2021 Scripps Spelling Bee Winner Zaila Avant-garde Is Becoming a Children's Book Author — See the Covers!
John Raoux/AP Photo
Zaila Avant-garde is now adding "author" to her outstanding résumé!
The 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner, now 16, of Louisiana, will make her debut as a children's book author this year with a pair of titles published by Random House Children's Books, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal.
Her first title — a nonfiction book titled It's Not Bragging If It's True: How to Be Awesome at Life — will hit the shelves on May 2. The second — a picture book titled Words of Wonder from Z to A — will be released on June 27.
Zaila tells PEOPLE she has "loved" her experience as an author.
RELATED: Meet the History-Making Scripps Spelling Bee Winner, Who Also Has Impressive Basketball Skills
"I'm extremely excited to have my first books published, and I'm especially happy that they are for kids," she remarked in a press release. "As a child who knew my favorite books by heart, I know firsthand the joy that a good book can bring."
Courtesy of Random House
Written in collaboration with author Marti Dumas, It's Not Bragging If It's True is "an empowering collection of true stories" about Zaila's life, according to Random House Children's Books.
The book, for readers ages 8 to 12, features various personal anecdotes that illustrate how Zaila has accomplished so much at her young age. The young author says she hopes her book "will motivate and uplift other kids who are pursuing their dreams."
In Words of Wonder from Z to A, illustrated by Keisha Morris, Zaila uses some of her favorite motivational words — including "kindness," "hope," and "resilience" — to create her inspiring piece of work. The book even comes with a special quote from a famous thought leader on every page.
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"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)," Zaila said in Wednesday's press release.
"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," she added.
Courtesy of Random House
But Zaila isn't stopping there. The young author has a second picture book, two Step Into Reading titles, and a Little Golden Book coming out as part of her current program.
Zaila tells PEOPLE that she's is looking forward to writing more books in the future, including more children's books.
RELATED: Zaila Avant-garde Attends ESPY Awards, Says She 'Still Can't Quite Believe' Spelling Bee Win
Additionally, the talented teenager has been focusing on her basketball skills as she works toward her goal of playing college basketball — and maybe one day, becoming an NBA coach. She also dreams of working fields like in neuroscience, forensics or molecular biology.
"I'm super interested in the inner workings of the human mind," she tells PEOPLE. "I want to at least help solve the almost unsolvable puzzle of how the human mind works, or maybe solve it all together."
John Raoux/AP Photo
Before becoming an author, Zaila rose to fame at age 14 as the first Black American winner of Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2021. (She was also named SportsKid of the Year by Sports Illustrated Kids and won the Stan Musial Award for Extraordinary Character in 2021.)
Zaila tells PEOPLE that the response she received from her community after her victory "was nothing short of amazing." Her hometown even threw her an "awesome parade" to celebrate her victory.
Now, she is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and experiences with others as she explores her passion for writing.
"When I was a little girl, if you had told me that in ten years I would be writing books of my own, I wouldn't have believed it," Zaila said in Wednesday's press release. "This is such an awesome feeling."
