I am always on the lookout for culturally relevant, age-appropriate books for my daughters. If they happen to be a part of a series then even better, which is why I’m excited to tell you all about the book Merci Suárez Plays It Cool by Meg Medina. The book is the last installment of an acclaimed trilogy. The first book of the series, Merci Changes Gears, won the author a 2019 Newbery Medal—awarded annually to the writer of the most “distinguished contribution to American Literature for children.”
One of the things that is great about this trilogy is that each installment also works as a standalone book, meaning you don’t have to read them in order for them to make sense or be utterly engrossing on their own. I know this because, so far, I’ve only read Merci Suárez Plays It Cool and really enjoyed it. Keep reading to find out why.
Let me tell you about Merci!
Merci is a Cuban American girl in the eighth grade, who is navigating a whole lot of changes in her life and relationships. She’s smart, athletic, and assured even though—like any eighth grader—she does have her moments of self-doubt.
Culture is a part of Merci’s life and isn’t over-explained.
Merci’s family is Cuban American and their culture is a part of their daily lives that isn’t overly explained or translated because it doesn’t need to be. For example, their cat’s name is Tuerto. If you know what tuerto means, cool, if you don’t, that’s OK, too.
There are no mean girls in this story.
Merci isn’t what you would call “popular” and neither are her group of tried and true friends, but they are not social pariahs or anything. One of Merci’s challenges is that she finds herself caught between her circle of friends and Avery Sanders, the most popular eighth grade girl. The thing is that even though Avery isn’t particularly nice to Merci’s friends, she also isn’t mean, which is such a refreshing departure from the whole overused mean girls storyline.
So many great lessons about friendship!
It’s exciting to make new friends, but we all have to learn that not all the friends we make are going to be great friends. Some people just aren’t going to be there for us in certain ways and that’s what Merci learns about Avery.
Grief is depicted in a very touching and real way.
Lolo, Merci’s beloved abuelo, is plagued with Alzheimer’s disease and eventually dies. The grief that this beautiful tight-knit Cuban American family experiences goes deep and isn’t dismissed or resolved quickly, but they do “find a way forward.”
There’s also some age-appropriate crushing going on.
Aww, Merci has a crush on her friend Wilson, which appears to be reciprocated. They go to a football game together, which maybe is a date. Above all they are really good friends who get butterflies in their tummies when they hold hands.
What are critics saying about the book?
"Cuban traditions and family drama are woven organically into the narrative," writes School Library Journal. "Medina never talks down to her readers; the narrative and pitch-perfect dialogue capture the angst of adolescence with honesty and respect. The title character is relatable and believably real. She makes mistakes and owns up to them and doesn’t always make the soundest decisions. But tweens will certainly see themselves in her."
If you have a middle grader, this book is a winner!
According to School Library Journal, “No middle grade collection will be complete without Merci’s heartfelt novels.” I’m going to have to agree with them and plan on getting the first two books to complete the trilogy for my middle grader. Merci Suárez Plays It Cool is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Penguin Random House, and other retailers.
