The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class

It is no surprise that this series is awesome, and it also is fascinating to think about the wide variety of authors contributing to it being friends! I would have been completely and totally obsessed with this series when I was in first or second grade; Mrs. Z's class is full of third graders. Each volume can stand alone, in case you are worried about having to read them in order. This is an excellent decision, although there will be some students who HAVE to read them sequentially. (One of the characters, Sebastian, would probably insist on it!) These are a little young for middle school, but I would definitely buy all of the books for an elementary school library. The font is slightly bigger, the stories shorter, and Fajardo's illustrations just add to the appeal. 

Glaser, Karina Yan and Fajardo, Kat (illus.). Poppy Song Bakes a Way
The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class #3
October 8, 2024 by Algonquin Young Readers

E ARC provided by Netgalley.com

Poppy's family has recently moved to Peppermint Falls when her father was offered a job. Now, instead of living in her Po Po's house, the family has an apartment over a fitness studio. Po Po is an excellent baker, who used to have her own business, and still makes delicious treats that Poppy takes to school in the vintage lunch box that Po Po used when she was Poppy's age in Hong Kong. Poppy is still making friends in Mrs. Z's CLASS at Curiosity Academy, and when she offers to carry Memo's lunch box for him because he's on crutches, they get to talking about the fact that Po Po is coming to school soon to be a Valued Visitor. With Po Po's birthday coming up, Poppy tells Memo that she hopes to make dragon beard candy, which is Po Po's favorite. Memo thinks it sounds really cool, and soon tells other classmates that Poppy will be bringing in this fascinating sounding treat. This worries Poppy when she finds out how hard it is to make. Po Po has had some problems lately, putting salt in a recipe instead of sugar and leaving the television remote in the freezer, but Poppy's older brother Calvin says it's probably nothing to worry about. Poppy's parents let her work with a neighbor, artist Mrs. Kellogg, to make the candy so that it is a surprise. Unfortunately, when Poppy is working at the neighbor's apartment, Po Po has a fire in the oven, and then wanders off. Poppy finds her grandmother at the Sweet Bun Bakery, but it's clear that the grandmother needs to see the doctor. Poppy is very upset the day of her grandmother's appointment, and talks to Memo about what's going on. She also lets her class know that her grandmother might not be able to visit. They are all understanding. Luckily, Po Po has a good day, and does get a chance to come and tell Mrs. Z's class about her experiences running a bakery. The students want to make her feel welcome, and bring treats from their own family background. 

Strengths: Poppy has just moved to town, and is sad about some of the things she has left behind, but is doing a great job settling in. The fact that she has some rather grandiose plans about the dragon beard candy is right on track for most third graders, and she does occasionally get frustrated. Po Po's dementia is described and explained in a way that will make sense to younger children, but won't alarm them. I liked that her classmates are all supportive, and the message that it's helpful to share hard things that are happening with our friends is on trend. My favorite part of this book was the fact that Po Po embroidered little red hearts on Poppy's clothes to remind her about how much she loved her granddaughter; if I ever have grandchildren I might have to brush up on my embroidery skills! 
Weaknesses: I almost wish there were a note at the end of the book about dementia, since this is pretty tough stuff. Of course, having dealt with a lot of older people, I was sort of hoping that Po Po's altered state was temporary, and caused by a UTI. (If you haven't dealt much with the elderly, this is a real thing that can be very alarming.)
What I really think: This is a must purchase series for elementary schools, especially where series like Mills' After School Superstars or Franklin School Friends are popular. 

Alexander, William and Fajardo, Kat (illus.). The Legend of Memo Castillo

The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class #4
October 8, 2024 by Algonquin Young Readers

E ARC provided by Netgalley.com

 

Memo loves to play the card game Sorcery with his friend Theo, although it confuses their classmates Wyatt. The only part of the game that Memo doesn't like is when he is supposed to sing a song when he casts a spell; he is not confident in his singing skills, so doesn't want to do this. When he and Theo go to Doomscroll Comics to get some more cards, they run into the owner's daughter, who is in their class, and she mentions that she is going to be in the karaoke competition. They also see fifth grader Josh, who buys a lot of expensive cards and tells them that he will beat them at the Sorcery tournament at MagiCon. Memo and Theo have been eagerly awaiting  the con, and even put together costumes to wear. Memo's dad is supposed to drive the two, but with work and Memo's four sisters, he forgets. No one else can drive them, so Memo eventually reaches out to his grandmother. Lola has moved from Cuba to live with the family, and speaks Spanish around the house. Memo does not. He even has to have his older sister ask Lola for him. A plan is made to take a bus to the con, and Lola even dresses up as a fairy queen. When Memo and Theo get separated from Lola at the con, they panic a little. Memo gets the idea that if he competes in the karaoke competition, Lola will hear him and they can be reunited. Will he be able to create a new song to Lola's favorite tune and be brave enough to perform it? 

Strengths: I love that there are a decent amount of grandparents in this series, and the idea of not being able to communicate with a grandparent because of a language barrier is heartbreaking to me. I was glad that Memo finally connected with his grandmother, and that the two were able to have fun at MagiCon together. There isn't as much of the classroom setting in this title, but that was okay. Memo's family is interesting, and it's not a suprise that his father might be distracted and forget that he promised to drive the boys. The illustrations are particularly helpful in this installment, and we can see the boys' costumes!
Weaknesses: Third grade seems a little young for a con unless parents are also really into them, but since I have never actually been to one, I don't really have any idea!
What I really think: I somehow completely missed this author's Goblin Secrets, which won the National Book Award in 2012, but I'm not the only one; there's not a single copy in my district, but I'll have to locate one to read. There are a good number of older middle grade books that talk about conventions (Maggs' Con Quest, Pla's Stanley Will Probably Be Fine, Markell's The Gamemasters of Garden Place, and Jung's The Boys in the Back Row), but it's interesting to see this experience portrayed for younger readers.