SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

April 15, 2013 by Travis Jonker

Review: Gum Girl! Chews Your Destiny by Rhode Montijo

April 15, 2013 by Travis Jonker   1 comments

Chews Your Destiny (Gum Girl! Book 1)
By Rhode Montijo

Disney · Hyperion Books

ISBN: 9781423157403
$14.99
Grades 1-3
In Stores June 4, 2013

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Find it at:
Schuler Books | Your Library

In the past few years, series like Frankie Pickle, Prince of Underwhere, Bad Kitty, and Dragonbreath helped pave the way for interesting text/illustration interactions in children’s literature. Add Chews Your Destiny to this list. Rhode Montijo brings appeal to spare with this first book in the Gum Girl! series. It’s part comic, part early chapter book, and ready to jump into readers’ hands in a single bound.

No more gum!

For nonstop chewer Gabby Gomez, these are earth-shattering words. They are delivered by Gabby’s mother after Gabby wakes with her head stuck to the pillow – the latest in a string of gum-related incidents. Gabby tries to listen, but she can’t resist – one little piece couldn’t hurt, right? When her subsequent massive bubble makes contact with a power line, she finds herself with sticky and streachy superpowers. Next stop, fighting crime on the way to school! But how will Gabby explain all this to her mother? The cliffhanger ending leaves the reader with these questions unresolved.

While there’s plenty of laughs and light action, everything isn’t fluffy. Gabby directly disobeys her mother on the path to gaining superpowers. While it might rub some adult readers the wrong way, this moral dilemma sets the story in motion and heightens interest in the relationship between Gabby and her mother.

The crisp black, white, and pink comic artwork is bold and expressive. Thick black outlines and stylized characters fit with the superhero nature of the story.

Funny, fast-paced, and entertaining, Chews Your Destiny is destined to be a popular pick. The biggest disappointment is that kids will have to wait until February 2014 to continue the adventure. Here’s hoping it doesn’t end anytime soon.

Digital review copy from Netgalley.

Filed under: Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Disney Hyperion

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

December 2022

9 Books I Loved (But Didn't Review) in 2022

by Travis Jonker

March 2022

Books on Film: I Need a New Butt!

by Travis Jonker

March 2022

Behind the Scenes Q&A: Skater Baby by Jack Noel

by Travis Jonker

March 2022

2022 Books from Caldecott Winners

by Travis Jonker

February 2022

Name That LEGO Book Cover! (#35)

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Sydney Taylor Blog Tour: THE TOWER OF LIFE by Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Who’s In Rabbit’s House by Verna Aardema, ill. Leo and Diane Dillon

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Kiss Number 8 | Review

by Johanna

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Holiday House and Pixel + Ink Showcase: New titles from the first half of 2023

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

4 Middle Grade & YA Nonfiction Titles to Help Heal the World

These Books Picture the Music | Read Woke

Looking for a Book to Read Aloud? These Classics Made the Hall of Fame.

24 Audiobooks To Encourage Ongoing Activism and Social Justice

Three Picture Books to Celebrate Black History

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. kimberlee says

    November 3, 2015 at 8:10 pm

    i love your book

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023