Merci Suárez is grateful to go to an excellent private school. Really, she is. Even if she was able to
forget how fortunate she is, the extra required community service hours would be there to remind
her. She also knows how lucky she is to be surrounded by family- even though that has its own
challenges, as her grandfather ages and her family relies on her in more ways. How can Merci
navigate her changing worlds at home and at school?
Merci Suarez Changes Gears
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Harbor Me
Six kids meet weekly in the ARTT (A Room to Talk) room without any adults and discover a safe haven to share their struggles and to find support. Issues of identity, bullying, racism, immigration, incarceration and more are shared and as each story unfolds in this safe space the students find courage, hope, and strength in the community they’ve created and the bonds they’ve made.
The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade
Falconer is small for his age, but he is big on justice. He’s determined to make a positive difference this year, at school and at home. Unfortunately, nothing seems to go as planned and he keeps ending up in the Assistant Principal’s office. What will it take to turn things around and become the hero he knows he can be?
The First Rule of Punk
Twelve – year – old Malu is the product of two very different parents – her mom, the “SuperMexican” professor and her dad, the cool Indie – music store owning punk rocker. As Malu and her mother move from Florida to Chicago, Malu finds her way through zines, music and new relationships.
Ban this Book
Eleven – year – old Amy Anne Ollinger finds her voice and her courage fighting back against censorship after her favorite book was banned from her school library. Challenging the idea that one person can determine what everyone else can read, Amy quickly becomes the leader in a battle against censorship and demonstrates the power of young people to effect change.
Felix Yz
Finding your identity is difficult for any middle school student but Felix Yz has been accidentally fused to a super-intelligent alien life form. Read the secret blog of Felix Yz as he faces a potentially deadly operation to separate him from the alien…and survive middle school.The Littlest Bigfoot
Weiner, Jennifer. The Littlest Bigfoot.
Brimming with equal parts humor and heartbreak, The Littlest Bigfoot is an irresistible adventure about friendship, furry creatures, and finding the place where you belong.
Nothing but Trouble
Davies, Jacqueline, Nothing but Trouble.
Budding engineer Maggie Gallagher and her artsy new friend Lena Polachev plan and execute elaborate pranks at their school, bringing much needed change to their depressed community.
Ms. Bixby’s Last Day
Anderson, John David. Ms. Bixby’s Last Day.
When their one-of-a-kind, beloved teacher falls ill and leaves school for the rest of the school year, Topher, Steve, and Brand are crushed. Determined to give Ms. Bixby the perfect last day, they set off on a risky, chaotic, and exciting adventure.
The Terrible Two
Miles Murphy is not happy to be moving to Yawnee Valley, a sleepy town that’s famous for one thing only: cows. In his old school, everyone knew him as the town’s best prankster, but Miles quickly discovers that Yawnee Valley already has a prankster, and a great one. If Miles is going to take the title from this mystery kid, he is going to have to raise his game.
Saturday Boy
by David Fleming.
Every school day seems to bring more trouble to eleven-year-old Derek, whose former best friend bullies him, while at home he deals with the long absence of his father, a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, and his mother’s sudden moodiness.
33 Minutes . . . Until Morgan Sturtz Kicks My Butt
by Todd Hasak-Lowy.
An epic lunch period leads to a fateful showdown as small, skinny seventh-grader Sam’s former best friend–now a popular athlete–promises to beat Sam up at recess in exactly thirty-three minutes.