Title: Merci Suarez Changes Gears
Author: Meg Medina 
Genre: Realistic Fiction 
Awards: Newbery 
Age Group: 19-14


Summary:
This book is about a Cuban girl in her 6th grade year at a private school. She faces many challenges with her family and her so called friends at school. Between her having to watch her twin cousins, and school projects, she has to deal with a friend, whos really a men girl, Edna. If that wasn't even to deal with, she ends up being the first sunshine buddy to have a boy as a buddy, which causes even more chaos for her. If life hadn't thrown enough lemons her way, her Lolo, grandfather, starts acting strangely and she eventually finds out he has Alzheimer's. Merci gets a break when she gets to be involved in a project making a mummy, there's a slight mishap, but the mishap leads to the demise of the mean girl and al is well with all of the students. The book ends with all of her family being together, celebrating Christmas, blessed to be together another year. " I don't know what is going to happen next year, no one does. But that's OK. I can handle it, I decided. It's just a harder gear, and I am ready. All I have to do is take a deep breath and ride."


Teacher Evaluation:
I really enjoyed this book. This is one I feel that every child should read, it deals with bullying, being ashamed of family, ashamed of oneself, and many other life lessons that children experience. I would use this book to show students the pros and cons that come with social groups, and would be used as discussion topics for challenges that students face everyday.

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