Rick Riordan Presents: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe-A Sal and Gabi Novel, Book 1
Carlos Hernandez
(Author)
Description
"I love this book in every possible universe! With a surprise on every page and two of the most cosmically awesome, vividly unique heroes I've ever read, this sweet, hilarious book made me so happy."--Tui T. Sutherland, author of the New York Times best-selling Wings of Fire series
What would you do if you had the power to reach through time and space and retrieve anything you want, including your mother, who is no longer living (in this universe, anyway)?When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn't under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal's office for the third time in three days, and it's still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany's locker, even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously disappeared.
Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess . . . except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he's capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken--including his dead mother--and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There's only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk.
A sassy entropy sweeper, a documentary about wedgies, a principal who wears a Venetian bauta mask, and heaping platefuls of Cuban food are just some of the delights that await in his mind-blowing novel gift-wrapped in love and laughter.
Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.
Product Details
| Publisher | Rick Riordan Presents |
| Publish Date | May 05, 2020 |
| Pages | 416 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback / softback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781368023627 |
| Dimensions | 7.6 X 5.2 X 1.1 inches | 0.6 pounds |
Reviews
Winner of the 2020 Pura Belpré Award
“After reading about Sal and Gabi’s marvelous universe, you’re going to want to move there!”
—Rick Riordan, New York Times #1 best-selling author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians
"Beautiful, bonkers, and filled to the brim with a fiercely unstoppable joy."
—William Alexander, National Book Award-winning author of A Properly Unhaunted Place
"If Harry Houdini, Mr. Rogers, and Dr. Stephen Hawking wrote a book together, it might come close to the wonder, magic, and metaphysics of Carlos Hernandez's Sal and Gabi Break the Universe."
—Fran Wilde, Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award Finalist; author of Updraft
"Sal and Gabi may have broken the universe, but they won my heart!"
—Gordon Korman, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Swindle and Slacker
"I love this book in every possible universe!"
—Tui T. Sutherland, author of the New York Times best-selling Wings of Fire series
"Good-hearted, funny, magical, and absolutely unputdownable. I fell in love with all the characters and want to keep reading about them forever."
—Tina Connolly, author of the Seriously Wicked Series
★"A nonstop sense of wonder accompanies a genuinely heartwarming and humorous tone, and Sal and Gabi are clearly a fictional team destined for greatness."
―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★"Delightfully weird, this is unlike any other book in the middle grade canon. Hernandez has managed to include conflict and excitement into his first novel for young people . . . Fans who enjoyed Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Rick Riordan’s works will love Sal and Gabi, as will readers looking for upbeat fiction with Spanish-speaking characters. Hernandez offers a rip-roaring and emotionally resonant sci-fi adventure. A must-have for middle school or upper elementary libraries . . ."
―School Library Journal (starred review)
★"The story moves quickly, with lots of multiverse traffic, school hijinks, and strong, smart, diverse characters.This book, drenched in Cuban Spanish and personality, is a breath of fresh air."
―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★"Artfully balancing sf antics with a meaningful exploration of grief, Hernandez fills his fast-paced novel with an intriguing blend of sf, folklore, and Cuban culture and populates it with delightfully well-rounded, clever, and exceptionally kind characters, all in a lively, distinctive voice. With a compelling cliff-hanger ending, this engrossing adventure is sure to leave readers excitedly anticipating the next installment."
―Booklist (starred review)
PRAISE FOR SAL AND GABI FIX THE UNIVERSE
★"In the construction of Sal and Gabi's world, Hernandez has fixed our own universe--not by removing its flaws, but by populating it with people who care for one another. It's a place for readers to live in, a haven they can always escape to for comfort and hope. And also, fart jokes. But mostly hope . . ."
―Booklist (starred review)
★"This excellent sequel features nonstop multiverse hijinks, great comedy, and heartening moments that are skillfully interwoven with a subplot that features a delightfully surreal student production of Alice in Wonderland--er, "Alicia" in "el pais de las mara villas."
―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ “While Hernandez incorporates a genuine threat to his characters in this rousing adventure, the true focus is on friendship, family, and honesty.”
―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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