Quvenzhané Wallis signs four-book deal with Simon & Schuster

Quvenzhané Wallis may be too young to run her own Twitter account, but she’s certainly old enough to be a world-famous actress. Now, Wallis can add “author” to her growing list of accomplishments. The Annie star has signed a four-book deal with Simon & Schuster. Three of those will comprise a series of chapter books starring “a precocious and talented third-grader” named Shai Williams. The fourth will be a picture book following “a spunky young heroine” getting ready for an awards show with her mom.

“The characters Quvenzhané has portrayed have an alluring mix of self-possession and vulnerability,” Simon & Schuster Vice President Dawn Davis stated in a press release. “We look forward to her bringing that same electric combination to the page. We also hope these books will help expand the diverse array of voices in the children’s book space.”

The as-yet untitled chapter book series is set to launch in January 2017, with the next two installments following in fall 2017 and summer 2018. The picture book is also set for fall 2017. Illustrators for the books have not yet been selected.