A century of rainless years later, lake and town are memories-but, with the involuntary help of gangs of juvenile offenders, the last descendant of the last residents is still digging. Sentenced to a brutal juvenile detention camp for a crime he didn't commit, a wimpy teenager turns four generations of bad family luck around in this sunburnt tale of courage, obsession, and buried treasure from Sachar ( Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, 1995, etc.).ĭriven mad by the murder of her black beau, a schoolteacher turns on the once-friendly, verdant town of Green Lake, Texas, becomes feared bandit Kissin' Kate Barlow, and dies, laughing, without revealing where she buried her stash. Medina delivers another stellar and deeply moving story. Merci’s relationship with Lolo is heartbreakingly beautiful and will particularly strike readers who can relate to the close, chaotic, and complicated bonds of live-in grandparents. Medina writes about the joys of multigenerational home life (a staple of the Latinx community) with a touching, humorous authenticity. At home, Merci’s beloved Lolo begins to act erratically, and it becomes clear something secret and serious is happening. What’s worse is that her assigned buddy is Michael Clark, a new tall white boy in her class.

At school, Merci has to deal with condescending mean girl Edna Santos, who loves to brag, boss around her friends, and throw out hurtful comments that start with “No offense….” Although Merci wants to earn money so that she can afford a new bike, she’s stuck volunteering for Sunshine Buddies, in which current students mentor new ones. Instead of a stately mansion, Merci lives with her parents and older brother, Roli, in one of three identical homes next to her Cuban-American extended family: Abuela and Lolo, Tía Inéz, and her rambunctious little twin cousins. Merci navigates the challenges of being a scholarship kid at a posh South Florida private school and the expectations of and responsibilities to her intergenerational family.Įleven-year-old Merci Suárez isn’t the typical Seaward Pines Academy sixth-grader.

Merci suarez changes gears sparknotes