About This Book
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.
