Merci Suárez Changes Gears
by Meg Medina
Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina is assigned in US schools at grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 700L. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Merci Suárez Changes Gears is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 700L
- Grade range
- Grades 4–7
- Difficulty for grade
- Below the grade 4–5 band (740–1010L)
- Age range
- Ages 9–12
- Pages
- 368
- Reading time
- about 6h 45m (est.)
- First published
- 2018
- Genre
- Middle Grade Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780763690496
Reading difficulty: At 700L, Merci Suárez Changes Gears reads below the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.
Where to find this book
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About this book
Sixth-grader Merci, a scholarship student at a private Florida school, juggles a jealous classmate, the demands of her tight-knit Cuban-American family, and the frightening changes in her beloved grandfather. Meg Medina's Newbery Medal winner about family, class, and growing up is widely assigned in grades 4-7.
Why widely assigned
This Middle Grade Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 4–7. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on family and social class; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
family · social class · identity · aging
Content notes
dementia
Where this book is assigned
Newbery Medal
- recommended·4th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2019 Newbery Medal
- recommended·5th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2019 Newbery Medal
- recommended·6th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2019 Newbery Medal
- recommended·7th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2019 Newbery Medal
Similar grade-level books
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
See all books like Merci Suárez Changes Gears→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is Merci Suárez Changes Gears?
- Merci Suárez Changes Gears is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 700L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of Merci Suárez Changes Gears?
- Merci Suárez Changes Gears has a Lexile measure of 700L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- How long does it take to read Merci Suárez Changes Gears?
- It takes about 6h 45m to read Merci Suárez Changes Gears (368 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 405 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is Merci Suárez Changes Gears hard to read for 4th grade?
- At 700L, Merci Suárez Changes Gears reads below the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
- What curricula assign Merci Suárez Changes Gears?
- Merci Suárez Changes Gears appears on reading lists for Newbery Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- 700L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 4–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: award-winner.