Wedgie & Gizmo
Written by Suzanne Selfors, Illustrated by Barbara Fisinger

Publisher’s Summary:
While his human Elliot adjusts to his new home and stepfamily, Gizmo, an evil genius guinea pig, searches for a new evil lair where he can plot to take over the world, but Gizmo is constantly thwarted by Elliot’s little stepsister Jasmine (who likes to play dress-up), Abuela (who may or may not like to eat cavies), and Wedgie (a Corgi superhero and Gizmo’s nemesis).

Primary Source Pairing:
Told between alternate narratives, Gizmo and Wedgie tell the story of their new life together as pets in a blended family. The story is one that will definitely burrow into your heart and put a smile on your face. For this primary source pairing, invite students to watch a YouTube video showing the daily care routine of guinea pigs that located at Erin’s Ark. 

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see and hear.
• What do you notice first?
• Describe any words you see on the screen.
• What other details do you notice?
• Make a connection to something you read in the book Wedgie & Gizmo and something you see in the video.
• Seeing these guinea pigs in an enclosure, does it make you think about Gizmo’s evil lair? Do you think Gizmo would like to live in this enclosure with the other guinea pigs?
• What did you learn about guinea pigs while watching the video?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Daily Guinea Pig Routine, Erin’s Ark YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcZ8sdxKmc