Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun babysitting adventures are full of heart -- and aliens!
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In the GABBY DURAN series, Gabby is a sought-after neighborhood babysitter who also has limousines whisk her away to watch movie stars' children on set. Her workload grows when the A.L.I.E.N. community (the Association Linking Intergalactics and Earthlings as Neighbors) decides Gabby is the one to babysit their young ones and keep their secret: that they live among us on Earth. Keeping her charges -- multiplying kids, unruly trolls, a girls who can morph into objects -- safe is the least of her problems. Keeping their secret from her best friends, her mom and sister, and dealing with her nosy nemesis in the school band proves harder than wrangling one child who multiplies to become nine in the blink of an eye.
Is It Any Good?
The fun, out-of-this world Gabby Duran series touches on broad themes of acceptance and integrity, on having fun and juggling priorities, and on how it feels to disappoint someone you care about. With so many layers, readers will quickly see that these aren't simple stories about a girl's babysitting adventures. Despite the fact that Gabby's charges are aliens, her priorities are very much down to Earth. She loves her family and friends, tries hard at school and band, and always wants to do the right thing. Her relationship with her sister Carmen is real and beautifully simple. Gabby doesn't get exasperated when Carmen takes everything literally, and appreciates Carmen's love of structure and rules. Carmen manages the family's finances and schedules in thick binders, and can calculate the cost of a ruined meal in seconds. Gabby sees Carmen's differences as unique strengths, not as something to change.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Gabby Duran feels about keeping her A.L.I.E.N. work a secret from her family and friends. What worries her most about the secrecy? Have you ever had to keep a secret?
Carmen and Gabby are very different people. What makes them get along so well? How are your friends' personalities different from yours?
What other books about aliens have you read?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date : May 17, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 224
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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