Awww, yeah, these stories set at the Furry Friends Animal Shelter are excellent. By accident I read the second one first (Lety out Loud), but they stand alone nicely. Great characters, animal tie-in, hard issues dealt with on an 11 year old level -- Gaby's mom has been deported to Honduras, and she's living with the father she doesn't really know. Fortunately, she has a loving community, including neighbors who want her to live with them, a vibrant school, and bratty neighborhood boys. Gaby has a real gift for letting the world know about animals who need their help, and even when she mis-steps, she finds her way through. ( )

Gaby and her classmates start volunteering at a local animal shelter and a lot of the book is focused on the animals she meets there. Her home life is rough and Gaby worries every night about when she will see her mom again. A few months earlier her mom was deported due to the fact that she didn't have legal papers to be here. Now Gaby lives with her dad and he doesn't do the best job taking care of her. I am sure there are many kids who will be able to relate to Gaby and what she is going through. This book will appeal to kids who love animals. ( )

Loved this story! My daughter was entertained by it and it really brought up timely conversations about immigration, families, empathy and basic human rights.

Gaby's mom has been deported as she was an illegal immigrant. Gaby's father is distant. Gaby wants a home of her own. She befriends a cat who has also had a hard life and tries to keep her without anyone else knowing. This book opened the discussion of what happens to immigrants, what is deportation, and how one might enter the country illegally, Gaby is a character that one can relate to as she tries to hide how bad her home life is and cares more for others than for herself. ( )

Great story about a girl finding herself. Volunteering at an animal shelter helps Gaby become a confident girl whose mother has been recently deported and must live with her father. Slow at times but overall a good read to teach about immigrants and the struggle some children may have.

Resources:
https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/lesson-plans/migrated-featured-f...
http://www.scholastic.com/MotherDaughterBookClub/pdf/Scholastic_MDBC_GabyDG.pdf ( )