New York Knicks captain Amar'e Stoudemire will soon add another job title to his name: children's book author. The NBA All-Star, who recently started his own hip-hop record label, has signed a deal with Scholastic to publish a series aimed towards middle school children to encourage them to read. The books will be titled "STAT: Standing Tall and Talented" and touch upon the obstacles Stoudemire faced as he was growing up.

"I am excited to create my book series with Scholastic," Stoudemire tells AllHipHop. com. "They are the best in the business so I trust them with my stories. I decided to write for children because although I am an avid reader now, I wish I had read more as a child. I hope that together with Scholastic, we can creatively inspire a new generation to read."

The first book in series, "STAT #1: Home Court," deals with an 11-year-old Stoudemire using his skills on the court and intellect to handle an older group of bullies. It will be realeased August 2012 and the following two books will be published October 2012 and January 2013.