Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Merci Suárez Changes Gears (2018), a contemporary middle-grade novel by Meg Medina, centers on a young girl facing major changes to her family dynamics. The book won numerous awards, including the 2019 Newbery Medal. Medina, a founding member of the “We Need Diverse Books” movement, has written many picture books, young adult books, and middle-grade novels about strong girls who overcome adversity and step up to challenges.

Plot Summary

Eleven-year-old Merci Suárez is the child of Cuban immigrants. She lives in Florida in a three-house row affectionately referred to as “Las Casitas,” or “little houses.” Merci lives with her mother Ana, her father Enrique, and her older brother Roli. Merci’s aunt, Tía Inés, occupies another house in Las Casitas with her twin sons, Tomas and Axel. Merci’s grandparents, Lolo and Abuela, live in the last house in Las Casitas. With grandfather Lolo around, Merci always feels loved, safe, and secure, though she notices that he is becoming forgetful. Though Lolo has always been someone whom Merci can count on, he has asked the family to keep the truth of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis from Merci.

Although Merci feels comfortable at home, she feels like an oddball at her school, Seaward Pines Academy.