Meet the kids in Mrs. Z's wacky and wonderful third grade class! Theo Chang is thrilled his family adopted a new cat, but the cat is less thrilled about his new home. Can Theo find a way to befriend the kitty before his family gives up and takes him back to the shelter?

Theo Chang loves Trainwhistle, his family's newly adopted cat. There's just one problem: Trainwhistle does not love Theo. Although he's a lovey-dovey lap cat with humans, Trainwhistle is very rough with other cats. And for some reason, he clearly thinks Theo is another cat. Chased around the apartment and bitten on the ankle by the ferocious feline, Theo doesn't know what to do!

Too embarrassed about getting beaten up by his own cat, Theo can't ask his best friend Memo for advice, but when his parents start talking about returning Trainwhistle to the shelter, he realizes time is running out. Can Theo convince Trainwhistle he's a boy, not a cat, before it's too late?

Both sweetly poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, with black-and-white illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor artist Kat Fajardo, Theo Chang welcomes readers into Mrs. Z's class where friendship and fun rule the school.

Perfect for!
★ My Weirdtastic School fans
★ Reluctant readers
★ Classroom read-alouds
★ Andrew Clements fans
★ Cat lovers!
★ Families who've adopted a pet

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)
Ayana Ndoum Takes the Stage (#6)
Olive Little Gets Crafty (#7)
Synclaire Fields Knows the Score (#8)
Theo Chang is Not a Cat (#9) -- available for preorder now!
Thunder Nelson Does the Impossumble (#10) -- available for preorder now!
Sebastian Metzger Solves a Sticky Situation (#11) -- available for preorder now!
Fia Hosein Finds Her Beat (#12) -- 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!


Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 11/04/2025
ISBN: 9781523532896
Pages: 128