Tag: Suzanne Selfors

REVIEW: Wedgie and Gizmo vs. the Great Outdoors by Suzanne Selfors

REVIEW: Wedgie and Gizmo vs. the Great Outdoors by Suzanne Selfors

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The family is on their way to a week-long camping vacation! A fun adventure, but not really a great trip for a corgi and a guinea pig. So they take Wedgie and Gizmo to a “pet hotel.” Gizmo is not impressed by the amenities and Wedgie just wants his “pack” back. Between the two of then, they manage to get kicked out of the pet hotel!

So Wedgie and Gizmo are off with the family to the great outdoors. Wedgie is convinced this is their new yard and he must defend their home from the “tiny squirrels” (chipmunks). Gizmo is hoping to convince all the forest creatures to pledge their loyalty to him and his evil schemes.

Meanwhile, the family is enjoying campfires, fishing, and hiking. Well, almost everyone is enjoying the trip. Jackson, the youngest kid, is feeling left out as his siblings won’t play with him and his parents think he’s too little to do anything. But Jackson may surprise everyone in the family on this vacation!

Review

I fell in love with Wedgie and Gizmo in their first adventure, and they are still some of my favorite characters in children’s literature. These stories are so fun! And this one especially was a hoot. I love Wedgie’s energy and enthusiasm for EVERYTHING. Gizmo is clever, and I loved how his story turned out in this book. (It was so great, I don’t want to give anything away.)

One of the things I love about this series – besides the characters and the humor – is the layered storytelling. The “front” story is the Wedgie and Gizmo activity. They tell their own part of the story (a great example of voice for young writers). But woven throughout their stories are conversations between the human members of the family. And there’s always a full story going on there, too, in the “background.” I’m so impressed by the writing in this series and how the author works the two stories together.

I think this is a series that works for both chapter book readers (and kids whose parents read them chapter books) as well as younger middle grade readers. I highly recommend the whole series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Wish Upon a Sleepover by Suzanne Selfors

REVIEW: Wish Upon a Sleepover by Suzanne Selfors

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the author in a social media contest. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Leilani longs to be one of the Haileys. They are a clique of six girls named Hailey (all spelled differently). They always have themed sleepovers and fun conversations. And Leilani wants desperately to be a part of it all.

It’s not that Leilani doesn’t have friends. She has Autumn, her best friend since kindergarten. But every other week Autumn goes to her dad’s. Then Leilani is stuck at home with her mom and great-grandmother, Tutu.

Leilani is convinced that if the Haileys just knew how fun she was, they would welcome her in. And the best way to show them is to have her own awesome sleepover – with a Hawaiian theme – and invite them. On her “Do NOT Invite” list is her second cousin, Todd, who always has gas. Also on the list is her new neighbor, William, who never speaks when Leilani talks to him. And finally on the list is “Manga Girl,” a girl at school who is always drawing comics, including a mean one of Leilani.

But Leilani’s invitations go to her Do NOT Invite list instead of to the Haileys. It’s Leilani’s worst nightmare. But maybe there’s a way Leilani can redeem her plans and get in with the Haileys after all.

Review

This was delightful! I loved the rich characters in this book. I expected a typical friendship story, but this went deeper than I expected. There’s a lot of anxiety issues addressed in the story – from shyness to stage fright, to selective mutism. I loved the extra layers this added to the story.

To be honest, Leilani is probably the character I liked the least. Her obsession with the Haileys started to grate on my nerves. But the insightful kids at her sleepover called her out. It was great. And Leilani learns a lot from the sleepover experience.

The book uses the story of Stone Soup with a nice Hawaiian twist. It was a great method of introducing depth to the characters as they went around town to get their ingredients.

This book can be handed to kids who love a good friendship story as well as kids who enjoy digging into books and characters who are dealing with mental health issues like anxiety. While the mental health aspects aren’t the central focus of the book, it’s a great thread. If readers are interested in learning more about selective mutism, they might try After Zero which addresses that as a central part of the story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Wedgie and Gizmo 1&2 by Suzanne Selfors

REVIEW: Wedgie and Gizmo 1&2 by Suzanne Selfors

Posted on by Jaymie

[Thanks to the author, Suzanne Selfors, for the  Advanced Reader Copy of Wedgie and Gizmo vs The Toof which I won in a social media contest. All opinions here are my own.]

Summary of Wedgie and Gizmo

Wedgie is a Corgi who lives with Mom, Abuela, Jasmine and Jackson. When he wears a cape, something Jasmine gave him for Halloween, he is “Super Wedgie.” His cape gives him super powers! When he runs in circles in front of the door, barking, with his cape flapping behind him, a “force field” is activated and the door opens (by one of his family members).

Gizmo is a guinea pig who lives with Dad and Elliott. Gizmo is an evil genius. He has taught himself to read, and he builds evil lairs (behind the dryer) and uses pigeons to carry letters to his love.

When Dad and Mom get married, Elliott and Gizmo have to move. And that means everyone has some adjusting to do. Wedgie has to “adjust” to more people to LOVE and herd. Gizmo has to adjust to living in a Barbie Playhouse while waiting for a new cage. He also engages in battle with his new nemesis Wedgie, as well as Abuela, “The Elderly One.”

Will Gizmo get to accomplish all of his evil plans? And will the humans in the story be able to adjust to all of the changes that come with becoming a step family?

Review of Wedgie and Gizmo

This book is a HOOT!! I loved Wedgie and Gizmo. Wedgie is adorable and earnest and endearing. In my head, he sounds like Doug from the movie Up. He also reminds me of the dog in the Magic Bone series. What a great voice the author gives Wedgie! Gizmo is awesome in a completely different way. I love how he interprets the things around him – Elliott is his servant, etc.

There’s great humor in this story. The nicknames the animals have for each other are terrific. This could be a ton of fun to read out loud to a class – lots of shared laughter. Amazon says this is for ages 8 and up. I think this would work for any elementary classroom where kids are reading independently (for length). Family interactions for this blended family give the story a more serious tone at times, but Wedgie and Gizmo help keep the overall tone light.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Wedgie and Gizmo vs the Toof (Book 2)

 Gizmo is certain that he needs a “Drone of Destiny” and a hoard of other guinea pigs  in order to take over the world. But he is convinced that Wedgie (“Thorgi” – the Corgi in a Thor cape) will try to stop him, along with his new partner Pinkie the Pig, aka “The Toof.”

Wedgie loves his new friend Pinkie (“Funny Dog”), and he wants Jasmine to be happy. All Jasmine wants is for Wedgie to win a prize in the Pet Parade event at her school. She is desperate to win a trophy like her new step-brother Elliott always does. But Gizmo’s plans and Wedgie’s impulsive nature may keep Jasmine from realizing her dream.

 

Review

This was another terrific story with these dynamite characters. This begs to be read out loud with a “Doug” from Up sort of voice for Wedgie and a Bond villain sort of voice for Gizmo.

One of the things I liked about this story was that it works on a couple different levels. The obvious level is Gizmo’s schemes and Wedgie’s cluelessness. It’s pure gold all on its own. But there’s the layer of things happening in the human world – between Jasmine and their new neighbor Emily, and also the ways that Jasmine is trying to find her place in this new family configuration. This layer of the story is a little more subtle. Some younger readers might need coaxing to engage with that layer of the story, but older readers will enjoy the deeper story. Both layers are terrific!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥