Gaby, Lost and Found

by Angela Cervantes

Overview

Wanted: One amazing forever home for one amazing sixth grader.

"My name is Gaby, and I'm looking for a home. Having the nicest clothes or cell phone isn't important, but I'd like to have a cat that I can talk to when I'm home alone."

When Gaby Ramirez Howard starts volunteering at the local animal shelter, she takes special pride in writing adoption advertisements. Her flyers help the cats and dogs there find their forever homes: places where they'll be loved and cared for, no matter what.

Gaby is in need of a forever home herself. Her mother has recently been deported to Honduras and Gaby doesn't know where to turn. Meanwhile, Gaby's favorite shelter cat, Feather, needs a new place to live. Gaby would love to adopt her-- but if Gaby doesn't have a place that feels like home to her, how can she help Feather?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545798631
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/28/2015
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	60,337
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Angela Cervantes is a writer and poet. Her poems and short stories have appeared in The Kansas City Star and Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul. She currently lives and writes in Kansas City where she founded the Latino Writers Collective.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for GABY, LOST AND FOUND:

"A timely, touching and nuanced portrayal of real-life challenges experienced by children in mixed-status families." --Kirkus Reviews

"A timely and important story about immigration, deportation, and abandonment wrapped in a warm-hearted tale that will appeal to all." --Sonia Manzano, Emmy Award-winning actress who plays “Maria” on Sesame Street and Pura Belpre Honor Award winning author of The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano

"A tender debut that is heartbreaking and heartwarming." --Diana Lopez, author of
Confetti Girl

From the Publisher

"Animales depend on us to take care of them," Gaby's mom often told her, and now that she is gone, Gaby takes comfort in helping the cats in her neighborhood. When her classmates vote for their school service project to be at the local animal shelter, Gaby is pleased. She loves spending time with the dogs and cats, especially Feather, a soft tabby whose owners abandoned her at a highway rest stop. When her best friend Alma and their teacher, Mrs. Kocher, recommend Gaby become the "shelter scribe" and pen profiles of the adoptable animals, she is delighted. She pours her heart into settling on the perfect words for each personality, so that the pets can be matched with homes that will meet their needs. At the same time, Gaby feels as though she is struggling to find a home of her own. Her mom was deported to her native country of Honduras more than three months ago. Her dad came to take care of her, but he is seldom home; worse, his job-quitting habit means bills go unpaid, there is little food in the house, and even less money for other necessities. Will the process of being a voice for her animal friends' needs help Gaby develop the ability to voice her own needs too? Can Gaby regain a sense of security in a home without her mother? Cervantes' narrative is an expressive, honest account of rebuilding in the face of heartache. Reviewer: Heidi Hauser Green

Children's Literature - Heidi Hauser Green

Gr 5–8—When Gaby Ramirez Howard's mother is deported back to Honduras, the sixth-grader's life is anything but stable. Her father often forgets to purchase food, but worse, neglects his daughter emotionally. She is an outcast at St. Ann's where classmates tease her about her family life. With everything falling apart, the protagonist finds strength and self-confidence in the class service project at their local animal shelter. She showcases her writing skills, creating individual profiles for each animal. Although her life parallels many of the abandoned pets, Gaby takes on the role of protector and defender. Her profiles and hard work help many animals find a new home and a true family, something that Gaby is lacking. The plot and tone are spiced with Spanish words along with tidbits of Honduran culture. The author humanizes the controversial issue of illegal immigration and paints an emotionally compelling story. The short chapters and simple plot will keep readers engaged. Kids will be initially attracted by the animal-shelter theme but ultimately maintain interest due to Gaby's absorbing story. The novel provides a glimpse into the lives of young people growing up in modern society, and is a welcome addition to middle-school collections.—Mary-Brook J. Townsend, The McGillis School, Salt Lake City, UT

School Library Journal

Gaby Ramirez Howard faces the same ups and downs as any 11-year-old girl, but they are made more complicated by her mother's absence. Three months ago, the factory where Gaby's mother worked was raided, and she was deported to Honduras, a country Gaby has never seen. Though she lives with her dad, Gaby basically parents herself with the help of her friend Alma's family. Her physical and emotional needs are barely met at home. Gaby's world brightens when her class begins a long-term volunteer project at the Furry Friends animal shelter. Like her mom, Gaby is an animal lover, and she develops her writing talent by crafting adoption profiles for the cats and dogs. Although bullies torment her with taunts of "illegal" and "alien," caring adults in the community and strong friendships empower the resilient Gaby to find her voice. Readers from many backgrounds will empathize with Gaby's struggle to do what is right for the animals she has come to love at Furry Friends, as well as with her suffering, as she wonders if and when her mother will make the journey back to the United States. Cervantes' debut novel presents young readers with an age-appropriate glimpse of what happens when immigration status separates families. A timely, touching and nuanced portrayal of real-life challenges experienced by children in mixed-status families. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews