Merci Suarez Changes Gears is a wonderful coming of age story about a middle schooler trying to navigate school, peers, and family. Merci belongs to a close knit family who all live right next door to each other. She loves soccer and plays with her father's team. She goes on bike rides with her grandpa and babysits her cousins. Her father owns a painting company which allowed her to get a scholarship to a private school. Everything was going great until she had to get a Sunshine Buddy, spend all her free time with family, and her grandpa started acting strange. I enjoyed reading about Merci's journey. I liked how the author tied in the title to the rest of the book. Definitely a book that I will recommend to my students. Thank you #Netgalley for a free copy of this book to review.

2019 Newbery winner Mercy Suarez Changes Gears presents Mercy entering her 2nd year at prestigious Seaward Pines School on a need based scholarship. She lives with her extended Cuban-American family on a compound near the school. She navigates her relationships with her friends and classmates in their daily preteen dramas as she struggles with family issues.

There was so much to love about this book! Meg Medina touches on so many social issues a typical 11-year-old would go through. From worrying about fitting in to watching her classmates develop crushes, Merci’s character is totally relatable. Age 11 is also about the same time a young person starts noticing change. Merci sees that her Lolo is becoming forgetful and short tempered and her brother, Roli, spends all of his time on college applications. Change is happening all around her and there is nothing she can do about it.

I also love that the author carefully highlights the differences between Merci and her other schoolmates. For example, the fact that Merci and Roli attend their private school “on scholarship” or how her whole family lives on a lot with multiple houses on it. Merci knows that most kids do not live the way she does, but her differences do not hinder her from being who she is.

A great read with a lot of heart, Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina would be a great book for ages 9-12 or grades 4-7.

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this E-ARC. All opinions are my own.

Loved this Florida-set realistic fiction tale. Merci is Cuban American with a close family and also a scholarship student at a private school. She struggles with mean girls and some boy-girl issues, but her biggest issue is her grandfather, who is not quiet himself. I felt like this book was a comparable book to “Save Me a Seat.” Highly recommended.

Excellent middle grade novel for grades 4-6. You will love Merci! Grab this one for your classroom or library for sure!

I absolutely loved this story. Merci's world is falling apart around her or at least it feels this way. Friends ignore her, her family needs her attention more than she wants to give, and something is happening around her and she can't figure it out.

I will recommend this book to my students. They will love the character of Merci. I can't wait to book talk it to them.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears has found its place on many year-end best 2018 middle grade lists and while it might not be my favorite, it does deserve a lot of that merit.

Merci and her other brother Roli (who she has a complex and great relationship with that I loved) attend a private school on scholarship, and they’re constantly negotiating how much they can contribute to school fundraisers and odd jobs to earn their keep. They don’t have as much money as the other students and are the children of a Cuban family that all lives together in connected houses. As the blurb says, Merci’s at that middle school transition age where everything is changing. The boys and girls are segregating, and Merci feels like Edna, who she used to be close with, now hates her. I don’t want to get too spoilerly, but a couple of things I appreciated: no romance, Merci gaining new friends, and Edna becoming more well-rounded by the end–something the “bullies” in MG often aren’t allowed to do.

What I struggled with–and I’m fully aware this is skewed by the fact I read it in small chunks over a month because of college–was the driving force and pacing. Compared to some other middle grades I’ve read recently (like Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World and My Year in the Middle), Merci doesn’t have as much of an overarching plot or guiding force, which can always be difficult in a middle grade novel. That said, the thing about Merci is she really doesn’t want things to change. Early on, I wasn’t sure what to focus on–her need for a bike, her family conflicts, her school friendships and possibly-love-interest, or her grandfather–but in the last third or so some hijinks at school definitely had me reading.

The most affecting part of the novel to me was Merci’s grandfather, Lolo. As an older reader with some experience with this myself, I certainly knew where it was headed, but Merci doesn’t. And that makes the revelation of what is really happening, and how her family has been afraid to tell her, that much more effective.

If you have a younger reader in your life or you’re looking for a good contemporary middle grade, Merci Suarez is a lovely protagonist to hang out with and Meg Medina crafted her with so much care.

Merci lives in the Suarez compound, a group of three houses her family occupies. She lives with her parents and brother and next door to her grandparents and aunt and cousins. They are a poor but extremely close family. Merci has been assigned to be a Sunshine Buddy to new student Michael at school. She doesn't like the assignment and doesn't make a lot of effort. Mean girl Edna likes Michael and makes things difficult for Merci. Her grandpa Lolo is also having memory issues and causing problems at home.

This was a good portrayal of multi-generational families living together. I liked all the interactions between the grandparents and the aunt/cousins. It was also a good look at how families deal with Alzheimer's Disease and how it affects relationships on all levels. There was a lot going on in this book with both Lolo and Edna. I think either of those storylines could have taken priority, but with both it felt like they were fighting a bit for dominance.

This is a terrific story about the perils of middle school in South Florida. Merci is a wonderful character-she loves her family (although they can be annoying), she works hard, and she's a great friend. I loved being able to see my community in the setting and I wish I really could meet Merci, because I'd love to be friends with her! I think my students are going to love her too.

This was well written story with alot of themes relatable to young girls. First there's the diverse lead Merci who is a scholarship student at a private school. This was a feeling I'm quite familiar with having immigrant parents and being from a family that had less money than many of my classmates. Merci also has to deal with her aging grandfather who has been acting differently lately. This coming of age story does a great job depicting that transitional time at the age when you're not quite a teen but no longer a little kid.

This book has my favorite middle school villain of the year, no offense to all the other middle school villains.

I absolutely loved every word of this book! It's so refreshing to read a book in which a young character navigates some of life's trickier issues, all written in an appropriate way for even the youngest elementary chapter book readers. As a 4th grade teacher, I'm always looking for books with diverse characters that won't require parent permission for my students to read. I can't WAIT to book talk Merci Suarez Changes Gears and add several copies to my classroom shelves.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears has become one of my favorites of the year. I'd never read a book by Meg Medina and after finishing the book I sought to remedy it, so I already have Burn Baby Burn at the ready for later.

In this middle grade, Medina explores the life of a sixth grader named Merci  as she has to live a sort-of double life between her Southern Florida elite private school, Seaward Pines Academy, and Las Casitas, home to her Latinx family. Her household is divided into three houses, all of their members coming and going comfortably between each one. There's Merci's dad who has a painting company, her mom who's a physical therapist, her brother who's a genius senior at their school, her aunt and twin little cousins, and her paternal grandparents. 

At school, Merci has to work hard to keep her grades up in order to keep her scholarship. She has to survive catty classmates and overbearing faculty members that want Merci to befriend a new kid. She doesn't know how to fit in, often gravitating toward the more popular kids, even as she knows they don't like her that much.

Back home, she deals with her family's economic problems, seeing the contrast between her classmates' opulence and her own family's struggle to stay afloat. Merci doesn't know how to fit in at school, but at home she is at ease; she helps keep an eye on her little cousins, hangs out with her grandfather, helps her father's soccer team win little scrimmages.

And even though Merci doesn't really understand how to fit in, she's very convinced about who she is, which is surprising to see. She's a fantastic soccer player and she loves her family (even when they can be a pain), her photography, and riding her bike. She might not now how to handle the code-switching that is being asked of her, or even how to deal with mean girls, but she's snarky, ambitious, and a hard-worker. 

At its core, Medina's book is a study on the real pressures that young kids have to live with, be they familial ones, the ones created by their peers, and those that have been internalized. Most of the time they're brushed over, seen as inconsequential because they're kids and adults say ignorance is bliss. If they can keep the kid isolated from the problems that exist outside of them, they'll stay happy. But kids are intuitive, they can empathize and observe the people around them and absorb all that the universe is throwing their way.

Merci's intuition shines through especially when it concerns her grandfather. When she starts noticing his forgetfulness, loss of balance, and mood swings, she keeps those things a secret. Modeling her family's behavior, she hides her feelings about her grandfather's continued decline in health. Her hurt and sense of betrayal at the news of her grandfather's diagnosis was impactful, especially when she starts demanding her family tell her what's happening.

In Merci, I saw myself as a nine or ten-year-old when my own grandfather was dying. The whole thing felt completely out of my control and it made me feel very sad. I don't remember much of the details, so I don't recall if my parents ever sat me down to actually go through everything that was happening. I know I visited my grandfather a lot, and that my dad and his siblings took turns to take care of him. I was sat down the fated week that my grandfather would pass and told that he didn't have much time left. I remember my aunt calling in the morning of Thanksgiving to tell us the news. My dad was asleep and he'd woken up to not having a dad anymore. I cried a lot, because I didn't understand what was happening but I was still sad. I didn't spend that much time with him, and I don't remember ever really talking that much with him. Memory is such a fickle thing. 

When Merci finally was allowed her moment to rage and just be angry over her grandfather's condition, I cried with her. I sobbed so hard into my bed because I understood her, even as a 23-year-old. It felt raw and true and unfair. I was so glad to see this, a kid allowed to feel and not internalize her hurt.

All in all, Merci's story is one of bravery in the face of many events designed to keep her down. She's shut down from all sides: from her mother denying her permission to practice soccer to her grandfather's Alzheimer's kept a secret, Merci still keeps her head up while being allowed to feel overwhelmed and disappointed with the world around her. 

I want to see more of Merci. I want her to have a series like Dear Dumb Diary or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I want to see her grow up and become more sure of herself, see her explore her identity and friendships and relationships. I think Merci has so much potential, and I don't mean to project myself onto her, but I wanna see her trip and find her ground again. I believe we deserve to see a young Afro-Latina spit in the eye of the systems designed to keep her down. She deserves greatness.

Brilliant coming-of-age story capturing the essence of pre-teen life. Moreover, it touches on topics such as classism in a way young minds can understand'

Highly recommend for young readers.

LOVE LOVE LOVE!! This is a great Middle Grade story that I hope makes it to all school libraries and local libraries for people of all ages to enjoy.

Merci's voice is what needs to be heard more. Her day to day struggles of fitting in, family obligations and being a kid are genuine and well written.

I highly recommend.

#MerciSuarez #NetGalley

A middle grade novel with plenty of heart, Merci Suarez Changes Gears is the kind of novel that young readers with large extended family will gravitate towards. Heartwarming is not a word I use too often in my reviews, but it is certainly warranted in regards to this book. Like Merci, I was close to my grandparents and even lived with my paternal grandparents for a time when I was a teenager. I loved the author's note too.

Sixth grade is a tough year for every child. As a scholarship student at an expensive academy, it's even tougher for Merci Suarez. Not only does she have to learn to endure middle school where she doesn't always feel she fits in with her classmates, but she also has to start growing up and facing changes. Not just changes in herself, but changes in her family as well. Her brother is getting ready to leave for college and her grandfather is showing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. It's a time of change and lessons to learn. Merci Suarez faces them with strength and intelligence.

I'm really impressed by the selection of children's books published by Candlewick Press. Every book I have read has just been outstanding! Merci Suarez Changes Gears touches on some major topics for middle school girls -- the end of childhood, growing up, taking more responsibility, seeing grandparents age, the pain of older siblings leaving home, learning to love and care for smaller children in the family, and just the joys and stress of living with extended family. This book is heart-felt, emotional and completely awesome! Merci learns to think of others and grows up a bit, while learning to live in her own skin and love the person she is. Wonderful story!

Meg Medina has written several books for the YA and middle grade audience. I will definitely be reading more by this author!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Candlewick Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I love Merci Suarez and I think middle grade readers will too. She is a refreshing voice, who is likable but flawed.

Merci has just started 6th grade at an elite private school. She's there on a scholarship so already she feels a little like an outsider. Factor in mean girls, changing dynamics with boys, and school work and Merci is feeling all the pressures of being an 11-year-old girl.

On top of issues at school, Merci's beloved grandfather, Lolo, has been acting strange. He's forgetful and has been falling. Merci is scared about what is happening, but doesn't really understand. The Suarez family doesn't keep secrets, so Merci is even more confused about what could be happening.

I think this book tackles a lot of dilemmas that are relatable to older middle schoolers. Merci definitely makes mistakes, but she owns up to them and apologizes. She isn't perfect, but she is still loved by her family. Through all the rough times, she still has a solid, closeknit family.

I really loved this book and think it is a great readalike for fans of Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary.

**I received an e-ARC from Netgalley**

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina has earned all the starred reviews: Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, Horn Book… What do you add when a book has earned all the stars and all the words you want to hear about when considering a contemporary novel for young readers?

Merci Suarez Changes Gears really does have all the things you want and need—and it doesn’t read in a contrived/formulaic way. You will be moved and entertained. You’ll fall in love with Merci and her family and friends. You will appreciate their struggles. Yeah, Merci Suarez Changes Gears is going to earn some [well-deserved] award stickers to go with those [well-deserved] stars.

The realization of Merci’s beloved confidant and grandfather Lolo’s Alzheimer’s is significant enough on its own. But there are other hard realities Merci must confront that I appreciated seeing in a young reader’s novel.

There is a mean-girl. [not unusual.] But while the novel considers Edna’s positive attributes and her own troubles, it will not allow her meanness to be explained in such a way as to excuse it. The expectations put on Merci and her brother Roli to perform flawlessly and gratefully because they are sponsored by a scholarship at a school that wouldn’t otherwise have them? The novel doesn’t excuse it. It doesn’t excuse Merci when she crosses a line, no matter how we might empathize. The story doesn’t allow anyone to have their own way. There are limits to reality and a reality steeped in community and family. I’m grateful for all the levity in the book because some of tensions/conflicts of that reality are painful.

There’s Hannah and her mother.

My heart hurt for Merci and Mami on that “permission slip morning.”

That gut-wrenching conversation Papi has with Merci following “the baseball” scene.

Trying to navigate a world where sex/gender suddenly creates difference and you’re not there yet. My eleven-year-old self strongly identifies with Merci Suarez.

Not much comes across as “fair,” even if it can be managed. Which makes the reader wonder: why isn’t it fair? And is this just life? Or could something change that could make a situation more fair, or at least, even more manageable?

In the meantime… Merci Suarez and her family and friends have to prove flexible and resourceful and invested in one another. The care and success of each other relies on everyone’s participation. The tension is: who is going to have to sacrifice what? And is there no independence, no means of mobility separate and apart from the things we feel bind us? For Merci and Roli both, mobility is represented by wheels (bike/car), the access to their passions (sports/research), and an education. Their own resources are only going to get them so far. [There is no boot-strap pulling narrative b.s. here.] There’s no going it alone. With family and friends like Merci’s, would you really want it any other way?

Merci's life is very family-centric. Part of that is her choice (she loves her family, especially her grandparents) and part of that is the fact that she lives next door to her grandparents and two doors down from her aunt and twin cousins. (They are more than a handful and Merci has to babysit them a lot.) It's not that Merci minds babysitting them so much; it's more that it's expected of her and it also gets in the way of things she wants to do (like try out for soccer). 

Another unfortunate thing is that she's assigned to help a new student get adjusted to their school. And it's a boy. This wouldn't be so bad, except that most popular girl (Edna) likes him and views Merci as competition. (Merci couldn't be more clear about this not being the case.) This book shows what it's like when people are in different stages. Merci wants to play sports with the boys but a lot of the girls in her class are starting to think about maybe dating them. Also there's a lot of disparity with what different parents will let their children do. Edna's parents give her a lot of freedom and Merci had to go to so much trouble to get her parents to let her go to the movies without adult supervision but with an entire group of kids. (And it was more a worry about their safety and not how annoying this gaggle of tweens would be to everyone else in the theater. I know I'm old; I'll show myself out.)

But the biggest problem is how her grandfather, Lolo, is starting to get forgetful and his usually easygoing nature sometimes switches into a Jekyll and Hyde thing. It seems like the whole family has noticed but no one's talking about it and everyone's pretending it's fine. Merci isn't sure what's going on, but definitely doesn't like it.

This is such an important book. I think a lot of young readers could relate to one or multiple aspects of the story. Merci seems to feel unappreciated and overlooked sometimes, but she also feels left behind. 

This is a sweet but also excellent story. Highly recommended.