She Persisted: Sonia Sotomayor

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away

Ways to Grow Love: Ryan Hart

The Best Man

The Year of the Fortune Cookie: Anna Wang

Juana & Lucas

While I Was Away

Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf

Merci Suárez

In Meg Medina's follow-up to her Newbery Medal-winning novel, Merci takes on seventh grade, with all its travails of friendship, family, love--and finding your rhythm.

Seventh grade is going to be a real trial for Merci Suárez. For science she's got no-nonsense Mr. Ellis, who expects her to be a smart as her brother, Roli. She's been assigned to co-manage the tiny school store with Wilson Bellevue, a boy she barely knows, but whom she might actually like. And she's tangling again with classmate Edna Santos, who is bossier and more obnoxious than ever now that she is in charge of the annual Heart Ball.

One thing is for sure, though: Merci Suárez can't dance--not at the Heart Ball or anywhere else. Dancing makes her almost as queasy as love does, especially now that Tía Inés, her merengue-teaching aunt, has a new man in her life. Unfortunately, Merci can't seem to avoid love or dance for very long. She used to talk about everything with her grandfather, Lolo, but with his Alzheimer's getting worse each day, whom can she trust to help her make sense of all the new things happening in her life? The Suárez family is back in a touching, funny story about growing up and discovering love's many forms, including how we learn to love and believe in ourselves.

Discover Your Child's Next Read

She Persisted: Sonia Sotomayor

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Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away

Sonia Sanchez, Meg Medina, 2020

Ways to Grow Love: Ryan Hart

Renée Watson, Niña Mata, 2021

The Best Man

Richard Peck, 2016

The Year of the Fortune Cookie: Anna Wang

Patrice Barton, Andrea Cheng, 2014

Juana & Lucas

Juana Medina, 2016

While I Was Away

Waka T. Brown, 2021

Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf

Jennifer L. Holm, Elicia Castaldi, 2006