Meet Merci Suarez, a thoughtful and strong-willed sixth grader navigating big changes! Life at her fancy private school in Florida is already different for Merci and her brother, Roli, because they attend on scholarship. They don't have the biggest houses or the fanciest things, and they do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. When a new boy arrives, Merci is assigned to be his Sunshine Buddy. But bossy Edna Santos quickly sets her sights on him, making Merci the target of Edna's jealousy. Suddenly, school feels even tougher, and Merci finds herself feeling a bit alone. At home, things are changing too. Merci's beloved grandfather, Lolo, who is her trusted friend, has been acting strangely. He's forgetting things, getting angry, and even falling from his bike. No one in her family seems to want to tell Merci what's truly going on, leaving her with lots of worries. Join Merci as she tries to figure out these new challenges with friends, family, and everything in between, all while discovering what it means to grow up.