Welcome to Litsy!

Merci‘s relationship with her grandfather, Lolo is admirable :)

I loved this contemporary realistic fiction book. This is a chapter book that I would pick up and read myself. I loved Merci‘s persistence and strength as she navigates her way through middle school. She works through the changes that present themselves in her life and even though it seems hard at first, she tries her best.

Merci is on a scholarship at the school she is at, and is in a club where she has to do things to give back to the school. Her grandpa suffers from dementia and the family faces struggles together

A young girl receives a scholarship for school. She must join a club to help her community. It deals with loss of family members and making sacrifices for one another. It talks about how dementia can affect family dynamics for everyone. It also dabbled in culture.

contemporary realistic fiction

Would read

Emma

Emma‘s book

A cute, if a little sad, book about starting sixth grade, dealing with friends, and what happens when a loved one has Alzheimer‘s. Read for school.

Fiction reflecting something that happens way to often in real life, dumping adult responsibilities onto a child. Guilt tripping them with the whole 'family comes first' when really it's Adults with poor planning skills and bad decision-making expecting a child too take up the slack and be the free babysitter. And we topped it off with a bit of sexism that older brother was more important than your daughter.

It gave me flashbacks to my youth. 😡

3/5🌟
The characters and situations felt very true-to-life, and I really loved the main character, Merci; but I really hard a hard time getting through this one. It didn‘t really get going until I was more than halfway done, but I still really liked the story. #NewberyEpicChallenge

This quote says so much about coming of age novels. A burning candlewick could represent a single lifetime while the Virgin's smile represents time immemorial.

My first finished book of #NutsInMay #Readathon @Andrew65
This book made me cry. It was really good but Alzheimer's hits close to home. I gave it 5 stars because I'll have fond memories.

Finally getting around to reading this. It takes place near my mom's house and we couldn't live further apart. It's nice to visit since we haven't traveled in so long. We usually stay when my parents over winter break, never being to pack up our summer clothes.

#EpicNewberyChallenge @amber_ldsmom

This is a great book for a personal or class library. Merci is facing hard changes in her family and school. Medina portrays how hard being a tween is in all honesty. Merci learns her beloved grandfather suffers from Alzheimer's disease while dealing with bullies. It is so hard to grow up.

This book made me cry more than once - remembering horrible middle school days and thinking about how awful kids can be, but mainly because of the tragedy of losing someone in bits and pieces to Alzheimer‘s. I don‘t understand the family‘s secrecy and hared the harm it did. This was a beautiful story and I look forward to the next installment. #MGMarch

This book is a RF book written by Meg Medina and is an award winner of the Newbery Medal! Merci Suarez is a new sixth grader that is not like all of the others at her private school. She is on scholarship. Along with rough starts at school and trying to make new friends, Merci also faces struggles at home. Read and become immersed in the life of a middle school student and see how relatable her life obstacles are. #ucflae3414su20

If you are an upper elementary school teacher in south Florida, this book is for you! Merci is entering into middle school with a rocky home and friend life. She‘s going through the awkward phase that every middle schooler encounters, but she has even more stress added on compared to her classmates. Taking place in south Florida, this book covers a lot of good content that students should be exposed to before their transition to middle school.

#ucflae3414sp20
This fiction book is a relatable chapter book for your older students. The main character is struggling with your typical preteen struggles. I would encourage LC for this book so your students can relate to theirs connections to the characters. This book was a Newbery award winning novel and for good reason. The website linked encourages students to summarize the book by making drawings and bookmarks.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina is a great RF book for 4th and 5th graders or anyone transitioning to middle school to be used as a LC or book club read! It won the Pura Belpre Award in 2019. It talks about the real life struggles of a middle schooler from the perspective of a quirky sixth grader named Merci Suarez. http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=19218. There are so many topics that can be discussed in your class through this book!

It‘s my first day of Christmas break & I read this whole book today just in time for book club tonight! It‘s enjoyable & made me tear up at the end, but in general I‘m not much into middle grade books. Probably good for it‘s target audience though. #bookclub #teachersoflitsy #winterbreak #christmasbreak

This outstanding RF N titled “Merci Suarez Changes Gears“ written by Meg Medina is a Newbery Medal award winner and would be a perfect IR in your 3-8th grade classrooms. Merci Suarez is beginning 6th grade and she realizes that this year will be anything but easy. Follow Merci on her journey to survive the 6th grade and her family troubles. This book is a great eye-opener for all kids and teaches important values. #UCFLAE3414F19

You want to look sweaty in your picture?

This book wouldn't be in my elementary classroom, but would be essential in a middle school room. The words are small and more advanced for the average third grader and tackles concepts too complicated for them.

This book did a very good job relating to young children going through changes. Merci is entering sixth grade and is noticing changes happening between her friends. Merci and Edna and all the females in this book are relatable to todays child as they show the struggle of middle school and puberty.

“I don‘t know what is going to happen next year, no one does. But that‘s OK. I can handle it, I decide. It‘s just a harder gear, and I am ready. All I have to do is take a deep breath and ride.”

I loved the detail that Meg Medina used to describe how Merci was feeling and what her grandfather was going through. The author also talked about Merci‘s struggles in school as well, which some children can relate to.

I absolutely loved this book. It is a very coming of age story about things that children can really relate to in today‘s society. Merci is such a strong little girl and she would do anything to help her grandfather who has Alzheimer‘s disease. I personally relate to this story, as my grandmother is currently living with Alzheimer‘s disease. I really enjoyed this story and I think children in fifth or sixth grade would too.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina is a RF book that shares a beautiful coming to age story. In this book, it explores the complex relationships between family and friends while being in middle school. It was the winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal. This would be a great book for a LC. Such relatable problems happen in this book that after reading you just need to talk about it with others. #ucflae3414f19

This RF novel by Merci Suarez Changes Gear by Meg Medina is an extremely relatable and well written novel. I recommend it as a read aloud to older elementary students. This novel is about a young girl who is forced to face many challenges that life tends to throw at middle school students. This includes problems making friends, family issues, a sick grandfather, and adjusting to a new school. #ucflae3414f19

Finally getting to this one! One chapter in and Merci is already her own person. 🤓

Lovely MG read. I love Meg Medina‘s writing. Mercedes Suarez is in the thick of the changes and confusions of middle school, family, and the meaning of friendship.

Winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal, Merci Suárez Changes Gears, is a coming of age tale. Author, Meg Medina, writes of Merci struggling in her home and school life. Not knowing what is wrong with Lolo, and unsure of what‘s to come, Merci powers through. This book would be great for an LC in grades 5 and up. #ucflae3414su19

This Newbery Award winning RF was an accurate depiction of the struggle of a middle school girl! With health and financial issues in the family, bullies at school, and new responsibilities, Merci learns that change may be better than staying the same. Meg Medina did a wonderful job of painting the image of a Hispanic 6th grade girl; this book was a mirror for me! LC would be great to invite discussion on the deep/pressing issues in this book.

Next on my summer reading list! #newberry #diversebooks #itselementary

Finally starting this!

Finished this one a few days ago. I loved the relationship between Merci and her grandfather, Lolo. It‘s at the heart of this story, but not the whole story. Merci must learn to juggle family and school obligations while navigating the social hierarchy of 6th grade.

Merci feels as though she‘s on her own at school and at home, but ultimately learns that she has support in both places. Even more importantly, she learns that she has what it takes to navigate all the challenges life offers. https://wowlit.org/blog/2019/03/01/wow-recommends-merci-suarez-changes-gears/ #MiddleGrade

February Favorites

Total Read: 12

#literarylove

🙄

Can I get a 🤣 from all the parents of littles?

#buddyread

All my photos for this #buddyread are basically the same! 🤣📚🤣 Playing catch-up while big brother is at nursery school this morning. Up to chapter 12 (pg. 140), and @smilingshelves is right, this book is totally going to break my heart and make me cry, I can feel it coming...

I found this brief passage so unexpectedly touching. There‘s something about holding hands like that that just gets me. Two of my grandparents passed away when I was in 5th grade, but two decades later I was sitting in church one day and suddenly felt my eyes well up. I had looked up to see a little kid walking past holding her grandfather‘s hand and it all came flooding back. It‘s funny how the littlest thing can remind you of someone.

Playing catch-up on my #buddyread with @smilingshelves ! I suddenly was alone in the house with just the baby and I can‘t tell you how quickly I ran for my book! 📖 📚

I still haven‘t read very far, but I‘m loving these characters and this family so much. ❤️❤️❤️

Here's a connection I didn't expect! My daughter is going through something similar. Her eyes cross in, not out, and she just got glasses to fix it, not a patch. But I will definitely be reading this book with her someday! #buddyread
@BucklingBookshelves

Merci is my new bff. You fall in love with her multigenerational extended family. Characters are relatable & varied. Realistic children‘s fiction for 4th grade & up tackles Alzheimer‘s, true friendship, bullying, as well as personal trials & triumphs. Very satisfyingly believable story. Many people read many, many children‘s fiction/nonfiction published in 2018 and this rose to the top for 2019 Newbery award. I see why.

Starting a #buddyread of this year‘s Newbery Medal winner with @smilingshelves today! I‘m only one chapter in, so I only have two observations so far:

1. I love how strongly Merci‘s voice is coming through from page one — I often struggle when a book starts off without a clear sense of voice for the main character, so I love when an author nails it right from the start. 🙌🏻

2. My other (tiny) reading buddy is very snuggly 😍🥰❤️