Cartoon Saturday- Gum Luck (Gum Girl #2)

Montijo, Rhode. Gum Luck (Gum Girl #2)
June 13th 2017 by Disney-Hyperion
ARC provided by Baker and Taylor

Having saved a plane from certain disaster in Gum Girl, Gabby Gomez is back. She's bound and determined to tell her dentist father about her exploits, since she is not supposed to be chewing gum, but there is another threat. A mysterious masked man in a chef's hat is plotting to take Gum Girl down! When Gabby is on a class trip to the zoo, the man makes her move. Can Gum Girl, along with her new friend Ravi Rodriguez, save the day? And will she finally be able to come clean to her family?
Strengths: This is a well-formatted graphic novel for early readers. I liked that Gabby felt bad about disobeying her parents, even though she had a good reason to do so. She even has some nice interactions with her younger brother, and is a good role model. Of course, the real reason to like these is the goofy, Captain Underpants kind of humor. Bonus points for the main character being a Latina.
Weaknesses: SUGAR FREE GUM. This really takes care of all of the problems.
What I really think: I should buy this for my readers who still enjoy Lunch Lady and Babymouse books. But really. Sugar free gum. It's been a thing for years.

Willink, Jocko and Bozak, Jon. Way of the Warrior Kid
May 2nd 2017 by Feiwel & Friends
Public Library Copy

Marc had a hard time in fifth grade. He couldn't swim, didn't poorly in his classes, and didn't have the guts to stand up to bully Kenny. He's very excited when his cool Uncle Jake comes to spend the summer with Marc and his mom after getting out of the Navy Seals. Jake is strong and brave, and understands that Marc is disappointed by himself. Soon, the two are working together, improving Marc's diet, exercising, and working on memorization skills. By the end of the summer, Marc has gained enough confidence to not only stand up to Kenny but to befriend him.
Strengths: While this has more text than most Notebook Novels, it does have a number of pictures, and certainly has a lot of positive messages.
Weaknesses: Look the author up on Twitter. Not sure that I'd want him to know if I thought this was a bit didactic, and that the pictures weren't great. Also, did Marc's mother never take him for swimming lessons? She could have stepped up her game.
What I really think: If I buy a copy of this, it will probably be checked out a lot. Are readers going to actually take any of Uncle Jake's advice to heart? Unsure. I, on the other hand, immediately added push ups to my exercise routine.