Merci Suárez Can’t Dance by Meg Medina (review)

In this followup to Merci Suárez Changes Gears (BCCB 9/18), Merci is now in seventh grade, trying—well, mostly trying—to keep the peace with snobby classmate Edna Santos. At home she’s worrying about her grandfather, whose dementia is robbing him of more memories and abilities, and about her aunt, whose gig teaching dance classes has been canceled, and who seems to have some kind of secret. At least there’s her growing friendship with easygoing Wilson, but even that’s fraught with stress about middle-school romantic teasing, knee-jerk denials, and other awkwardness. Merci continues to be a vivid and dimensional character, strong-minded and capable but also believably twelve (her mother asks the inevitable question “What’s wrong with you these days?”) and credibly nervous about moving out of her comfort zone. Her big ethical challenge (covering up damage to high-priced equipment borrowed from Edna’s father) is painfully realistic, as is the effect it has on her social circle; Merci’s relationship with Edna generally is a nuanced depiction of frenemyship, as both girls are written with depth and both can throw gasoline on the fire when the urge takes them. The book is dedicated to “Merci fans who wanted to know what happened next, ” and hopefully there are more volumes of “next” to come for sparky Merci.