Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

How I Heard About It:  I love that Rick Riordan not only writes incredible stories for kids, but also "presents" books by other authors.  This is the first in a new series by Carlos Hernandez.  Isn't the cover just amazing!  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Meet Sal Vidon, the new middle school student who knows a "bit" of magic.  

2.  *Meet Gabi Real, the "leader" of the school as student council president and editor of the school paper.  



3.  *These two middle-schoolers meet in the Principal's office after a bizarre "bullying" magical incident that involved another student, a locker, and a chicken.

4.  *As much as Sal wants to keep his "power" a secret, it doesn't take long for Gabi to find out and share that she may also have this same "power".  

5.  *Sal and Gabi begin to rely on each other not only in the school setting, but in both of their personal lives when family issues rise to the surface.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *First, I must say there is "a lot" of stuff that went on in this story.  Kids will love it.  

2.  *Sal and Gabi were wonderful, interesting, and authentic characters.  I enjoyed reading about their Hispanic heritage.  

3.  *Their relationship was the center point of the story and grew at such a steady and realistic pace.

4.  *The "magical" elements were enticing and thought-provoking.  To be honest, I did get a bit confused about the "holes" in the universe, but that is just my mind.  

5.  *I was able to enjoy the personal and relational aspects of the story, but the science/universe aspects lost me a bit from time to time.  


Who Should Read It:    A sure winner for readers in elementary school.  The story is a bit long at almost 400 pages so the reader needs to have a bit of stamina.  I think fifth and sixth grade readers would be perfect for the story.  That doesn't mean younger and/or older readers wouldn't enjoy the adventures of Sal and Gabi.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   3 STARS out of 5 Stars!





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