MIDDLE GRADE REALISTIC FICTION : Merci Suarez Can't Dance by Meg Medina
ABOUT THE BOOK
Seventh grade is going to be a real trial for Merci Suárez. For science she's got no-nonsense Mr. Ellis, who expects her to be a smart as her brother, Roli. She's been assigned to co-manage the tiny school store with Wilson Bellevue, a boy she barely knows, but whom she might actually like. And she's tangling again with classmate Edna Santos, who is bossier and more obnoxious than ever now that she is in charge of the annual Heart Ball.
One thing is for sure, though: Merci Suárez can't dance--not at the Heart Ball or anywhere else. Dancing makes her almost as queasy as love does, especially now that Tía Inés, her merengue-teaching aunt, has a new man in her life. Unfortunately, Merci can't seem to avoid love or dance for very long. She used to talk about everything with her grandfather, Lolo, but with his Alzheimer's getting worse each day, whom can she trust to help her make sense of all the new things happening in her life? The Suárez family is back in a touching, funny story about growing up and discovering love's many forms, including how we learn to love and believe in ourselves.
REVIEW
Medina has written another winning novel with relatable characters and fabulous cultural details. When readers meet Merci again she's started a new school year with all its trials and tribulations. She's working in the school store with Wilson, a classmate, which isn't so bad, since it includes a free piece of pie every day. On the not so great side, her nemesis, Edna, is promoting the upcoming Heart Ball all over the place, which Merci isn't at all excited about even though she's helping sell tickets in the school store. Although, she's convinced by her friends to use Edna's father's awesome photography equipment to take pictures at the dance, which turns into an absolute disaster.
Meanwhile, things at home are changing as well. Her grandfather hasn't been the same since he developed Alzheimer's and she struggles with not being able to do things with him that she loved to do. Her cousin twins continue to drive her crazy with their antics and her aunt starts dating. And when her aunt decides to start a dance studio, she's recruited to help despite her feeling that she can't dance. Seventh grade is turning out to tougher than Merci could ever have imagined.
Reading Merci's story reminded me of the challenges of middle school with friends and family. Merci is a sympathetic character who makes both good and bad decisions as she struggles with the changes she's experiencing. She messes up badly with her friends by not telling the truth about a mishap when she should have and she makes it worse when she doesn't tell her parents either. I appreciated that she must face the consequences of her actions. I empathized as she struggled with changing circumstances at home as her aunt gets a new boyfriend and her grandfather continues to deteriorate. Medina's storytelling is excellent and makes for easy reading. I loved the cultural details of Merci's Cuban American family. A great read for young readers who enjoy realistic growing up stories that are full of great characters and fun story lines with humor and heart. Highly Recommended.
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