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

Ages 6 to 9, Grades 1 to 4

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?

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.