| Scholastic introduces us to a zany character who goes by the name of Maritza Gabriela
Morales Mercado. Just call her Gabí for short and remember that accent mark over the i! This
book is about what a somewhat-typical 3rd grader faces in her day-to-day life at school
and at home. When her family speaks in Spanish and she speaks and learns English at
school, things can get a little bit crazy!
Spanglish, as it turns out, is a fun mixture of Spanish and English. Very often, Gabí
gets mixed up and uses a combination of both languages which creates all kinds of
confusion which kids love to read about! Sometimes, Gabí thinks this only happens to her
and kids will just love her crazy adventures!
Well written by Puerto Rican born Marisa Montes (who chose being a full time author
over working as an attorney!) and illustrated with a cartoon appeal by Joe Cepeda, it's
very easy to realize that this is going to be a popular book series for young readers.
This character could easily be turned into a Saturday morning cartoon star, so look out!
A great blend of humor and realism goes a long way in this book. A fun bonus is a
3-page mini Spanish dictionary of words and phrases Gabí uses throughout the book! It's a
fun-filled way to learn what Gabí's life is like and to learn some Spanish at the same
time! Caracoles! That's Gabí's word for "yikes" or "wow"! |
by Tina Velgos 
