Zaila Avant-garde

ZAILA AVANT-GARDE is a multi-talented powerhouse and a New York Times bestselling author, with success springing from all her endeavors. She was named SportsKid of the Year 2021 by Sports Illustrated Kids.

Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, she won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, making her the first African-American to win in almost 100 years of the competition. Avant-garde landed on her winning word, murraya—a type of tree—by associating the word with famous comedian Bill Murray, who surprised her by phoning in during her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Avant-garde’s spelling triumph is just one entry on a very impressive resume. Along with competing in spelling bees for two years, Avant-garde holds two Guinness World Records for her basketball prowess. She…

Weird and Wonderful You

Weird and Wonderful You

Zaila Avant-garde; illustrated by Kah Yangni
Sports Are Fun!

Sports Are Fun!

Zaila Avant-garde; illustrated by Felicia Whaley
It's Not Bragging If It's True

It's Not Bragging If It's True

Zaila Avant-garde with Marti Dumas
Words Are Magic!

Words Are Magic!

Zaila Avant-Garde; illustrated by Felicia Whaley
Words of Wonder from Z to A

Words of Wonder from Z to A

Zaila Avant-garde; illustrated by Keisha Morris

Series with Zaila Avant-garde