Gum Luck

Gumazing Gum Girl #2

by Rhode Montijo, Luke Reynolds

Gabby Gomez's love of bubble gum has resulted in her becoming Gum Girl! With her new powers Gabby can save the day, but keeping her gummy alter-ego a secret is another matter altogether. Will she tell her parents who she is at the expense of admitting she disobeyed her mother's strict orders? Or will a new adversary make coming clean impossible? Stay tuned!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, Superheroes, Fiction, Latinx, Juvenile

160 pages, Hardcover

First published February 11, 2014

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gabby Gomez (aka Gum Girl) is a superhero that can morph into her alter-ego just by chewing a piece of gum; her powers include incredible stretch-ability. In this second book in the series she's struggling with feelings of guilt stemming from keeping her alter-ego a secret from her family. The issue isn't resolved by book's end so it will likely plague her in followup volumes.

The bad guy is a bit too goofy for my tastes here, though I did enjoy the fact that Gum Girl thwarted his robbery attempt by taking the form of a wad of gum stuck to his shoe. Another villain is hinted at on the last page laying the groundwork for another book.

What I like most about this character is that Spanish language is woven into the dialogue because Gabby is Latina. I wanted a little bit more family time in this book, but the chapters moved back and forth between Gabby and the villain's perspectives so there wasn't as much time for that. The action and the goofy villain make for a solid read-alike for fans of Captain Underpants and the Lunch Lady graphic novel series.

Recommended for grades 3-5

[Ro Menendez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gum Girl is back and has some tough decisions to make: to tell her papi, who is a dentist, that she has broken her promise of never chewing gum; and to reveal that she is The Gumazing Gum Girl, who is saving the town from evil plots. Gabby is trying to break the superhero drama early on in the series, tell her loved ones her secret identity rather than lying by omission. This early chapter book has a lot going on for readers: the cover smells like gum, it mixes graphic novel storytelling into the narrative, it has a silly villain who really had a tough break in life which explains his desire for revenge, and Gum Girl's powers are believable as they compare to Marvel's Mr. Fantastic, DC's Green Lantern and Pixar's The Incredible's ElastiGirl.

[The Keepers of the Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

When she blows a bubble with her bubble gum she turns into a gum-slinging superhero. Being a superhero, however, is not all that it’s cracked up to be. She has a cavity, her father’s a dentist, and a new archnemesis is on the rise. Will she cut it as a superhero?

The illustrations are fun and detailed. The color reminds the reader of pink bubblegum. The plot is easy to follow and great for early chapter book readers. The characters are likable and easy to relate to. Fans of superheroes, girl power, and adventure will enjoy reading this book. Although it is not necessary to read the first one, it is recommended that you read book 1 first.

This book was featured on The Keepers of the Books' Weekly Reads Wrapup 22 with Dream Magic and Bone Witch Reviews episode. For more book reviews, recommendations, or online librarian advice, please visit us at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK3v...

A copy of this review may also be found at kissthebook.blogspot.com

Please Note: A Copy of this book was given to us in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed, however, are our own.

[Shawn Robare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've recently read and re-read this series to my 5 year-old daughter and I wanted to add them here because I really love what Rhode Montijo has done with these books. First of all, they are beautifully illustrated with a minimalistic color palette, and the pages are mostly heavily illustrated. That said, there is a fair amount of text, which is a balance that my daughter needs/loves right now. Picture books were becoming boring for her, but she is just not ready for true chapter books, so a series like this is perfect where we get through each book in a couple of sittings. I also love the way the overall series is set up. These are primers for comic books and graphic novels which I think is great, heavily leaning on cliffhanger endings that lead to the next book and keep my daughter absorbed in the story. They also build on themselves, growing the story into a larger narrative.

[Samuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yet another book I read because my stepdaughter left it lying around and I got curious. The art is bold and fun, and I liked the fact that the book featured a Latina protagonist, but the story itself is pretty creaky. Seriously, our heroine's conflict involves the fact that, although she has to chew gum to transform into her alter ego, she's not supposed to because it's so bad for her teeth (and, given that her father is a dentist, she's been forbidden to chew gum). If someone gave her a pack of Trident, the agonizing would end on page three. It felt very After-School Special to me, and I was unimpressed.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...

[Faye Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very quick and I would like to know more

[Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was about the purple gumazaing gum girl

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Quick read, kind of a mix of graphic novel and regular book. Good lesson on not giving up and being honest.

[TBO The Bookaholic’s Outlet]

One hard back

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I received a physical ARC of this book from the publisher at an ALA conference.

[Bookworm LLC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for kids! It's nice to see an unusual hero and villain, such as Gum Girl and Robo Chef. The story is about Gabby Gomez who is secretly a super hero named Gum Girl who saves the world from villains. Her parents don't know this secret and Gabby struggles with lying to then which in the end teaches kids a good lesson on telling the truth, and what happens when you don't. My kids and I love these type of books, chapter books with lots of pictures because it's easy and fun for early readers. Gum Girl is the second book in the series and the last page leads us to believe there will be a third.

[Carrie Charley Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Gumazing Gum Girl shows up with a villain on her heels...dun, dun, dun! You'd better watch out! Especially if you only have one piece of gum left in your pocket. Gabby Gomez is in a bit of a predicament. With her secret identity as Gum Girl, people are depending on her to keep them safe. But gum has a way of leaving it's mark on a certain evil villain's dashed dreams and also on Gabby's teeth. When your dad's a dentist that might not go so well. Gabby pays attention to her inner voice when it tells her to be honest about her gum-chewing ways. She wants to do the right thing, but will they understand and will it cost her the chance to save her town? As Gabby struggles between her duty and everyday life, she hopes her bubble won't burst.

My first graders flipped for this one, and heartily joined in at every "dun, dun, dun!" They couldn't wait to get their hands on a gum-scented version and read it for themselves.

I received a review copy of this book from Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gumazing Gum Girl: Gum Luck (The Gumazing Gum Girl #2, by Rhode Montijo, June 2017, Disney-Hyperion, $14.99, ISBN: 9781423161172) introduces readers to a new villain, and readers will see Gabby continue struggling with her big secret. She’s torn between doing the right thing by telling her parents the truth about her alter ego and her gum-chewing habit and between… well, doing the right thing with her superhero activities.

If readers love Chews Your Destiny, they’ll love Gum Luck. Start booktalking Gum Girl now, and get them ready: Gum Luck hits shelves in June, just in time for summer reading! (Hmm… the theme for CSLP’s Summer Reading is Build a Better World… can we use gum for that? Wait, no… not in the library. Please.)

Visit Rhode Montijo’s author webpage for more info about his books, a peek at his portfolio, and his web store.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

We just got books 1 and 2 of a terrifically funny new Words&Pics series, Gum Girl. I just finished reading book 2 and it was excellent. Basically, the premise is that when trouble comes to town Gabby Gomez can chew some gum, blow a bubble, step into it and then she becomes a sticky crime fighting force of nature. If you like feisty heroines and fun adventures then pick up this quick and witty series today.

[Meredith Spidel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids are raising the roof over this book in our house! They LOVED the first Gum Girl book and were beyond tickled to get this second book in the series from Disney in exchange for our honest review--and they honestly loved it! Two little diehard fans of this series under my roof--we can't wait for what comes next!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are adorable read alouds.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great graphic novel. I'm excited for the next book too come out. Will Gum Girl save the day again?