The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Fia Hosein Finds Her Beat

Illustrated by Kat Fajardo

Introduction by Kate Messner

On Sale: Mar 10, 2026
Page Count: 120 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780316594370

$6.99

$9.99 CAD

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Meet the kids in Mrs. Z’s wacky and wonderful third grade class! Fia Hosein loves life in Peppermint Falls, but when she notices her Trinidadian accent beginning to fade, she hits a few bumps in the road while regaining her voice.

When Fia Hosein and her family moved from Trinidad & Tobago to Peppermint Falls, she was excited for everything new that awaited them, like snow days! But one cold winter day, Fia’s voice starts to sound different and Ma and Grampy tell her it sounds like she has “snow in her throat.” Oh no! Did Fia catch a cold?

Now, Mrs. Z has assigned Fia a verbal presentation to perform in front of the whole class. How is Fia supposed to speak in front of her classmates when her voice feels all wrong? With the support of her parents, friends, and teachers, Fia must find a new sound that rings true to who she is!

Both sweetly poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, with black-and-white illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor artist Kat Fajardo, Fia’s story invites readers into Mrs. Z’s class where friendship and fun rule the school, from New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste.

Perfect for!
★ My Weirdtastic School fans
★ Reluctant readers
★ Classroom read-alouds
★ Andrew Clements fans
★ Young musicians

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The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class

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Tracey Baptiste

About the Author

Tracey Baptiste is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one books and several short stories for children. She writes fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels. She is best known for the horror adventure Jumbies series and Minecraft: The Crash. Tracey can be found online at traceybaptiste.com and on Instagram: @traceybaptistewrites.

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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