A Fundamentally Savvy Evening

My friend and former 5th grade teammate, Maria, told me this summer about this great independent children's bookstore / teacher store near her in Delaware, Ohio. The bookstore's name is Fundamentals. Tonight, Fundamentals hosted Ingrid Law, the author of Savvy, and Maria suggested that we go. I jumped at the chance to spend time with a friend, support an independent bookstore, and meet an author of a book I enjoyed very much. In my opinion, it was a win-win-win situation.

When I first got to Fundamentals, I was so taken with how bright and cheery it was. Then, I was introduced to Tami, the owner, and I was completely charmed by her. She has an infectious love of books and a need to share that love with others; it is hard to resist. That was evidenced by the young teens who were in the store asking Tami when the next book club would be and what would they be reading. Teenagers that desire to be in a book club -- Tami must be doing something right!

I also got to meet Ingrid Law and chat with her for a while. Another delightful person. She shared with us that she is currently working on her next book -- it is in the revision stage. Ingrid said that she was able to write Savvy in such a relatively short amount of time, that her editor assumed her next book would be done as quickly. Between being a mom and doing the meet and greet author thing for publicity, her time is a little more interrupted than the first time.

However, for all of you Savvy fans (and I admit I'm one of them), Ingrid shared some bonus information about her next book. I don't think any of them are spoilers; just interesting tidbits:

• The next book is titled Scumble
• There is a time jump from Savvy
• Some old characters are back, but new characters are introduced as well
• Gypsy is now 12 years old
  

And it wouldn't be an author visit, if I didn't get Ingrid to sign my copy of Savvy as well as take the requisite photo with the author. Since my friend, Maria, is the one that convinced to be part of this evening, she is also in the picture. Maria's in the tan, I'm in the purple, and Ingrid is in the middle, holding my copy of Savvy :).

I look forward to future trips to Fundamentals, and I also look forward to the next installment of the Savvy story -- this was a great evening!

Looking for Newbery - Day 26

As we close in on the big announcement, I plan to finish out our Newbery marathon with a few reviews from the past year. The first is significant, not only because it's a great book, but because on Thursday, we will be Grand Discussing this book with a group of kids and parents. The reaction I'm getting from the kids is one of excitement and enjoyment of this book. They seem to really be relating to this one.

I called this a "coming of age" story in my review last September, but it's really more than that. In our pre Grand Discussion, discussion, my friend and colleague pointed out that the story is really about EVERYONE having a "savvy." Your savvy may not be a super power like the Beaumonts, but we all have one. The trick is to find it and use it to its fullest. WOW! Now why didn't I think of that, I guess that's why she's the gifted teacher.

Here's my review.

And here are some others.
Official Savvy Book Site
After Potter
Children's Literature Book Club

Coming of Age With Savvy

I waited a long time to get Savvy by Ingrid Law from the library, and then it sat on my to read pile so long that I had to renew it. Finally I got around to reading it, and when I finished it took me a couple of weeks to realize how much I like it.

Savvy is a coming of age story with a really cool twist. The story revolves around Mibs Beaumont who is about to turn 13. Thirteen is tough enough for those of us that experience it in the normal, puberty, voice changing, pimple faced way, but for a Beaumont, turning 13 means that you get your "savvy."

For Mibs, one brother, Fish, can create storms, so they can't live near the ocean or hurricanes will blow. Another brother, Rocket, is filled with electrical charge which the family takes advantage of to start the car, but it also causes lights to explode and the power to go out in town. Her mother's savvy is to be perfect in all that she says and does, even if it means to be perfectly wrong, and her grandfather can literally move the ground under their feet. Another brother, Samson, is too young for a savvy, but seems to have a controlling effect on those with their powers.

Obviously, the Beaumont children have a tough time being at school after the age of 13 and are home schooled. Mibs has a hard time getting along with the other students and can't wait to turn thirteen so she can get her savvy and stay home with her mother. As in most coming of age, teen angst novels, girls are mean! Mibs puts up with the finger pointing and whispering about her unusual family. In order to keep the children socialized, the family attends church where the preacher's daughter, Roberta, torments Mibs while having a crush on her electrical brother. The preacher's son, Will Junior, has a crush on Mibs, and both of the preacher's kids suspect there is something really special about the Beaumont kids but they can't quite put their fingers on it.

The kids end up on an adventure together when Mibs runs away to visit her father in the hospital, convinced that her savvy will be able to cure him. Relationships develop on the big pink school bus and the preacher's kids come to understand that while the Beaumont children are special, under it all, they are just kids.

I really like the way Law deals with differences in the story. She uses fantastic, mystical powers to set the Beaumont kids apart, but it could just as easily be skin color, or economic class, or any number of things that make kids different from those around them. Ingrid Law allows the reader to see the world of growing up through both sides' eyes, and develops the characters so well that the reader forgets that we are dealing with the fantasy world. She has created the Beaumont children in such a way that their powers are believable.

As I said while I read the book I liked it, but as I thought about it over a few days, I realized just how powerful it is on many levels. I'm thinking this will make a great selection for our second Grand Discussion, and I am putting it on my Newbery short list. I like it a lot.