Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

Carlos Hernandez, a first-generation Cuban American author, published Sal and Gabi Break the Universe in 2019 to critical acclaim. A sequel, Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe, was published in 2020. It won the Pura Belpré award in 2020 for portraying and celebrating the Latino cultural experience in children’s literature. The story follows the adventures of Sal Vidón as he navigates a new school and the ability to manipulate the multiverse. Sal’s exploits explore the issues of friendship, grief and loss, and the implications of the multiverse.

This guide refers to the 2019 Rick Riordan Presents Disney Hyperion e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material features depictions of grief, loss, child and infant illness, medical care (specifically regarding diabetes and neonatal immunodeficiencies), and bullying. It also references incidents of child abuse.

Plot Summary

Following his mother's death, 13-year-old Salvador Alberto Dorado Vidón, or Sal, acquired the ability to navigate the multiverse through meditation, allowing him to manipulate rifts and retrieve items from alternate dimensions.

Sal faces a tumultuous third day at Culeco Academy of the Arts. In response to Sal’s attempt to help him open his locker, a frustrated Yasmany Robles mocks Sal and starts escalating his bullying to a physical confrontation, knocking Sal’s diabetes bag out of his hands.