Parents' Guide to

Merci Suárez Can't Dance: Merci Suárez, Book 2

By Joly Herman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Merci deals with racism, family, boys in delightful sequel.

Book Meg Medina Coming of Age 2021
Merci Suárez Can't Dance: Merci Suárez, Book 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

In MERCI SUÁREZ CAN'T DANCE, Merci is in seventh grade, with all of the peer pressure, confusion, and conflicts that exist at age 12. Merci still has a foot in her childhood-- she loves to ride her bike, and she depends on her grandfather, Lolo, for comfort and advice. She even wonders if it's dumb to pretend when you're 12. But life has other plans for Merci. Her enemy, Edna Santos, is getting closer to Merci's friend, Hannah. Her Tía (aunt) is being courted by a family friend, her brother is in college and moving on with his life, and her dear Lolo is slipping into the fog of dementia.

But Merci is also exploring new things. She's becoming friends with a boy from New Orleans named Wilson. She's taking leadership roles when they're given to her, and she's finding that things can get very complicated when you're not telling the whole truth. Can she handle the pressure of being responsible at home and at school? Merci finds she needs to learn to rely on the people who love her to help her through the challenges that are pushing her to grow up a little bit more.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This delightful sequel to an award-winning book is brimming with family, culture, and adventure and engages fans right away. This time, Merci finds more ways to get into mischief, eventually pulling herself out of trouble with big life lessons in tow. Being in her brother's shadow has been challenging, since Roli is the high-achiever poster boy. But now that he's at university, Merci carries more responsibility at home, and she has to carve out her own reputation in school. In short, Merci has some character-building to do.

The questions that Merci asks in Merci Suárez Can't Dance are big ones, and the answers she finds -- and the lessons she learns -- are satisfying. It's not all about values and morals, though. There's enough pop culture and middle-school drama in this story to keep tweens riveted. Coming of age when there's a lot of pressure is tough, but in Merci's story, the humor is twinkling, the sadness is heart-wrenching, and the joy is exuberant.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what racism feels like in Merci Suárez Can't Dance. Merci talks about it feeling "like getting little papercuts all the time... they don't look like much, but they hurt, especially if you get a lot of them, day after day." Have you experienced racism? What does it feel like to you?

  • Do you think it's OK that Merci checks her phone in between classes and sends messages while she's in the bathroom? What are the rules at your school?

  • Merci feels like people are really complicated -- they're not really only good or only bad, they're a mix of both. How do you know when you can trust someone? Who are the trusted people in your life?

Book Details

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