"Who can Merci trust when all the relationships wobble? Succeeding as a sixth-grader is challenging for any preteen but especially hard for Merci Suarez. Her tight-knit Hispanic family is being torn by a secret no one will share. Her upscale, private school is rife with adolescent angst, flimsy friendships and “girl drama”. How can she excel in school when she does not fill academic expectatio ...

After experiencing racist bullying on her school bus and racist vandalism in her middle school, Junie and her friends of color create a club and plan a school-wide assembly to address the racist issue. Junie’s part is creating a video for the program. She also decides to record her Korean grandparents about their experiences with oppression at the same age. Amid the beginnings of the Korean War ...

Story features imperfect middle and high-schoolers acting in authentic ways, which provides much to discuss. However, the authentic narrators relate events and perspectives that illustrate the power of kindness. Beautiful, moving, thought-provoking, and unforgettable!