Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

My almost-14-year-old (her birthday’s tomorrow!) and I felt the same way about Meg Medina’s ‘Merci Suarez’ trilogy (please imagine an accent over the “a”). We’ve read all three aloud in a relatively short span of time, and all three have been fantastic. They feel real, and relatable, and they show middle school in all its messiness, not to mention life in all its pain and delight. Merci Suarez Plays It Cool is the third and final book–unless Medina changes her mind sometime in the future–and in it we see Lolo deteriorate, Merci face more friend challenges, and the twins’ father reappear at Las Casitas. (We also see Merci and Wilson’s maybe-relationship continue.) This is a series of well-drawn characters and a lot of heart. If you haven’t read it, well–what are you waiting for?