Merci Suarez Changes Gears

 A loveable character is born in this book!

Book Review #16, Merci Suarez Changes Gears

1.       Bibliography: Medina, Meg. Merci Suarez Changes Gears.  Candlewick Press; 2018. ISBN: 9780763690496.

2.       Plot Summary: Merci Suarez is a middle school student, starting 6^th grade. Money is tight for Merci’s family, and she has to perform community service to help cover the cost of her school tuition. Merci deals with bullying and boy drama while dealing with family issues as well. Middle school isn’t easy, but it can be even tougher to navigate with so much on her mind.

3.       Critical Analysis: This is a great book that showcases what it is like to be a student going through multiple issues. Merci not only has to deal with being a scholarship student in an area where it seems most of the other students have more money than her, but she also gets picked on by a classmate, and worries about her grandfather’s ailing health. Right from the beginning, readers are drawn into Merci’s life. After taking an outdoor shortcut at school, it’s time for Merci to participate in school picture day. She wasn’t ready, and the photographer took her photo anyway. As she feels frustrated over the situation, mean girl Edna says to her, “Don’t worry about the pictures. You probably didn’t buy many anyway.” Students can relate to situations like these where you try so hard for something, only to have it not work out. Edna is the type of mean girl that people remember from middle school. Unhappy with herself, she looks to make life harder for other students. She is a realistic enemy for Merci- jealous of Merci's attention from a boy she likes, and eager to point out Merci's flaws, especially that her family does not have the same type of money as Edna's. Merci has a colorful family life, with an older brother and twin nephews. It seems she will never get any privacy or time to work on her buddy assignment, which she needs to participate in due to her free tuition. Later on, Merci and Edna are working on a group project together, where they are barely speaking. As the teacher tries to encourage them to come up with some ideas, Merci has a thought, “All these years teaching and she still doesn’t know that thinking is the trouble with groups. Sometimes it’s not allowed, especially if somebody like Edna is around.” She speaks wise beyond her years, an observation many of us would agree with, especially if we had to participate in group work before. Children reading these lines will recall possibly feeling that way before. The tenseness between Merci and Edna is one example of strong character development. Merci also contrasts with her older brother, Roli. She would like him to take on some of her tasks, but he gets out of them to tutor and study. I actually could feel the sweat and the heat when reading this book. Medina does a great job reminding us that we are in hot weathered Florida, frizzing up Merci’s hair, or setting scenes by the beach. At one point, Merci is out for the day helping her father, when her grandfather, Lolo, disappears. She finds him in the ocean water, and then he tells her a story about his brother, one who Merci knows passed away when he was much younger. She says, “I just watch the gulls dive for the surf, screeching. This time, I don’t bother to correct him at all.” Again, this type of language showcases her maturity for her age. She is close to her family members, as it was how she was raised. She is particularly close to Lolo, and continues to observe that he is not acting as he normally does throughout the book. This plotline helps to balance the difficulties Merci has at school with home difficulties, also showing that she is a compassionate person. The style that Medina uses with the Spanish phrases and dialogue is something that happens often in her books, as she writes with many Spanish characters. It adds to the book and helps me to recognize it is her work. This is also a good way for children to learn some Spanish words or phrases. Themes about family, growing up, and standing up for yourself are all part of this story. How can you help your family while needing to have time for yourself to succeed? This is a question that comes up throughout the book. Learning how to deal with many personalities, especially bullies, is another lesson that comes up. Merci is a character who is mature, but possibly due to her circumstances. She comes from a large family, where helping out a lot is not unusual. While other students like Edna may be used to just hanging out with friends or going out for treats, Merci’s life involves helping her parents take care of her grandfather and nephews. This also helps to move the plot along. It’s not a complicated plot (Merci acting as a buddy at school while dealing with personal and family issues), but it’s one that children will be invested in and relate to. Medina also included a note at the end about Alzheimer’s disease, since that is what Lolo ends up having. This book would also be a good teaching tool to help children understand this illness, especially if a loved one is going through it.

4.       Review Excerpts:

·         From Kirkus, “Medina delivers another stellar and deeply moving story.”

·         From The Horn Book, “Medina writes with sincerity and humor to convey the experience of growing up in a close-knit family that tends to mingle too much in each other’s business while unfailingly and dedicately supporting and helping one another.”

·         From Booklist, “Medina capably gets to the heart of middle school experiences in this engrossing story of a kid growing into herself. A must read.”

5.       Connections: Use as part of an author study display on Meg Medina:

·         Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away, Candlewick, 2020. ISBN: 9781536207040.

·         Mango, Abeula, and Me. Candlewick, 2017. ISBN: 9780763695132.

·         The Girl who could Silence the Wind. Candlewick, 2013. ISBN: 9780763664190.

·         Tia Isa Wants a Car. Candlewick, 2016. ISBN: 9760763657529.

Have children research an illness like Alzheimer’s that could affect a family. Have them come up with ideas on how to use this in their own stories.

Have children perform a reader’s theater piece based off of a part of the book.

Have children write sequels for what they think might happen to Merci and the other characters next.

Have children make posters that show their favorite characters and their interests.