The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class
Launching Summer 2024!
An innovative new chapter-book series where every book will focus on a different kid in the same third-grade class, with characters created by a stellar lineup of beloved authors!
Illustrations by Kat Fajardo!
Published by Algonquin Young Readers
In Stores Now
Emma McKenna, Full Out (The Kids Mrs. Z's Class #1)
Written by Kate Messner
Art by Kat Fajardo
Colors by Pablo A. Castro
Emma McKenna can’t wait for third grade at the brand-new Curiosity Academy. She’ll have a cool teacher who wears high-tops and science earrings. She’ll meet interesting classmates from all over Peppermint Falls. Best of all, she’ll get a fresh start after last year’s talent-show disaster left her with that awful nickname. It’s going to be the best year ever!
Then Lucy walks into Mrs. Z’s room.
Lucy, Emma’s best-friend-turned-enemy.
Lucy, who gave Emma that nickname and spread it all over school!
Emma’s fresh start is doomed . . . unless she can make friends before Lucy ruins everything.
So Emma sets out to be pals with everyone, just like her favorite animal, the capybara. As her classmates argue over the choice of a new school mascot, Emma stays quiet and doesn’t pick sides. (The last thing she needs is another enemy.) But maybe speaking up could be the thing that helps her really connect with her class—and saves her at last from third-grade doom.
Both sweetly poignant in its attention to kids’ worries and friendships and laugh-out-loud funny in its storytelling, with black-and-white illustrations throughout by Pura Belpré Honor artist Kat Fajardo, Emma McKenna, Full Out is the perfect launch for the exciting new Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class chapter-book series.
In stores now!
Rohan Murthy Has a Plan (The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class #2)
Written by Rajani LaRocca
Art by Kat Fajardo
Colors by Pablo A. Castro
Rohan Murthy dreams of running a successful business like his creative and kind mom. When Mrs. Z announces that Curiosity Academy needs to raise money for a school garden, Rohan sees the chance to launch his dreams right away! He’ll start a pet care company to help the people of Peppermint Falls look after their dogs, hamsters, fish, snakes, lizards . . . anything but cats. With hard work, some glittery posters, and the help of his friends from Mrs. Z’s class, Rohan knows he can do a lot for the school garden.
His parents point out just one small problem: Rohan has never taken care of an animal before. They think he doesn’t even like touching animals. (There is a reason cats aren’t on his list.) To prove his parents wrong, Rohan volunteers to spend a weekend watching over Honey, the class guinea pig. But Honey appears surprisingly anxious, which makes Rohan nervous as well. When his big dreams meet his secret fears, what will Rohan do?
In stores now!
Coming Soon!
Poppy Song Bakes a Way (The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class #3)
Written by Karina Yan Glaser
Art by Kat Fajardo
Colors by Pablo A. Castro
In the exciting new KIDS IN MRS. Z'S CLASS chapter-book series, every book is written by a different beloved children's author and stars a different kid in the class. For Book Three, Poppy Song must navigate both a tricky candy recipe and her grandmother’s increasing forgetfulness in a heartwarming tale written by New York Times bestselling author Karina Yan Glaser (The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street).
When Poppy Song joined Mrs. Z's third-grade class at Curiosity Academy, she knew just how to connect with her classmates: baked goods. Her beloved grandmother Po Po used to own her own bakery, and Poppy has inherited Po Po's gift for making pineapple buns, egg tarts, and other sweets, which she gladly shares with the other kids in Mrs. Z's class. After her classmates hear about a fancy treat called Dragon's Beard candy, they can't wait for Poppy to make some and bring it in.
Poppy is excited — and daunted — to try to make the candy, but she has other worries on her mind as well. Ever since they moved to Peppermint Falls, Po Po has been acting differently, putting items back in the wrong places, even mixing up ingredients in the recipes she knows by heart. Poppy wonders whether to say anything about these changes. Then comes a day when the differences put Po Po in danger, and Poppy must find her own courage to help her grandmother and her family figure out a way forward.
This tender novel from the author of The Vanderbeekers on 141st Street series celebrates all the people, and surprises, that make life sweet.
Coming Soon!
The Legend of Memo Castillo (The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class #4)
Written by William Alexander
Art by Kat Fajardo
Colors by Pablo A. Castro
In the exciting new KIDS IN MRS. Z'S CLASS chapter-book series, every book is written by a different beloved author and stars a different kid in the class. With Book Four, written by National Book Award winner William Alexander, Memo Castillo is excited to attend his first-ever fan convention with his best friend, Theo Chang — but when their transportation plans go awry, will they get to live out their dreams?
Guillermo "Memo" Castillo and Theo Chang have been best friends since they were in kindergarten, and now they're partners in Sorcery too — the mega-popular collectible card game, that is. Memo and Theo are excited to attend the upcoming science fiction & fantasy fan convention not far from Peppermint Falls. They plan to dress up in costumes, play in their first-ever Sorcery competition, defeat that arrogant fifth grader Josh Harkan in the tournament, and have an awesome day.
But Memo's dad can't drive them to the convention. His mom can't either. Theo's family is out as well. That leaves just one option: Memo's fearsome abuela. Lala doesn't speak English, though, and Memo doesn't speak Spanish. The two of them have never been able to really connect or communicate. But when Lala unexpectedly agrees to take Memo and Theo to the convention, it opens up a whole new set of adventures and challenges — along with a kind of magic that Memo never expected.
Coming Soon!
