Merci Suárez Changes Gears (Candlewick Press, 2018) by Meg Medina is the 2019 Newbery Winner (in case you missed the news). Here’s a video of what it was like for Meg getting “the call.”
Sixth grade isn’t easy for any kid, but Merci Suárez, a scholarship kid at Seward Pines Academy is struggling with some additional issues–her left eye that doesn’t always track, her unusual living situation, and being stuck in Sunshine Buddies. But when she comes home from school to find a police cruiser outside Abuela’s house, she doesn’t know it’s the beginning of everything changing.
This is a lovely story of a girl negotiating changes in her family, new responsibilities, and having to grow up.
This is Meg Medina’s first middle grade novel. She also writes young adult novels and picture books. See her books here. Read about her and her many awards here.
