Imagination Friday with Meg Medina

A girl with curly hair and glasses holds a duffel bag and rests her foot on a soccer ball. Kids at school play in the background.Meet Meg Medina, author of the Newbery Medal winner, Merci Suárez Changes Gears! Meg will share her newest middle-grade novel, Merci Suárez Plays It Cool, in which Merci faces school drama and changing family dynamics. When one of the popular kids starts talking with her at school, she faces difficult decisions on who has her loyalty as a friend.

Meg will talk about her new book and share the process of creating the story, invite children to write about their own experiences, and answer questions.

You must register for the webinar to attend and will receive a link to click on and join this exciting interaction with Meg Medina. The webinar will be recorded and those who register will receive that link to watch the recording if unable to join us live. Teachers who want to show the webinar live to their classes will be able to live-stream the webinar.

Register Now

Imagination Fridays participants can order signed copies of the books featured at https://shop.uabookstore.arizona.edu/main/wildcats/TFOB/Children.


Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW.
Panelist: Meg Medina
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books


Photo Credit Petite Shards

Meg Medina is a Cuban American author who writes for readers of all ages. Her previous Merci Suárez books received multiple awards and starred reviews and her new book is the final book in that trilogy. She also writes picturebooks, including Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away, and young adult novels, including Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs one Friday a month from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2022 with a different author or illustrator each session. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

WOW Recommends: Book of the Month

WOW Recommends: Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Cover for Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg MedinaMerci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina, recalls the the middle grade experience of no longer being a child but not yet being an adult. This is the confusing age when responsibilities increase though little explanation is given as to why. The age when young people begin to question authority and long for independence, but still look for approval and acceptance. Medina captures all this in this 2019 Newbery Medal winning book. Continue reading