41. Savvy - Ingrid Law

Published: May, 2008
Newbery Honor Award
Grades 5-8 (Tween)
348 pages
$16.99
Dial Books for Young Readers

Hmm. This was a fun book. However, it seemed endless. It took forever to read it, and I had to force myself to go back to it every time I put it down. But I enjoyed it - its quirkiness, and it's great storytelling. I guess it was just a little too long-winded for me. It's been out for over a year and none of my students has read it, or even talked about it. I wonder how one of them would enjoy it? I'll have to put it "out there" next year, see what comes of it.

What I call a "realistic fantasy" that takes place in the Nebraska/Kansas area. Good setting. I wanted a map to go along with the story, and one of the websites below has a good one. And why a map? Because Mibs Beaumont, two of her four siblings, and the two teenaged "preacher's kids" sneak onto a bus and go for a RIDE. Mibs is hoping to get down to Salina, Kansas, where her poppa is in a coma from a car accident, but Lester, the driver, had other stops to make before Salina. And quite the riproarinest adventure ensues.

And why realistic FANTASY? Because everyone in the Beaumont family, upon their 13th birthday, has been given a SAVVY. They never knew what it would be, and as Mibs' birthday approached she was quite excited about it. Her mother's savvy that she did everything perfectly. Her brother, Fish, created hurricanes, winds, rains. Her oldest brother Rocket's savvy was electricity, which he had a difficult time controling. Of course Mibs' savvy is nothing she ever dreamed it would be. And as it appears, she and her companions are on the pink bus, making the world a much more memorable place.

For more details, take a look at one of the websites below. They're very well done. In the meantime, I'm gong to have to decide how to rate this book. I wonder if I would have liked it more if I'd listened to it? Another hmm.

Official Savvy Website (the audio review is particularly good) including a downloadable teacher's guide.

Listen to the book! (Or at least the beginning of it) and play games - an interactive site.

Kid's Read Review