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The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: Ayana Ndoum Takes the Stage

By Kekla Magoon

Illustrated by Kat Fajardo

$6.99

$9.99 CAD

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Mrs. Z’s class is holding a variety show, and everyone has signed up to demonstrate their special skill! Everyone that is, except Ayana Ndoum. She’s good at reading, but someone’s already reciting a poem out loud. She’s good at synchronized swimming, but they can’t get a pool onstage. What could her act be?

Before she can figure it out, she has an even bigger problem to deal with: Why is her dad at school?

Turns out her dad—a professor who gets excited about schedules and has lots of goofy sayings—is a variety show volunteer! He talks to everyone and asks too many questions. It’s embarrassing for Ayana, who likes to be quiet and help from the sidelines. With her dad taking up the spotlight, will she ever find her own way to shine?

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The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class

Praise for Kekla Magoon:
* "A summertime romp filled with trouble-making, camaraderie, and substance."
School Library Journal, starred review (The Season of Styx Malone)
* "Magoon (How It Went Down) crafts a novel that is genuinely funny, heartbreaking, and uplifting—extraordinary, in fact."
Publishers Weekly, starred review (The Season of Styx Malone)
* "Magoon makes space for and celebrates the sensitive and solitary middle-grade readers who are happiest flying under the radar."
Shelf Awareness, starred review (Chester Keene Cracks The Code)
"Engrossing and heartwarming; explores belonging, love, and forgiveness in families and friendships."
Kirkus Reviews (Chester Keene Cracks The Code)

On Sale: Mar 11, 2025
Page Count: 112 pages
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9781523527540

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Kekla Magoon

About the Author

Kekla Magoon is the author of many novels and nonfiction books for young readers, including The Season of Styx Malone, The Rock and the River, How It Went Down, and Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People. She has received the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the John Steptoe New Talent Award, three Coretta Scott King Honors, the Walter Award Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and been a finalist for the National Book Award. Kekla conducts school and library visits nationwide and serves on the Writers’ Council for the National Writing Project. Kekla holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she now serves on faculty. Visit her online at keklamagoon.com.

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Kat Fajardo

About the Illustrator

Kat Fajardo is an award-winning comic artist and illustrator based in NYC. A graduate of The School of Visual Arts, she’s editor of La Raza Anthology and creator of Bandida Comics series. She’s made work for Penguin Random House on The First Rule of Punk (written by Celia C. Pérez), CollegeHumor, and several anthologies. You can find her working at her Brooklyn studio creating playful and colorful work about self-acceptance and Latinx culture. Or drooling over puppies at a cafe.

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