Learning to love ourselves
with Meg Medina author of 'Merci Suárez Plays It Cool'
#NuevasPaginasconLupita is a space that is both an archive and resource aimed to spotlight Hispanic/Latinx/e authors with newly published books. The goal is to connect readers to new and/or old favorite Hispanic/Latinx/e authors and their books! So give this & every post a share to help us reach more readers!
How does it work?!
Here’s the deal, I came up with a set of casual/random/funny questions to ask each Hispanic/Latinx/e author, I interview. For now, the questions will all be the same but maybe in the future I’ll launch this into more specific questions to the author or maybe I’ll turn this series into a mini-podcast, or maybe……well, you get it! The possibilities are endless.
If you are new here don’t forget to check out all the other amazing interviews! We also have a great line-up of guest authors coming up so make sure you don’t miss an issue by subscribing now!
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Hey Heyyy Book Franz!
I get asked often for book recommendations for young adults. Specifically for Middle Grade and it always triggers thoughts about my younger self at that age. I remember reading books but definitely not with the same passion I have for reading now. Wait, I’m lying. Shortly after saying that a photo my Mamá has somewhere came to mind. In it, I’m in middle school standing next to my two best friends (at the time) and I have a terrible perm, that my aunt talked me into but I’m smiling super hard because one of my friends gifted me a copy of ‘The Rock Says…..The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment’. Yes, a was a WWE fan growing up, you can judge me all you want lol.
Anyways, despite that moment/memory, I don’t recall being as attached to books as I am now and I know that’s because there was no one in my life at the moment that could introduce me to authors like Meg Medina, Aya de Leon, Zoraida Córdova, Nina Morena and so many more. Authors that write about the people in my everyday life. Authors that write characters like me. I write this to all to say it’s truly an honor to welcome today’s guest to the newsletter. What Meg Medina has done for children’s lit, makes my inner child jump with joy. So if you need a middle-grade book rec for a friend or for your young one — start with Meg Medina.
Without further ado, our special guest author for today’s issue is……Meg Medina author of Merci Suárez Plays It Cool!
Could you tell me a bit about where this photo was taken? Is it special to your book in some way?
This photo was taken at the beach in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, where our family vacations every year. I feel most at home near the ocean. There’s something about the sound of the surf and the unstructured days that helps me rest. It reminds me of my aunts who so loved “el mar.” I chose the photo because I’m not posed. I have beach hair and just coming back from a walk. The connection to Merci’s story is the ocean. The novel unfolds in Florida, which boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I lived there for a decade and miss the closeness to water.
Tell me about your book without telling me about your book - share any literary inspirations behind your book! If there are none, the gap you wanted to fill in the literary canon with your book.
Sometimes, when we’re growing up, we experience ridiculous, funny moments right alongside heartbreaking ones that will shape us for a lifetime. They’re moments that have to do with our families, with friends, with the process of learning to love ourselves, and sometimes with unspeakable losses. I like to write about those experiences as honestly as I can, so that kids feel seen in their growing up.
What are two central themes in your book that you connect with the most and why?
Relationships with friends and family. Who can we count on for the big things? Do we need to count on everyone in the same way?
If a book was home, where would your home be?
Near the sea, so I could think to the sound of the waves.
If your book was a famous musician who would it be?
Celia Cruz forever. She was everything to Cubans in the diaspora. A memory of home. A force of talent that showcased Cuban music to the world. A warm woman who made you feel as though you knew her personally.
What comfort food could a reader pair with your book?
Two croquetas de jamón and a nice Cuban coffee, light and sweet.
In what ways has access (or little to no access) to Hispanic/Latinx/e literature defined you as a writer?
When I started publishing in the early 2000s, the idea of writing into such a small space was intimidating. Who was going to read my work? Who was going to promote it or even know how to get it to the readers who wanted my stories? Over time, I learned that writing from the margins means writing with an advocate’s heart. You have to think beyond your own books and your own path. Instead, you need to focus on those who came before you to clear the way, and then consider what your contributions to the community are going to be as you move forward.
These days, I’m deeply interested in widening the range of Latino voices…more countries, more races, more types of life experiences – just more. It’s been a slow lift, but it’s happening. Now, when I see new authors and illustrators coming to the table – winning awards, climbing up bestseller lists – I feel hopeful, even though I know the work is far from done.
Where can readers keep up with your work?
You can visit my website (www.megmedina.com) for basic book and personal info. It’s also where you can sign up for Sobremesa, my newsletter, which comes out every other month. That’s where I give readers more personal information and inside scoops that I don’t post on social media. It’s a more intimate group, so to speak.
I also offer weekly 1-min writing tips on both on Insta and Tik Tok via MegMedinaBooks. It’s been fun to see how the tips resonate with student readers and published friends, alike.
A huge thank you to Meg Medina for taking the time to chat with me about Merci Suárez Plays It Cool! Please please make sure you purchase a copy (or request your local library carry a copy) #SupportLatinxLit!
Meg Medina is a Newbery award-winning and New York Times best-selling author who writes picture books, as well as middle-grade and young-adult fiction. Her works have been called “heartbreaking,” “lyrical” and “must-haves for every collection.” Her most recent book is Merci Suárez Plays It Cool, the conclusion to the beloved Merci Suarez trilogy. She lives with her family in Richmond, VA.
Synopsis for Merci Suárez Plays It Cool from the Bookshop website:
In a satisfying finale to her trilogy, Newbery Medalist Meg Medina follows Merci Suárez into an eighth-grade year full of changes--evolving friendships, new responsibilities, and heartbreaking loss.
For Merci Suárez, 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. Whether Merci is facing school drama or changing family dynamics, readers will empathize as she discovers who she can count on--and what can change in an instant--in Meg Medina's heartfelt conclusion to the trilogy that began with the Newbery Medal-winning novel.
