Medina, Meg

Sixteen-year-old Sonia Ocampo, having been born on a night of a very bad storm that suddenly stopped when she came into the world, struggles with the belief of others that she has protective powers, so when she gets the opportunity to move to the city and work for a wealthy family, she takes the chance to escape the expectations of those around her, but with the disappearance of her brother, she is forced to face the fact she can never leave her past or family behind.

A follow-up to the Newbery Medal-winning Merci Su?rez Changes Gears finds Merci embarking 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.

"For Merci Su?rez, eighth grade means a new haircut, nighttime football games, and an out-of-town overnight field trip. At home, it means more chores and keeping an eye on Lolo as his health worsens. It's a year filled with more responsibility and independence, but also with opportunities to reinvent herself. Merci has always been fine with not being one of the popular kids like Avery Sanders, who will probably be the soccer captain and is always traveling to fun places and buying new clothes. But then Avery starts talking to Merci more, and not just as a teammate. Does this mean they're friends? Merci wants to play it cool, but with Edna always in her business, it's only a matter of time before Merci has to decide where her loyalty stands"--Publisher.

A follow-up to the Newbery Medal-winning Merci Su?rez Changes Gears finds Merci embarking 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.

Piddy Sanchez deals with bullying at her new school, and as the harassment escalates, she struggles to survive and to discover who she really is.

"Merci Su?rez 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 Merci's school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna's jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci's grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately -- forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she's left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school."--Provided by publisher.

"Mia's abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. The night she arrives, Mia tries to share her favorite book with Abuela before they go to sleep and discovers that Abuela can't read the words inside. So while they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English ("Dough. Masa"), 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-shop window and has the perfecto idea for how to help them all communicate a little better. An endearing tale from an award-winning duo that speaks loud and clear about learning new things and the love that bonds family members."-- From Amazon.com.

"Mia's Abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. The night she arrives, Mia tries to share her favorite book with Abuela before they go to sleep and discovers that Abuela can't read the words inside"--Provided by publisher.

Amidst searching for the father she has never met, keeping her grades up, and working a part-time job, Piddy Sanchez is faced with the harassment of Yaqui Delgado and her gang. Although Piddy is mostly able to avoid Yaqui and her gang, when the harassment escalates and her personal life begins to suffer, she must reexamine her priorities in order to prevent these bullies from determining the type of person she will be.

Now a seventh grader, Merci Su?rez is facing a whole new set of challenges. She has enough to deal with at school including a tough teacher, new responsibilities, crushes, and jealousy. But with her grandfather's Alzheimer's worsening and T?a Inez starting to date again, Merci feels even more lost. Soon, she begins wonder if her life will ever seem normal again.