Merci Suarez Can't Dance // Meg Medina

Merci returns in her second book! She's navigating seventh grade at Seaward Pines, and this year is gonna be a doozy. She faces all kinds of challenges at school and at home. As always, her family is alongside her, being her biggest support, and, often, her biggest frustration. 

This series is so special. I don't think there are enough contemporary kids' series out there that do a good job of growing WITH the characters. Though I've only read Meg Medina's middle grade books, I really admire the way she writes FOR kids, not for grownups reading kids' books (even though I'm a grownup aspiring middle grade author reading kids books...). Merci is a character you can root for, her concerns and fears and joys and motivations make sense. I was immediately transported back to what it felt like to be in seventh grade. I love that kids are going to see themselves reflected so perfectly imperfect on the page. They're going to see themselves getting into the same problems Merci does, and they're going to enjoy cheering her on as she gets out of those scrapes, too. 

*I can't figure out how to get this in the title, but it is "Suárez."