Booktalks Quick and Simple

	Selfors, Suzanne. WEDGIE AND GIZMO New York : Katherine Tegen Books, 2017 IL 3-6, RL 4.9 ISBN 978-0-06-244763-0 (4 booktalks)
Click on the book to read Amazon reviews	Booktalk #1 Wedgie is thrilled to welcome Elliot and his dad into the family! He already had a brother and sister and a mom, now he has ANOTHER brother AND a dad!!! Wedgie is a VERY enthusiastic corgi, and he bravely defends his family from stick-stealing neighbor dogs and other threats using his flashy red cape! He’s Super Wedgie! Super Wedgie loves his new family members, particularly that furry potato Jasmine keeps carrying around! The furry potato smells fantastic! Oh, everything is AWESOME!!! Gizmo is NOT thrilled. Gizmo is an evil genius. Using his immense brainpower, a network of winged flunkies, and his faithful servant Elliot, Gizmo will soon rule the world! No, Gizmo is NOT a human. Gizmo is, in fact, a Guinea Pig. A term he hates, by the way. He is neither from Guinea, nor a pig. He is of the proud family Caviidae, thank you very much, and when he is finally ruler of the world, he shall make sure the humans pay for indignities, such as being called a pig, being temporarily housed in a pink Barbie playhouse, and being occasionally squeezed into a tutu. You see, Gizmo’s evil plan has been put on hold while his servant Elliot reluctantly moves in with his new family. Now there are two more children, a mom, and a grandmother who watches Peruvian TV shows about- GASP!- EATING GUINEA PIGS!!! Can Gizmo evade the elderly one’s casserole dish? Can he defeat that dog who keeps licking and sniffing him? Can his servant Elliot find a true home in his new family? Does Super Wedgie’s cape REALLY give him super powers? Find out, in Wedgie and Gizmo! (New Hampsire Great Stone Face nominee, 2018-2019) Booktalk #2 What do you get when you mix a bouncy, excitable super hero dog with an evil genius guinea pig? Hilarious adventures! Wedgie is a non-stop barking protector dog, who loves everyone even the furry potato! Gizmo is the evil genius guinea pig out to take over the world, once he defeats his nemesis Gizmo. Will Gizmo make it to Peru and lead the guinea pig take-over? (Sunshine State Young Readers Award Books 2019-2020) Booktalk #3 Wedgie and Gizmo are part of a newly blended family. Wedgie is a dog who believes he is a superhero and his job is to protect the family. Gizmo believes himself to be an evil genius guinea pig. Gizmo’s cage becomes damaged in the move and is forced to live in a Barbie playhouse or as he likes to call it The Pink Prison. He has to break out of the pink prison and continue on his path of world domination. Since Gizmo is an Evil Genius, that makes Wedgie his arch nemesis. Will Wedgie foil Gizmo’s plans? Or will these two be the glue that brings the family together? (Garden State Children's Book Awards nominee, 2020) Booktalk #4 Pet owners, you’ll soon recognize the personalities of Wedgie the Welsh Corgi and Gizmo the guinea pig. When Gizmo's owner, young Elliot, and his Dad move into the new home of Wedgie's human owner, young and bratty Jasmine and her little brother Jackson, his privacy disappears. Gizmo gets stuffed into a tutu, one of the many indignities the bright, literate, glasses-wearing rodent suffers through, as he vows to retaliate. Wedgie the corgi however loves the new arrangement of a blended family, especially knowing that he and Wedgie will become great friends. Elliot, just like Gizmo, feels misplaced and misses his old home and friends. Surprises occur that will have you grinning ear to ear. This funny tale provides a wonderful look into the life of pets from their viewpoint. (Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award 2020-2021)
	SUBJECTS: African Americans -- Fiction. Dogs -- Fiction. Guinea pigs -- Fiction. Hispanic Americans -- Fiction. Pets -- Fiction. Stepfamilies -- Fiction.

Selfors, Suzanne.
WEDGIE AND GIZMO
New York : Katherine Tegen Books, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 4.9
ISBN 978-0-06-244763-0

(4 booktalks)

Click on the book to read Amazon reviews

Booktalk #1

Wedgie is thrilled to welcome Elliot and his dad into the family! He already had a brother and sister and a mom, now he has ANOTHER brother AND a dad!!! Wedgie is a VERY enthusiastic corgi, and he bravely defends his family from stick-stealing neighbor dogs and other threats using his flashy red cape! He’s Super Wedgie! Super Wedgie loves his new family members, particularly that furry potato Jasmine keeps carrying around! The furry potato smells fantastic! Oh, everything is AWESOME!!!

Gizmo is NOT thrilled. Gizmo is an evil genius. Using his immense brainpower, a network of winged flunkies, and his faithful servant Elliot, Gizmo will soon rule the world! No, Gizmo is NOT a human. Gizmo is, in fact, a Guinea Pig. A term he hates, by the way. He is neither from Guinea, nor a pig. He is of the proud family Caviidae, thank you very much, and when he is finally ruler of the world, he shall make sure the humans pay for indignities, such as being called a pig, being temporarily housed in a pink Barbie playhouse, and being occasionally squeezed into a tutu. You see, Gizmo’s evil plan has been put on hold while his servant Elliot reluctantly moves in with his new family. Now there are two more children, a mom, and a grandmother who watches Peruvian TV shows about- GASP!- EATING GUINEA PIGS!!!

Can Gizmo evade the elderly one’s casserole dish? Can he defeat that dog who keeps licking and sniffing him? Can his servant Elliot find a true home in his new family? Does Super Wedgie’s cape REALLY give him super powers? Find out, in Wedgie and Gizmo! (New Hampsire Great Stone Face nominee, 2018-2019)

Booktalk #2

What do you get when you mix a bouncy, excitable super hero dog with an evil genius guinea pig? Hilarious adventures! Wedgie is a non-stop barking protector dog, who loves everyone even the furry potato! Gizmo is the evil genius guinea pig out to take over the world, once he defeats his nemesis Gizmo. Will Gizmo make it to Peru and lead the guinea pig take-over? (Sunshine State Young Readers Award Books 2019-2020)

Booktalk #3

Wedgie and Gizmo are part of a newly blended family. Wedgie is a dog who believes he is a superhero and his job is to protect the family. Gizmo believes himself to be an evil genius guinea pig. Gizmo’s cage becomes damaged in the move and is forced to live in a Barbie playhouse or as he likes to call it The Pink Prison. He has to break out of the pink prison and continue on his path of world domination. Since Gizmo is an Evil Genius, that makes Wedgie his arch nemesis. Will Wedgie foil Gizmo’s plans? Or will these two be the glue that brings the family together?
(Garden State Children's Book Awards nominee, 2020)

Booktalk #4

Pet owners, you’ll soon recognize the personalities of Wedgie the Welsh Corgi and Gizmo the guinea pig. When Gizmo's owner, young Elliot, and his Dad move into the new home of Wedgie's human owner, young and bratty Jasmine and her little brother Jackson, his privacy disappears. Gizmo gets stuffed into a tutu, one of the many indignities the bright, literate, glasses-wearing rodent suffers through, as he vows to retaliate. Wedgie the corgi however loves the new arrangement of a blended family, especially knowing that he and Wedgie will become great friends. Elliot, just like Gizmo, feels misplaced and misses his old home and friends. Surprises occur that will have you grinning ear to ear. This funny tale provides a wonderful look into the life of pets from their viewpoint. (Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award 2020-2021)

SUBJECTS:     African Americans -- Fiction.
                        Dogs -- Fiction.
                        Guinea pigs -- Fiction.
                        Hispanic Americans -- Fiction.
                        Pets -- Fiction.
                        Stepfamilies -- Fiction.