Merci Suárez Can't Dance

Kendra

Calling My Name

The Best Man

Prairie Evers

Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress

Fifty-Four Things Wrong with Gwendolyn Rogers

Stef Soto, Taco Queen

Merci Suárez

Thoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between in a resonant new novel from Meg Medina.

Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don’t have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci’s school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna’s jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci’s grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately — forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she’s left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. In a coming-of-age tale full of humor and wisdom, award-winning author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family.

Discover Your Child's Next Read

Merci Suárez Can't Dance

Meg Medina, 2021

Kendra

Coe Booth, 2008

Calling My Name

Liara Tamani, 2017

The Best Man

Richard Peck, 2016

Prairie Evers

Ellen Airgood, 2012

Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress

Maria Padian, 2008

Fifty-Four Things Wrong with Gwendolyn Rogers

A Arter, Caela Carter, 2021

Stef Soto, Taco Queen

Jennifer Torres, 2017