Savvy

I read Savvy by Ingrid Law over a year ago when it received Newbery Honors. I remembered enjoying it, but needed a refresher. To begin with, a "savvy" is a rare and unique talent that is awakened in a child upon their thirteenth birthday. Well, that is if you are one of Beaumont children. You could call it a super power and everyone's is different.

Mississippi (Mibs) Beaumont's has a mother whose talent is doing everything perfectly. Whatever task she takes on, she does it too perfection. Kind of a hard act to follow. Mibs' Grandpa Bompa's talent is moving mountains. No, really. Mibs' deceased Grandma could save radio waves in jars. Mibs' oldest brother Rocket is "electrical". Imagine generating enough electricity to keep your house running when the power is out. Mibs' other older brother, Fish, can control the elements. So you might understand why Mibs, on the Eve of her thirteenth birthday, is both excited and concerned.

Mibs wants a savvy that can help people. A savvy that can save people. A savvy that is every bit as amazing as the rest in her family. But she also doesn't want a savvy that causes trouble or sticky situations. The Beaumonts have to keep their talents under wraps. Don't want to draw too much attention from the locals. But that's exactly what happens. You see, right before her birthday, Mibs' Poppa is in a horrible car accident and winds up in a hospital that is nowhere close.

Poppa is broken and and he won't wake up. Mibs' mom and older brother go to join him if and while he recovers. Mibs and Fish are left with Grandpa and the two younger siblings, Samson and Gypsy. It looks likes Mibs' birthday isn't going to happen the way she had intended and she's mad at herself for being mad at her Poppa for ruining her big celebration. Things get worse when the Pastor's wife, with her two teenage kids in tow, shows up to help and make this the biggest and best birthday party ever. Miss Rosemary means well, but she can't possibly understand how important a thirteenth birthday is to a Beaumont. And Mibs certainly can't discuss with her either.

The hardest part, is Mibs "knows" that her savvy, whatever it turns out to be, will help her Poppa. It simply must save him. More than anything, she wants to go to him and prove her worth. So when she gets the opportunity, that's exactly what she does. She sneaks away. Steals a ride and is off - in the wrong direction - and with some additional stowaways.

This is a very sweet story. It's all about tuning other people's voices out of your head and listening to your own voice. Scumble, a companion novel, is set to be released sometime this year. I am very excited to get a hold of it. The characters in Savvy beg to continue their story.