Octavia Spencer is looking to make some magic in the book world.
The actress, who won an Oscar for her role in “The Help,” has a deal with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for a pair of detective novels for middle-school students.
Simon & Schuster announced Thursday that the first book, “Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit,” will come out next fall.
In a statement, Spencer said that she had been inspired by such mystery series as Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown and hoped to give kids the same “sense of magic.”
Pictured: Actress Octavia Spencer arrives at the 8th annual GSLEN Respect Awards at Beverly Hills Hotel on October 5, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)