A Crazy, Mixed-Up Spanglish Day (Paperback)

~ (Author), Joe Cepeda (Illustrator) "Expecting trouble?" Mr. Fine's bushy eyebrows knitted into one long, fuzzy caterpillar..." (more)
Key Phrases: spunky feet, Johnny Wiley, Puerto Rico, Maritza Pizza (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Launching the Get Ready for Gabi! series, this slim tale introduces Maritza Gabriela Morales Mercado, a third-grader who speaks Spanish at home and English at school. "At home, I'm Gabi. At school, I'm Maritza Morales." Yet she tends to confuse her identities-and mix up the two languages-when she gets "super-stressed." One of Montes's more successful scenes centers on the narrator's playground conversation with her "Little Buddy," a kindergartner who recently moved to California from Nicaragua, and Devin, one of her best friends, who lived in Panama for four years (in Maritza's words, Devin "speaks really good Spanish, and she doesn't want to forget it"). Their exchange allows for a sprinkling of Spanish words, but the author never develops these relationships much beyond that early playground scene. Aside from a surprise visit from Maritza's grandmother (who lives in Puerto Rico), the action primarily focuses on the heroine's attempts to control her temper. Her nemesis, Johnny, a classmate who calls her "Maritza Pizza," teases her relentlessly. As a solution, the girl announces to the class that she prefers to be called Gab¡ (with an accent-so it will not rhyme with Blabby, the nickname with which Johnny promptly saddles her). Cepeda's (What a Truly Cool World) b&w line art adds little to the sketchy proceedings. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Irrepressible and spunky Maritza Gabriela Morales Mercado is introduced in this new series. She has a problem, namely Johnny Wiley, a fellow third grader and all-around pain in the neck. He teases her relentlessly and she has a hard time not reacting, especially when wearing her favorite red boots, which are perfect for dispensing justice. When she is assigned to work with Johnny on a school project, she is so upset and rattled that she begins mixing up Spanish and English words at school and at home, even using Spanglish-much to her mother's dismay. Then her grandmother, uncle, and aunt pop in for a surprise visit, and her grandmother inspires the girl to start using her head, instead of her feet, when dealing with Johnny. Gab' is a feisty protagonist in the tradition of Beverly Cleary's Ramona, and she will appeal to beginning chapter-book readers. Cepeda's pen-and-ink cartoon illustrations are scattered throughout. A glossary of Spanish words is included, and these terms are also explained in context.
Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439475198
• ISBN-13: 978-0439475198
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #910,336 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for ESL classes!, September 9, 2003

By	Stacy L. Bickell (TX) - See all my reviews

As an English as a Second Language teacher, I am always looking for easy to read books that address different cultures and languages. This book is perfect. I am now reading the 1st book in the Gabi series to a class, and have 2 other students reading #1 and #2 of the series on their own. I have students on a waiting list to read them next! The kids are thrilled to read books by an author who isn't afraid to throw in a little cultural flavor. This is an excellent book for beginning readers or older children just learning English--believe it or not, I am a middle school teacher!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Tough to follow, July 20, 2004

By	Fourth Grade Teacher - See all my reviews

This book was tough to follow and did really go anywhere. I felt like it was a jumbled piece of work that had no storyline or plot.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Special About This Book, July 4, 2004

By	pc "pc128" (Winter Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews

My son and I read this book together because it was listed as a Sunshine State Book (Florida's recommended reading list) for the 2004-2005 school year. I was very disappointed; the plot was very weak and I felt that the book portrayed non-hispanic people in a negative way. I think the only reason it was picked as a Sunshine State Book was out of political correctness, because the author intermixes Spanish words throughout the book and the main character is Hispanic. The only people portrayed badly in the book are presumably not Hispanic-- a boy named Johnny Wiley and a girl named Sissy Huffer, whose only "fault" the author gives us, is that she has "perfect blonde curls". In the book, the main character is criticized by her mother for speaking English at home. Her mother tells her, "See what happens when you get lazy and use the English word when there's a perfectly good Spanish word?" I can't recommend this book. Besides the underlying anti-Gringo and anti-English messages it sends, it just isn't that good of a book. The basic plot of the book is that the main character (Gabi) has to deal with a boy who teases her at school, but her solution to the problem is rather uninspiring. The only redeeming quality of this book is that it emphasizes the main character working out her problem using her brain rather than her temper. If you want an interesting book to read, pick any of the other books on the Sunshine State reading list -- the rest of them are more creative and have better developed plots.