about the book
Three months ago, Gaby Ramirez Howard’s mother was deported. When the factory where she worked was raided, she was sent back to Honduras.
Gaby’s father, who took off years ago, has now re-entered the scene. At one time he may have wanted a child, but now this grumpy man looks at Gabby as if she was just another job he’d rather quit. Financially strapped, he is neglectful about supporting Gaby. He is definitely not there emotionally for her.
At school, she is taunted about her home situation. Gaby feels lost and alone. Luckily, Gaby has friends who stand up for her—Enrique, Marcos, and Alma—Alma especially has no problem defending Gaby against the mean girls. For a sixth grade project, Gaby is required to do volunteer community service. An avid animal lover, she talks friends into signing up for the local no-kill shelter.
Dr. V makes the shelter a fun place to work. Feeling like a bit of a stray herself, Gaby identifies with the stray animals. To find the animals homes, she writes “purrrsonalized” profiles for each cat and dog. After she puts these flyers up around town, many of the rescued cats and dogs find new forever families!
Gaby bonds closely with one cat in particular, a fragile little striped kitty named Feather. Gaby would love to adopt her, but she knows that even though her mother would welcome the stray into their home eagerly, her father definitely would not.
When something terrible happens, Gaby takes the opportunity to sneak Feather out of the shelter in her backpack. Now what is she going to do? Feather needs a good home—something that even Gaby doesn’t have!
about the author
An avid daydreamer, Angela Cervantes showed signs of becoming a writer quite early in life. While growing up in a Mexican-American community outside of Topeka, Kansas, she hoarded paper and pens under her bed just in case she needed to write something down. (She still keeps a stash of paper and pens under her bed!)
Angela thought she’d never graduate with her degree in English from the University of Kansas. It took a math tutor from Pakistan to get her through an algebra course! After graduation, Angela moved to Brownstone, Texas, and then on to Guadalajara, Mexico, were she taught English and literature at a private school for two years. She returned to Kansas City to complete an MBA.
It was also in Kansas City that Angela co-founded Las Poetas, a female Chicana poetry group, and began working at an international children’s organization. Later, after males were allowed to join Las Poetas, the name was changed to the Latino Writers Collective.
Gaby, Lost and Found is Angela’s first novel. The idea came to her one day when she spotted a little girl walking her cat with a leash and harness. Angela had never seen anything ike that before, and she started to wonder about their story and how they found each other. It took Angela just nine months to write the novel—editing took several years. And the hardest part? Finding a title! Angela says she is terrible at titles…but that is what editors are for!
Sources:
Author website
Author interview : The Debutante Ball
Also by Angela Cervantes:
Allie, First at Last. Scholastic. 2016.
read more!
Allie, First at Last by Angela Cervantes
Allie comes from a family of winners, but has yet to make her mark as a champion. When a school contest is announced, Allie is ready to go for the gold, but how far will she go to win? Is winning worth losing a best friend?
Cat Found by Ingrid Lee
In his small town where stray cats run wild and are abused, Billy finds a tiny wounded starving kitten. Knowing his father would throw out the kitten, he hides it while nursing it back to health. Can Billy and his friends stop the abusers and convince the town to set up a haven to care for the abandoned animals?
Saving Lives & Changing Hearts : Animal Sanctuaries and Rescue Centres by Rob Laidlaw
Animal-rights activist Rob Laidlow profiles several sanctuaries around the world that were not safeguarding the wildlife they housed. He gives heart-wrenching stories about cruel and careless custodians and about the animals who suffered—elephants, lions, pigs, birds, and more. Learn how the animals found better homes and how to tell a good sanctuary from one that is not.