Scripps National Spelling Bee champ, New York
Times bestselling author, and Sports Illustrated Sports
Kid of the Year Zaila Avant-garde shares her love of sports in this level 1
Step Into Reading book. Perfect for children just beginning to read.
Be a soccer star. Kick, kick, score! Bounce a basketball. Bounce, bounce,
soar!
New readers will find playful encouragement in this easy reader that sings out
about the joy of playing sports. Wth ample rhyme and helpful repetition, Zaila
Avante-garde takes readers on a boisterous romp through the wide world of
sports, showing cheerful scenes of baseball, swimming, running, gymnastics, and
more.
Step 1 Readers feature big type and easy words for children who know the
alphabet and are eager to begin reading. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired with
picture clues help children decode the story.
About the Author
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 holds the records for the most bounce juggles in
one minute (four basketballs) and most basketballs dribbled simultaneously by
one person (six basketballs). Her success has been celebrated by the likes of
Barack and Michelle Obama, LeBron James, and Dr. Jill Biden.
FELICIA WHALEY is a children’s book illustrator currently residing
in Oak Park, IL. She obtained a BFA in illustration and design from the Art
Institute of Chicago. It was there she found a love for illustrating for
children, creating characters that she wished she had seen growing up.
