Merci Suárez Plays It Cool

In this poignant and realistic coming-of-age story, eighth grader Merci Suárez grapples with the typical pressures of middle school, including social hierarchies, the desire for acceptance, and evolving friendships. Simultaneously, she takes on more responsibility at home as her beloved grandfather, Lolo, experiences a decline in health. The narrative beautifully explores themes of identity, loyalty, family bonds, and the emotional weight of caring for an aging loved one. Parents will appreciate how the book normalizes complex feelings around change, grief, and finding one's place, offering a relatable protagonist who learns to navigate difficult situations with resilience and heart.

"For Merci Suárez, eighth grade means a new haircut, nighttime football games, and an out-of-town overnight field trip. At home, it means more chores and keeping an eye on Lolo as his health worsens. It's a year filled with more responsibility and independence, but also with opportunities to reinvent herself. Merci has always been fine with not being one of the popular kids like Avery Sanders, who will probably be the soccer captain and is always traveling to fun places and buying new clothes. But then Avery starts talking to Merci more, and not just as a teammate. Does this mean they're friends? Merci wants to play it cool, but with Edna always in her business, it's only a matter of time before Merci has to decide where her loyalty stands"--