ZAILA AVANT-GARDE is a multitalented powerhouse. Hailing from New Orleans, she won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, making her the first African American winner in the competition's history of almost one hundred years. Zaila's spelling triumph is just one entry on a very impressive résumé. Currently sixteen years old, she was named SportsKid of the Year 2021 by Sports Illustrated Kids. Zaila also holds two Guinness World Records for her basketball skills. She holds the records for the most bounce juggles in one minute with four basketballs and most basketballs dribbled simultaneously by one person (at six basketballs). Her success has been celebrated by the likes of Barack and Michelle Obama, LeBron James, and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Follow Zaila on Twitter at [...] and Instagram at [...]

Marti Dumas, Zaila's collaborator, is a teacher in New Orleans. She is the author of fiction and nonfiction books for young readers, including the Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest series and Women in the Old West.