Merci Suárez Changes Gears (Book #1)

Meg Medina, the 2023­­­­–2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, is a Cuban American author who writes for readers of all ages. Her middle-grade novelMerci Suárez Changes Gears received a Newbery Medal and was aNew York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of the Year, among many other distinctions. Its sequel,Merci Suárez Can’t Dance, received five starred reviews, whileMerci Suárez Plays It Cool received four stars, withKirkus Reviews calling it “a fabulous finale to a memorable trilogy.” Her most recent picture book,Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away, received honors including a Charlotte Zolotow Award and was the 2020 Jumpstart Read for the Record selection, reaching 2.24 million readers. She received a Pura Belpré Author Award Honor for her picture bookMango, Abuela, and Me. Her young adult novelBurn Baby Burn earned numerous distinctions, including being long-listed for the National Book Award and short-listed for the Kirkus Prize. Meg Medina received a Pura Belpré Author Award and a Cybils Award for her young adult novelYaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, which has been adapted and illustrated as a graphic novel by Mel Valentine Vargas. She also received an Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award for her picture bookTía Isa Wants a Car. When she is not writing, Meg Medina works on community projects that support girls, Latino youth, and literacy. She lives with her family in Richmond, Virginia.