Michael Finocchiaro's Reviews > Merci Suárez Changes Gears

This is a beautiful story about a girl, Mercedes "Merci" Suárez, in Fort Myers, Florida who is going into 6th grade. Her family all live together in three connected houses that they call Las Casitas. Merci is in private school and has to help her relatives paint the school to pay her way. She has the typical challenges of a 6th grader (friends, enemies, school projects, sports) and at the same time, her abuelo Lolo has Alzenheimers but no one has told her yet. It is a very touching tale that reminded me of South Florida and of growing up. Definitely, a book well-deserving of the Newbery Medal it earned.