Meg Medina

"Merci Suárez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don't have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be...

"Una mañana antes de ir a clase, una niña le dice a Piddy Sánchez que Yaqui Delgado la odia y que quiere darle una paliza. Piddy ni siquiera sabe quién es Yaqui, y mucho menos qué es lo que ha hecho para hacerla enfadar. Se dice que Yaqui piensa que Piddy es una estirada, que se menea al caminar y que no es lo suficiente latina dada su piel blanca, sus buenas calificaciones y su falta de acento. Y Yaqui no bromea, así que mejor que Piddy se...

Merci embarks on a seventh grade year shaped by high teacher expectations, a crush on a school-store co-worker, and a bossy classmate's plan for the annual Heart Ball.

Sixteen-year-old Sonia Ocampo was born on the night of the worst storm Tres Montes had ever seen. And when the winds mercifully stopped, an unshakable belief in the girl's protective powers began. All her life, Sonia has been asked to pray for sick mothers or missing sons, as worried parents and friends press silver milagros in her hands. Sonia knows she has no special powers, but how can she disappoint those who look to her for solace? Still, her...

Evelyn Del Rey es la mejor amiga de Daniela. Hacen todo juntas e incluso viven una al frente de la otra en la misma calle en apartamentos que son casi iguales: Daniela con su mami y su hámster, y Evelyn con su mami, su papi y su gato. Pero no después de hoy--no después de que Evelyn se mudé de su casa. Mientras tanto, las niñas juegan entre las cajas de mudanza hasta la hora de despedirse, y se prometen mantenerse en contacto, pues saben que...

From award-winner Meg Medina, comes a poignant salute to the caregivers who enter a child's tender world. Ana cannot contain her excitement, her abuela is coming to stay with her and Mami for always! Abuela is sure to let Ana play whenever she wants instead of rushing her off to school, like her neighbor and babysitter, señora Mimí, sometimes does. In fact, as Ana's classmate points out, she won't need señora Mimí to babysit at all anymore! But...

Tia Isa and her niece try to save enough money to buy a car to take the whole family to the beach.

Merci Suárez sabía que el sexto grado sería diferente, pero no tenía idea alguna lo diferente que resultaría. En primer lugar, Merci nunca se ha parecido a los otros niños de su escuela privada en la Florida, porque tanto ella como Roli, su hermano mayor, son estudiantes becados. Ellos no tienen ni una casa grande ni un yate elegante, y tienen que desempeñar servicios comunitarios adicionales para compensar por su matricula gratis. Así que...

Evelyn Del Rey is Daniela's best friend. They do everything together and even live in twin apartments across the street from each other: Daniela with her mami and hamster, and Evelyn with her mami, papi, and cat. But not after today--not after Evelyn moves away. Until then, the girls play amid the moving boxes until it's time to say goodbye, making promises to keep in touch, because they know that their friendship will always be special. The tenderness...

"Mia's 'far-away' grandmother has left her sunny house with palm trees to come live with Mia and her parents in the city. But when Mia tries to share her favorite bedtime story with Abuela, she discovers that Abuela can't read the English words. Mia helps Abuela with her English while they cook, and Mia learns some Spanish, too. But it's still hard for Abuela to learn the words she needs to tell Mia all her stories. Then Mia sees a parrot in the pet...