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Meet Me on Mercer Street
Harriet the Spy meets Front Desk in this funny, surprising graphic novel by Booki Vivat, author-illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Frazzled series.
Aspiring artist Kacie spends most of her time on Mercer Street with her best friend, Nisha, people-watching and doodling whatever is happening in their neighborhood. But when she comes back from a summer away, the local corner store is boarded up, the adults in town are all on edge, and Nisha is nowhere to be found! Everything is changing, and Kacie’s not sure what to do about it. Especially without Nisha to help her.
But Kacie has a knack for noticing things, and with her sketchbooks and observational skills, she just might have what it takes to figure out what’s really happening on Mercer Street.
Filled with both cartoons and graphic comic panels, Booki Vivat draws a hilarious-yet-deeply-perceptive portrait of a changing neighborhood, a mysterious disappearance, and the girl who’s determined to understand how she fits in to the picture.
Aspiring artist Kacie spends most of her time on Mercer Street with her best friend, Nisha, people-watching and doodling whatever is happening in their neighborhood. But when she comes back from a summer away, the local corner store is boarded up, the adults in town are all on edge, and Nisha is nowhere to be found! Everything is changing, and Kacie’s not sure what to do about it. Especially without Nisha to help her.
But Kacie has a knack for noticing things, and with her sketchbooks and observational skills, she just might have what it takes to figure out what’s really happening on Mercer Street.
Filled with both cartoons and graphic comic panels, Booki Vivat draws a hilarious-yet-deeply-perceptive portrait of a changing neighborhood, a mysterious disappearance, and the girl who’s determined to understand how she fits in to the picture.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 7, 2024
Delightful, heartfelt, so charmingly drawn! This sweet story made me cry!
January 1, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Soon-to-be sixth grader Kacie Sitthiwat lives in the city on Mercer Street, where her parents work very hard at their business, Smiley's Cleaners. Kacie is very fond of drawing, and spends a lot of her time chronicling her life in a series of notebook sketches. In an uncharacteristic move, she was sent away "on vacation", living with relatives for the summer, and so has not been in touch with her best friend, Nisha Khanna, whose father has a grocery store down the street. When she returns home, she finds that the grocery store is shut down for renovations, and she still hasn't heard from Nisha. She knows that her friend was upset before Kacie left, and looks around the neighborhood to find her. Before long, she realizes that a new boy who has been skateboarding around (and getting in some trouble) is now living in the Khanna's apartment. She and Danny explore the street, checking out the community garden, talking to the "bench grandpas", and having paletas at the local shop, but still can't figure out what has happened to Nisha. Kacie's parents seem stressed, but tell her it's nothing to worry about, but Kacie can tell that things are changing in her neighborhood. The Khanna's shop reopens... but as a $mart store, where Kacie is definitely not welcomed. There is talk of shutting down the community garden, and there are men in suits wandering around the area, which is never a good sign. When Kacie runs into her parents as they are coming out of the bank, she finally learns that things are very hard. Rents are going up, stores are closing, and even Smiley's might be in danger. Kacie uses her artistic abilities to try to help her family's business as well as to help another local artist cover up some graffiti. She also writes a letter to Nisha, having asked the local mail carrier for help in finding her friend. As the neighborhood pulls together, will Kacie be able to come to terms with the changes in her world?
Strengths: Vivat's Frazzled (2016) series is very popular with my students, and Mercer Street looks like the pages will be in full color! Since I don't like the smell of that much ink (or the cost!), I wish it were in black and white, but my students would much prefer color. This is a highly illustrated novel, like Pichon's Tom Gates, and the illustration style is very appealing. Mercer Street definitely comes alive in the illustrations. I liked that she was able to go out on her own and explore, along with Danny. This will be a popular choice with both elementary and middle grade readers, so I will definitely buy a copy.
Weaknesses: Change is hard for middle grade readers, but also inevitable. I wish there were more books about dealing positively with change rather than railing against it. Also, I think it's time to stop comparing books to Harriet the Spy (1964), which is older than I am, and not all that applicable in this case. (The publisher describes this book as "Harriet the Spy meets Front Desk". It also seemed unlikely that Kacie would have no idea where her friend went, but it makes for a bit of mystery.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like reading about fighting gentrification and have enjoyed Giles' Take Back the Block, Watson's This Side of Home, Dilloway's Five Things About Ava Andrews, Nelson's Umbrella House, Negron's Underdog City, Broaddus' Unfadeable, or Cartaya's The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora.
Soon-to-be sixth grader Kacie Sitthiwat lives in the city on Mercer Street, where her parents work very hard at their business, Smiley's Cleaners. Kacie is very fond of drawing, and spends a lot of her time chronicling her life in a series of notebook sketches. In an uncharacteristic move, she was sent away "on vacation", living with relatives for the summer, and so has not been in touch with her best friend, Nisha Khanna, whose father has a grocery store down the street. When she returns home, she finds that the grocery store is shut down for renovations, and she still hasn't heard from Nisha. She knows that her friend was upset before Kacie left, and looks around the neighborhood to find her. Before long, she realizes that a new boy who has been skateboarding around (and getting in some trouble) is now living in the Khanna's apartment. She and Danny explore the street, checking out the community garden, talking to the "bench grandpas", and having paletas at the local shop, but still can't figure out what has happened to Nisha. Kacie's parents seem stressed, but tell her it's nothing to worry about, but Kacie can tell that things are changing in her neighborhood. The Khanna's shop reopens... but as a $mart store, where Kacie is definitely not welcomed. There is talk of shutting down the community garden, and there are men in suits wandering around the area, which is never a good sign. When Kacie runs into her parents as they are coming out of the bank, she finally learns that things are very hard. Rents are going up, stores are closing, and even Smiley's might be in danger. Kacie uses her artistic abilities to try to help her family's business as well as to help another local artist cover up some graffiti. She also writes a letter to Nisha, having asked the local mail carrier for help in finding her friend. As the neighborhood pulls together, will Kacie be able to come to terms with the changes in her world?
Strengths: Vivat's Frazzled (2016) series is very popular with my students, and Mercer Street looks like the pages will be in full color! Since I don't like the smell of that much ink (or the cost!), I wish it were in black and white, but my students would much prefer color. This is a highly illustrated novel, like Pichon's Tom Gates, and the illustration style is very appealing. Mercer Street definitely comes alive in the illustrations. I liked that she was able to go out on her own and explore, along with Danny. This will be a popular choice with both elementary and middle grade readers, so I will definitely buy a copy.
Weaknesses: Change is hard for middle grade readers, but also inevitable. I wish there were more books about dealing positively with change rather than railing against it. Also, I think it's time to stop comparing books to Harriet the Spy (1964), which is older than I am, and not all that applicable in this case. (The publisher describes this book as "Harriet the Spy meets Front Desk". It also seemed unlikely that Kacie would have no idea where her friend went, but it makes for a bit of mystery.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like reading about fighting gentrification and have enjoyed Giles' Take Back the Block, Watson's This Side of Home, Dilloway's Five Things About Ava Andrews, Nelson's Umbrella House, Negron's Underdog City, Broaddus' Unfadeable, or Cartaya's The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora.
October 15, 2023
Artist Kacie is heading into 6th grade when she’s shipped off for a summer with the cousins. When she’s back home, her bestie is nowhere to be found so Kacie uses her artist observation skills to figure out what the grownups aren’t telling her. This book perfectly captures all the angst and heartache of your bestie leaving as well as the frustration of not knowing what’s happening and the helplessness that can come when you finally learn. It explores how change is a normal part of life so we need to make our voices heard when we can to have a say in our future. I felt a real message of hope in the end and loved that Kacie found sharing her art makes it more real and further connects her with her neighbors when she uses her drawing skills to save a community space that she and her bestie cherished. And of course the art in the book itself is incredible! Booki Vivat’s illustrations are super fun, full of energy and movement, and truly make me feel like I’m part of the story world. I gasped at the last spread - it was so perfect in pulling the entire book together. Thank you to Scholastic for the chance to read early!
May 3, 2024
Meet Me on Mercer Street: two stars. The writing just didn't work for me at all. Odd pacing and very repetitive--the same vague platitudes over and over (except when they sometimes contradict each other). I wonder if this would have worked better as a full graphic novel than in this hybrid form? And the choice of how much information to reveal was really bizarre. After a long while of Kacie going, "something is changing in my neighborhood but I can't figure out what!", her parents finally tell her... except we don't get to hear the actual conversation or even a summary! Just a bunch of pictures of money and buildings! I can't think of an audience this would work for. For older readers who already know about gentrification, it's obvious from the beginning that that's what's going on, and Kacie comes off as pretty clueless for a while, while younger readers who don't know about gentrification won't be able to learn about it from this book (and aren't even given the word to look up or ask about) and are likely to come away confused! So I'm puzzled who the intended audience is here!
June 18, 2023
Touching and heartfelt, I downloaded an ARC while horizontal in bed, sick with the nastiest cold 2 years post pandemic. I couldn’t ask for better company.
The book juggles a host of topics, primarily the absence of a best friend after a move, and it also covers so much more: parental anxiety over finances and communicating grown-up stuff to kids (or lack thereof), settling into the identity of an artist, the notion of community and who decides how a neighborhood should change.
Props to Vivat for believing her readers capable of discussing these larger themes, and for the reminder there’s value in building community, or at least getting to know your neighbors a little better.
“I used to think being an artist meant capturing the world exactly as it is. But I’m learning that it can also be about imagining the world as you want it to be. I don’t know exactly what that will look like, but I want to be part of making it happen.” ❤️
Go forth, readers.
The book juggles a host of topics, primarily the absence of a best friend after a move, and it also covers so much more: parental anxiety over finances and communicating grown-up stuff to kids (or lack thereof), settling into the identity of an artist, the notion of community and who decides how a neighborhood should change.
Props to Vivat for believing her readers capable of discussing these larger themes, and for the reminder there’s value in building community, or at least getting to know your neighbors a little better.
“I used to think being an artist meant capturing the world exactly as it is. But I’m learning that it can also be about imagining the world as you want it to be. I don’t know exactly what that will look like, but I want to be part of making it happen.” ❤️
Go forth, readers.
January 2, 2024
“Something is happening and I didn’t see it coming.
🏪
Kacie has grown up on Mercer Street with her best friend, Nisha. Both their parents own businesses on Mercer Street, but when Kacie goes away for the summer she comes back to everything different. Her best friend is gone and so is her family business. Things are changing around her and no one is talking about it. As she dives into her art, drawing everything around her, Kacie realizes there’s a lot to love and protect about Mercer Street.
🏪
This was such a heartwarming MG book by @bookibookibooki It chronicles her (semiautobiographical) story of gentrification and community. This novel is filled with great illustrations and a mix of graphic novel panels as well. It releases April 2 from @scholastic
CW: financial hardships, gentrification, classism
I wanted more closure with the friend at the end.
🏪
Kacie has grown up on Mercer Street with her best friend, Nisha. Both their parents own businesses on Mercer Street, but when Kacie goes away for the summer she comes back to everything different. Her best friend is gone and so is her family business. Things are changing around her and no one is talking about it. As she dives into her art, drawing everything around her, Kacie realizes there’s a lot to love and protect about Mercer Street.
🏪
This was such a heartwarming MG book by @bookibookibooki It chronicles her (semiautobiographical) story of gentrification and community. This novel is filled with great illustrations and a mix of graphic novel panels as well. It releases April 2 from @scholastic
CW: financial hardships, gentrification, classism
I wanted more closure with the friend at the end.
April 15, 2024
Author Booki Vivat wrote Meet Me on Mercer Street to explore overwhelming questions like: Why do things change? and What do we do when those changes feels so much bigger than us? And she does that through insightful cartoons and graphic novel comic panels.
At the center of the story is Kacie, a girl who uses her doodles to make sense of things. Meet Me on Mercer Street reads like Kacie’s journal, with her first-person narrative and sketches bringing the story to life.
The story here is one that most readers can relate to in some way or another — who hasn’t faced change and the overwhelming feelings that come with it? Vivat’s writing is conversational and her illustrations are full of humor and emotion.
At less than 200 pages, Meet Me on Mercer Street will also appeal to readers who sometimes find “thicker” books daunting.
At the center of the story is Kacie, a girl who uses her doodles to make sense of things. Meet Me on Mercer Street reads like Kacie’s journal, with her first-person narrative and sketches bringing the story to life.
The story here is one that most readers can relate to in some way or another — who hasn’t faced change and the overwhelming feelings that come with it? Vivat’s writing is conversational and her illustrations are full of humor and emotion.
At less than 200 pages, Meet Me on Mercer Street will also appeal to readers who sometimes find “thicker” books daunting.
May 1, 2024
This middle grade graphic novel is a realistic and child-centric look at a changing neighborhood due to gentrification. Even as things change around her, Kacie is mostly kept in the dark by the adults who live on her street. But when her best friend Nisha suddenly moves away and her father's small grocery and deli is replaced by a corporate chain, Kacie starts to realize what's happening -- and wants to take part to preserve the family and neighborhood she loves. Notably, the author points out that all neighborhoods change over time, but it should be up to the residents to decide what type of changes take place. This is a timely and engaging picture that will appeal to graphic novel readers. And, though graphic panels and illustrations are frequent, a hybrid format with lots of longer chunks of text makes this an accessible book for lots of readers.
January 13, 2024
Another fantastic middle grade read by Booki Vivat! I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this fun, heartfelt book. Love the illustrations and how it's clear that Vivat trusts readers to go on a journey together exploring some big topics--a friend leaving, gentrification, change, feeling isolated and left out. It's done with such care and I read it in one evening, needing to know what happens with Kacie and her family and community. There are no easy answers to the questions raised, but we're left with hope, and an empowering sense of fun and community. And, bench grandpas!!!
April 23, 2024
An illustrated chapter book I can happily recommend to all my lovers of graphic novels! A just right-amount of text, engaging illustrations, likeable characters, and a story to get into!
I really liked the big themes in this one of gentrification, changing communities, and the loss of friends/making new friends.
I would love to see more books from this author- either Mercer Street as a series, or just similar to this style!
I really liked the big themes in this one of gentrification, changing communities, and the loss of friends/making new friends.
I would love to see more books from this author- either Mercer Street as a series, or just similar to this style!
April 6, 2024
Great middle grade read about change, confidence and community. My only qualm with the story is how the parents didn’t tell Kacie when her best friend moved away. It’s hard to believe any loving parent would let a child go through that. (However I think the intended audience for this book will overlook this and still connect with and love this book!)
April 17, 2024
Totally LOVED.
Loved this one, and it’s real, honest reflection of a community experiencing change.
I love that this one tackled real-life issues (ex gentrification, immigrant families, changing friendships) and also showcased them in an honest, not “happy ending” type of way :)
Definitely recommend for grades 4-7!
Loved this one, and it’s real, honest reflection of a community experiencing change.
I love that this one tackled real-life issues (ex gentrification, immigrant families, changing friendships) and also showcased them in an honest, not “happy ending” type of way :)
Definitely recommend for grades 4-7!
January 12, 2024
Meet Me on Mercer Street by Booki Vivat is a compelling and empowering story about gentrification and caring about your community. Thoughtfully executed with engaging illustrations, it’s a fun read with meaningful themes.
January 26, 2024
Read the ARC with my daughter. She was super into it and wanted to know what happens next. The character voice is spot on for middle grade as she deals with her community changing, her best friend moving, finding her voice and purpose, and trying to understand her family and neighbors. We loved it!
Read
March 16, 2024This was a sweet book. I liked the characters and the niceness of the community. Sure, there was $Mart, however you pronounce that, but it was pretty much a book without much conflict. I like that kind of thing; not sure how others feel. It felt very real.
December 29, 2023
Love this middle grade graphic novel about art, change, generations, small business, and - above all - community. Well done, Booki, as always!
Read
March 4, 2024ARC courtesy of the publisher. Full review forthcoming on No Flying No Tights.
April 1, 2024
this is just like when Tops took over Budweys in like 2013
April 13, 2024
Cute and while it read rather simple, I do think it'll be a good book talk for 5th and 6th graders.
April 29, 2024
Cute. Coming of age story with very wonderful drawings. Hopeful story with a hopeful ending.
May 17, 2024
Oakland
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May 19, 2024I didn't like the typo on the very first page (didn't anybody proofread?!), but the rest of the story was enjoyable with a feel-good community connection and caring characters.
April 15, 2024
We recently had Booki Vivat at the bookstore recently. She was wonderful. Naturally, I wanted to read the graphic novel. The main character is Kacie who wants to be an artists when she grows up and she uses her art to try and figure out the mysterious changes going on in her neighborhood. At first, I thought it was a bit frustrating that characters (especially the adults) just don't sit down and talk but we've all seen it - or experienced it ourselves- when we keep silent about stuff trying not to trouble others especially if they're young. Perfect for fans of Kayla Miller and Kelly Yang books.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews