Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Merci is the only one in her class who lives with her whole family. Grandparents, parents, brother, cousins, aunt–they all live together. They aren’t poor, perhaps, but they definitely don’t go vacationing in fancy places, unlike her classmate, the popular Edna. Almost against her will, though, Merci wants Edna to like her. She wants to fit in, and in middle school, that seems more difficult than ever because suddenly, everything seems to have changed.

Merci Suárez Changes Gears is a gently told story that takes us through one school term with Merci. With her, we experience the highs and lows of middle school, the struggles with group projects, and difficult decisions that need to be made to balance school and family. As we get to know Merci’s family and schoolmates, I was impressed by how full formed each character is. Each one has quirks and a distinct personality, something that’s often hard to achieve in a book with so many characters!

A sensitive and feisty protagonist, Merci Suárez has the reader rooting for her, even the mistakes she makes and the decisions she takes. Merci Suárez Changes Gears is a slice-of-life kind of story, the promising first book of a trilogy for middle-grade readers.