The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: The Legend of Memo Castillo

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Meet the kids in Mrs. Z’s wacky and wonderful third-grade class! Memo Castillo can’t wait for his first-ever MagiCon fan convention, but his plans are on the verge of collapse unless he can find a ride—fast!

Guillermo “Memo” Castillo and Theo Chang can’t wait to attend the local MagiCon convention. They’ll dress up in costumes, play in their first-ever Sorcery competition, defeat that snotty fifth grader Josh Harkan, 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. Memo has to figure out a new plan for their epic journey before it’s too late!

He turns to Lala, his fearsome abuela. Lala doesn’t speak English, though, and Memo doesn’t speak Spanish. 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.

Both sweetly poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, with black-and-white illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor artist Kat Fajardo, Memo’s story invites readers into Mrs. Z’s class where friendship and fun rule the school, from National Book Award winner William Alexander.

Perfect for!
★ My Weirdtastic School fans
★ Reluctant readers
★ Classroom read-alouds
★ Andrew Clements fans
★ Multilingual families
★ D&D players
★ Grandparents Day

Read them all! The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class have plenty of stories to share!
Emma McKenna, Full out (#1)
Rohan Murthy Has a Plan (#2)
Poppy Song Bakes a Way (#3)
The Legend of Memo Castillo (#4)
Wyatt Hill Brings a Lizard to School (#5) — available for preorder now!
Ayana Ndoum Takes the Stage (#6) — available for preorder now!
Olive Little Gets Crafty (#7) — available for preorder now!
Synclaire Fields Knows the Score (#8) — available for preorder now!

*The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class is an innovative series where every book is written by a different all-star author and features a different kid in the same third-grade class. They can be read in any order!

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The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class

Praise for the Kids in Mrs. Z's Class Series

"Uplifting and encouraging." B>Kirkus Reviews

“[A] wholesome read…buoyant.” B>Publishers Weekly

“Buy the book and the series. Kids need access to this diverse classroom of students who face everyday crises with their supportive friends, and this gentle read shows the goodness in the world without being overly sappy.” —SLJ

"Believable characters experiencing age-appropriate challenges: making new friends, navigating social groups, overcoming shyness, and dealing with embarrassment. . . Share with fans of Annie Barrows' Ivy and Bean books or Sara Pennypacker's Clementine series." B>Booklist

"This new series is giving [Polk Street School] vibes. I absolutely love that each book is written by a different author and I love how diverse the classroom is. . . The great thing about [these] books is they showcase kids working together and supporting each other."
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On Sale: Oct 8, 2024
Page Count: 112 pages
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9781523527472

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William Alexander

About the Author

William Alexander won the National Book Award for his debut novel, Goblin Secrets, as well as the Earphones Award for his narration of the audiobook. Other honors include the Eleanor Cameron Award, two Junior Library Guild Selections, a Mythopoetic Award finalist, an International Latino Book Award finalist, and a Cybils Award finalist. Like the protagonist of his books Nomad and Ambassador, William is the son of a Latino immigrant to the US. He teaches in the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults and lives in Vermont. Visit him online at WillAlex.net.

Kat Fajardo (they/she) received a Pura Belpré Honor for Illustration for their first graphic novel, Miss Quinces (published in Spanish as Srta. Quinces). Born and raised in New York City, Kat now lives in Austin, Texas, with their pups, Mac and Roni. They invite you to visit them at katfajardo.com.

Learn more about this author

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.

Learn more about this illustrator