Gabe & Izzy :

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Gabe & Izzy :

Title :

Gabe & Izzy : standing up for America's bullied / Gabrielle Ford with Sarah Thomson.

Title:

Gabe & Izzy :

Varying Form of Title:

Gabe and Izzy

Author:

Ford, Gabrielle.

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

180 pages, 8 pages of unnumbered plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 21 cm

ISBN:

9780803740624

9780147509949

Production / Publication Information:

New York City : Dial Books, An Imprint of Penguin Group (USA), [2014]

Summary:

Relates the author's personal experiences with bullying, describing how she was harassed as a child because of her degenerative muscle disease and eventually appeared with her similarly disabled dog, Izzy, on Animal Planet before launching a public speaking career.

Bibliography note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 170-173).

Target audience note:

Grade 4 to 6.

Language:

English

Added Author:

Thomson, Sarah L.

Personal Subject:

Ford, Gabrielle.

Ford, Gabrielle-Juvenile literature.

Subject Term:

Bullying -- United States -- Juvenile literature.

Children with disabilities -- United States -- Juvenile literature.

Bullies.

Human-animal relationships.

Human-animal relationships -- Juvenile literature.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Merrimac Public Library	J 302.34 FOR	32125001154399	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	302.343 FOR	31990004348178	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

The moving, true story of the young woman dubbed "The Voice of America's Bullied"; how her bond with her dog, Izzy, changed her life; and their mission to help break the cycle of bullying.

In middle school, Gabrielle "Gabe" Ford developed a degenerative muscle disease, and was harassed by bullies as a result. She did her best to keep her head high, but it wasn't easy. Then Gabe got a dog, Izzy, who developed an uncannily similar disorder. They were invited to appear on Animal Planet to talk about their bond, which in turn led to an invitation to speak at a school. And so began Gabe's career as an anti-bullying advocate. Dubbed "The Voice of America's Bullied" by the Huffington Post, Gabe now makes a career of public speaking and has received numerous honors for her hard work. Here is her amazing story--from her lowest days dealing with various challenges, to the unbelievable and immediate bond with Izzy, to her ongoing mission to put an end to bullying, one school at a time.

Includes resources and tips for readers, plus a color insert of photographs!

Reviews (3)

Horn Book Review

When Gabe was twelve, she developed a debilitating, degenerative muscle disease called Friedreich's ataxia and was severely bullied in school. Media attention surrounding a fundraiser for surgery for her beloved dog companion, Izzy, led to her becoming an anti-bullying spokesperson. Interspersed with moving letters from students who have heard her speak, the story is interesting but marred by repetition and unpolished prose. Websites. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

Ford's motivational story of overcoming bullying and disability will appeal to dog lovers as well as kids coping with bullying. Some pets really do take after their owners. When the author contracted Friedreich's ataxia, a disease that erodes her speech and coordination, as a young teen, she endured bullying as well. She found a friend in Izzy, a coonhound that helped her to finally face her disability. When Izzy displayed eerily similar symptoms, they both discovered a great capacity for kindness in the people around them and became famous in the process, educating kids nationwide about bullying. Their intriguing story is more told than shown; many major events read like summaries. The author's conversational tone softens the issues of disability and bullying for young readers, but it also glosses over incidents that invite deeper reflection. She writes that she viewed a wheelchair as "giving in" for so long that a fall broke her boneshow does she discuss that with wheelchair-bound kids without making them feel that they're "giving in"? Ultimately, though, the empathetic student feedback punctuating her story supports her opinion that "[s]imply to hear someone talking openly about bullying makes them feel they've already been rescued." Brief individual appendices for kids, parents and educators offer advice for dealing with bullying. This canine tale is a fine beginning resource for bullied kids and the adults who care about them. (Memoir. 10 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Recasting her privately published memoir Still Dancing (2009) into a shorter form, Ford offers a clear-eyed self-portrait of a teenager in furious denial after a devastating diagnosis of the degenerative neuromuscular disease Friedreich's ataxia ended her dreams of becoming a professional dancer. In a narrative punctuated by checklists, bulleted points, recommendations for additional informational resources, and thank-you letters (and photographs) from teens, Ford describes how her stubborn refusal to use artificial aids set her up for sustained bullying in high school and how, after graduation, a coonhound named Izzy who developed a physical disability strangely similar to hers pulled her out of the denial stage and led to her becoming a nationally known motivational speaker with an antibullying message. I'll never be a prima ballerina, she finishes, but I am still dancing. Salutary reading for young people with developing disabilities, as well as those who bully or are bullied.--Peters, John Copyright 2014 Booklist