Merci Suarez Changes Gears
2019 Newbery Medal Winner
By Meg Medina
From Booklist
Merci Suárez loves painting with her Papi, playing on his soccer team, telling her Abuelo Lolo about her days at school, and taking pictures of her family when they are together. But lately Lolo has been acting different—he wanders off, forgets things easily, and has even gotten angry. To add to Merci’s worries, sixth grade at Seaward Pines Academy has gotten off to a rocky start. To make up her school tuition, Merci has been assigned community service as a Sunshine Buddy to new student Michael Clark, and, as the weeks go by, popular Edna Santos only gets meaner as Merci and Michael become friends. Merci isn’t sure what to make of this new world where “maybe like” is not the same as “like like,” and where “popular” is not the same as having friends. As she navigates her way through the year, she discovers that, even though change is scary and even though it may mean things will never be the same, sometimes it is unavoidable.
