Ayana Ndoum Takes the Stage (The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class #6)

by Kekla Magoon, Kat Fajardo (Illustrator)

Overview

Mrs. Z’s class is holding a variety show, and everyone has signed up to demonstrate their special talent! 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 talent 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. And with her dad taking up the spotlight, will she ever find her own way to shine?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781523527540
Publisher:	Workman Publishing Company
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Series:	The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class , #6
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

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.

Editorial Reviews

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)

From the Publisher