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A review by maryhannawilson
Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Merci Suárez is beginning sixth grade at a private school where she and her brother, Roli, are scholarship students. Merci will navigate the ins and outs of middle school friendships while balancing some of the situations going on at home. The book does a good job exploring themes of class, family, friendship, and aging.
I picked this one up because it won the Newberry a few years ago and I am reading Newberry winners currently. I can understand why it won. Merci is a likable character who is facing a lot of unique as well as relatable situations to kids navigating middle school. She lives with her family and her extended family at home, where her grandfather is showing signs of illness that no one will talk about honestly. She is struggling with a mean girl at school, a situation with a boy, and the feeling of being left out. Yep, it's hard being a tween.
It was a little hard for me to get going with this one, but once I got to know everyone and the story was going, I found myself immersed in Merci's world. Clearly, I am not the audience for the book so that might have made it tougher to get into in the beginning as I was taken back to school picture day - HA!
I enjoyed Merci's relationship with her family as she navigated a situation with her grandfather. She is trying to figure out what is happening while staying loyal to her granddad. It's a tricky situation and I thought it was portrayed very realistically. So many kids feel ready to be included in adult conversations before the adults are ready for them to be included - which is what happens here.
I thought her family was full of complex characters who each had their quirks and personalities. I enjoyed them and their interactions with Merci.
I loved the bike connection in the title and the ending lines as well as her mode of transportation in the book. That was fun and will lead to a good book club discussion with my students online.
I picked this one up because it won the Newberry a few years ago and I am reading Newberry winners currently. I can understand why it won. Merci is a likable character who is facing a lot of unique as well as relatable situations to kids navigating middle school. She lives with her family and her extended family at home, where her grandfather is showing signs of illness that no one will talk about honestly. She is struggling with a mean girl at school, a situation with a boy, and the feeling of being left out. Yep, it's hard being a tween.
It was a little hard for me to get going with this one, but once I got to know everyone and the story was going, I found myself immersed in Merci's world. Clearly, I am not the audience for the book so that might have made it tougher to get into in the beginning as I was taken back to school picture day - HA!
I enjoyed Merci's relationship with her family as she navigated a situation with her grandfather. She is trying to figure out what is happening while staying loyal to her granddad. It's a tricky situation and I thought it was portrayed very realistically. So many kids feel ready to be included in adult conversations before the adults are ready for them to be included - which is what happens here.
I thought her family was full of complex characters who each had their quirks and personalities. I enjoyed them and their interactions with Merci.
I loved the bike connection in the title and the ending lines as well as her mode of transportation in the book. That was fun and will lead to a good book club discussion with my students online.