World Record holder for her basketball skills.
In a statement, Avant-garde said, “These books are for the readers who have their favorite stories memorized forward and backward and dare their parents not to read to them at bedtime (like me). But they are most of all dedicated to the kids who are nervous about picking up a book and reading it, who don’t read them simply because they think they are not good at it. I’m here to say you can do it too.”
