Actress Quvenzhané Wallis has signed on to write a series of children’s books for Simon and Schuster, the publisher announced Wednesday.
Wallis, 12, signed a four-book deal with Simon and Schuster’s Books for Young Readers, an imprint of the publisher’s children’s book division. According to USA Today, the deal specifically calls for a series of three “chapter books,” as well as a picture book based on Wallis’ life.
Wallis was nine years old when she became the youngest person to receive an Oscar nomination in 2013 for her role in Beasts of the Southern Wild. She also earned a Golden Globe nomination for playing the titular role in the 2014 adaptation of Annie. And the picture book will focus specifically on experiences at award shows, following a “spunky young heroine who is very much looking forward to a night out with her mom at an awards show.”
The series, which remains untitled, will center around Shai Williams, a third-grader who has a flair for the dramatic. Simon and Schuster said the books will be written for an audience aged “6 and up.” The first book will be released in January 2017, the second in fall 2017, and the last in Summer 2018.