I'm thrilled to have the Gabby Duran Blog Tour stopping by today, with my review of this middle-grade series from Disney-Hyperion...
By Elise Allen and Daryle Conners
May 12, 2015
Disney-Hyperion
The Association Linking Intergalatics and Earthlings (hereby known as A.L.I.E.N.) has a new member. After months of investigation, Gabby Duran, Associate 4118-25125A, has proven herself to be a babysitter extraordinaire. Her celebrity clients fly her around the country to care for their rambunctious little humans. Our spy, Associate 4118-23432B, otherwise known as Edwina, believes Gabby can be trusted with the truth: aliens are living among humans on Earth. And here at A.L.I.E.N we believe that even extraterrestrials need a babysitter now and then. No one was up to the task…until now. After accepting the top-secret position, Edwina has paired our new associate up with her first charge, a little girl from the planet Flarknartia. The timing for associate 4118-25125A is less than ideal. It's a school day on Planet Earth, Gabby's audition for the solo part in the band is tonight, and this tiny alien is a bit more than meets the eye. Can Gabby Duran, Associate 4118-25125A, First Sitter to the Unsittables, keep her otherworldly charge safe in the unpredictable halls of middle-school and keep A.L.I.E.N hidden?
By Elise Allen and Daryle Conners
February 2, 2016
Disney-Hyperion
Upon successfully completing her first mission, we have assigned Gabby a more . . . puzzling charge. The relationship between trolls and humans has always been rife with tension, and the troll family Gabby is assigned to is especially prickly. But Gabby is not fazed. Our footage shows Associate 4118-25125A playing, laughing, and snacking with Trymmy, the little troll boy, who seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself.
Our liason, Edwina, informed Gabby that trolls love nothing more than a riddle-and stealing items from unsuspecting humans to add to their trove-but Gabby's certain that all this young troll wants is to have fun. However, it might not be as simple as she thinks. After all, there's a reason this particular alien offspring has been labeled "Unsittable."
By Elise Allen and Daryle Conners
July 11, 2017
Disney-Hyperion
Gabby Duran, Associate 4118-25125A, Sitter to the Unsittables, has now been entrusted with the care of one of our most volatile charges. His name is One and he's a member of the Tridecalleon species. While One and his parents present the appearance of a normal, human family, they have some intriguing qualities that make caring for their young a unique challenge. And while, under normal circumstances, inviting outsiders to aid an agent with an Unsittable job would be strictly forbidden, we have decided to forgive Gabby calling in her friends Satchel and Zee in this case. After all, a babysitter only has so many hands. (Unless, of course, he or she is a Flarknartian.)
Making this highly unstable situation an even greater challenge? Gabby has also been assigned to protect a very dangerous object--one that, if it falls into the wrong hands, could cause the destruction of Earth itself. It remains to be seen whether Gabby and her friends are able to handle the demands of eleven . . . wait, twelve . . . no, thirteen babies, while ensuring the safety of the world at the same time. All we can do is wait, and hope, and trust. And ready our escape pods.
Praise for Gabby Duran and the Unsittables
"Positively intergalactic."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Goofy inventions, wild plot, and peppy dialogue...[A] briskly plotted crowd-pleaser."
-Booklist
"The humorous details and quick plot make this a fun book for reluctant and avid readers alike."
-School Library Journal
Praise for Gabby Duran: Troll Control
"There are plenty of cool ideas to borrow here about the perfect babysitting backpack that will save all sorts of situations."
-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Remind[s] preteen readers that it's cool for girls to be passionate about STEM." -Kirkus Reviews
Twelve year old Gabby Duran is a babysitter extraordinare! In fact, she’s such a fantastic babysitter that celebrities fly her all over the world to watch their kiddos...and her babysitting skills have been noticed by A.L.I.E.N. (The Association Linking Intergalatics and Earthlings), who recruit Gabby to watch alien children, who have been deemed “unsittable”, because of their otherworldly appearances and abilities. Gabby, whose own little sister was deemed unsittable, eagerly agrees to work with A.L.I.E.N. and her liaison Edwina, and she and her two best friends (Zee and Satchel) quickly find themselves in out-of-this-world, outrageous, and sometimes downright perilous situations with her alien charges. But at the end of the day, Gabby knows that aliens or not, her charges are special and deserve to be treated just like any other fun-loving kids!
The Gabby Duran series, which currently includes Gabby Duran and the Unsittables, Troll Control, and Multiple Mayhem, is a fast-paced, fun series, full of quirky characters, wildly adventurous situations, cool technology, laugh-out-loud humor and dialogue, and charming storytelling.
Authors, Elise Allen and Daryle Conners take babysitting to a whole new intergalactic level and definitely bring the laughs, excitement, and heart! With a wonderfully imaginative plot (alien babysitting?!), irresistibly likable and engaging characters (humans and aliens alike), awesomely twisty and turny situations, and elements of STEM learning, these books will captivate, entertain, and inspire young readers.
I has such a blast reading this series, getting to know Gabby, Zee, Satchel, the alien kids, Edwina, and even snooty Madison, and joining them for three unforgettable and zany adventures!
MY RATING
(for series as a whole)
4/5 Cupcakes
About Elise Allen
Emmy-nominated writer and New York Times best-selling author Elise Allen made a name for herself with her acclaimed young adult novel Populazzi (Harcourt), and the Jim Henson's Enchanted Sisters chapter books (Bloomsbury). She also co-wrote Hilary Duff's best-selling Elixir series (Simon and Schuster), and Bella Thorne's series, Autumn Falls (Random House). In television, she has written for talent ranging from Madeline Kahn to Kermit the Frog, and is currently writing for the new Disney Junior show The Lion Guard. Her dog may or may not secretly be from another planet. You can find her online at www.eliseallen.com and on Twitter @EliseLAllen
About Daryle Conners
Daryle Conners is an award-winning writer, filmmaker and video game designer. She writes joke and riddle books and has designed many game titles for the PC and iPhone/iPad including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Scene It? Harry Potter, Hot Wheels Slot Car Racers, and Scene It? Twilight Saga. Her non-fiction books include Lunchtime LOLZ, Nintendo DS Hot Tips, ROFLs, Video Game Secrets and Monster High Jokes. Daryle lives in Seattle, where she still babysits from time to time. You can follow her on Twitter @Darylec.
Disclaimer: I received copies of the books above from the publisher for review purposes. All thoughts, opinions, and reviews are my own.
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