
Reach for this book when your middle schooler is grappling with the awkward transitions of puberty, the pressure to fit in, and the stress of balancing school social hierarchies with family obligations. Merci is a relatable heroine who is trying to find her footing in seventh grade at a private school where she feels like an outsider while also navigating her grandfather Lolo's worsening Alzheimer's at home. The story beautifully captures the 'sandwiched' feeling of being a preteen: wanting independence but still being deeply tethered to a loud, loving, and sometimes overwhelming multigenerational household. It is a warm, realistic, and deeply human look at growing up and finding your own rhythm in a world that keeps changing the beat.
Depicts the gradual mental decline of a beloved grandfather due to Alzheimer's.
The book deals directly with neurodegenerative illness (Alzheimer's) and socioeconomic disparity. The approach is realistic and secular, focusing on the emotional toll on the family unit. The resolution is hopeful but grounded: Lolo's condition is not 'fixed,' but the family finds new ways to connect.
A 10 to 12 year old who feels like they are living in two different worlds: one at school where they have to act 'cool' and one at home where they have significant chores or family duties.
Read cold. Parents may want to be ready to discuss how Alzheimer's affects memory and behavior, and to reassure children that Lolo's actions are due to the illness and not a reflection of his feelings towards them. A parent might choose this after hearing their child say, 'It is not fair that I have to help with my siblings/grandparents when my friends just get to have fun.'
Younger readers will focus on the humor of the school dance and Merci's social blunders. Older readers will resonate more deeply with the nuance of Merci's changing body and the bittersweet reality of her grandfather's decline.
Medina centers the multigenerational household, making the 'coming of age' process a collective family experience, unlike many middle grade novels that isolate the protagonist from their family. """
Merci Suarez enters seventh grade facing the social minefield of the Heart Ball school dance while navigating the socioeconomic differences between her and her classmates at Seaward Pines. At home, she must manage the evolving reality of her grandfather Lolo's Alzheimer's disease and her own growing responsibilities within her Cuban-American family.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
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