Savvy by Ingrid Law

 

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Law, I. (2008). Savvy. Puffin Books. ISBN 9780142414330

Twelve, almost thirteen year old, Mississippi "Mibs" Beaumont's family has always  been special, but not in the normal typical family way.  In Mibs' family, at 13 years old, some family members develop gifts (aka Savvies) and Mib is excited to see what her Savvy is, that is, until her father gets injured and now she wants nothing more than her Savvy to help her dad.  Stranded, and hours away from her father, and hours into her 13th birthday, Mibs, her brothers, and a few of her friends embark on a journey to reunite her family.

Savvy is a fantasy novel, where the main character, Mibs, family purposefully lives out in the middle of nowhere to protect themselves and everyone else from their powers (also known as Savvies).  Not all Savvies are dangerous, like Mibs' mom, whose Savvy has her do everything perfectly, or her grandma who can bottle soundwaves, but not all are safe either.  On the morning of her 13th birthday, Mibs discovers her Savvy is the ability to hear a person's thoughts if they  have ink on them.  Overwhelmed by her new ability and the changes it brings, Mibs wants nothing more than to be with her parents, so they set off to reunite with them.

The idea of Savvy is unique and well executed.  Readers are easily and eagerly engaged as they anticipate the gang's next move.  Throughout the whole book, readers can easily tell that Mibs' family is closely knit, and their Savvies make them even closer.  While there is hesitancy at first for any change in Mibs' families life, Mibs handles her newfound powers (and all the problems it brings) with as much grace as she can.  Mibs is not thrown into the most ideal situations for her 13th birthday (her parents being gone, a birthday party being thrown against her will, sneaking away and hitching her way back to her parents) but along the way, readers get to read as Mibs confidence and determination grows throughout the course of the book.  While it wasn't exactly how she imagined her 13th birthday, Mibs manages to find a solid support group consisting of her brothers and new friends, who help make everything seems okay, despite the chaos going on around them.  

The message that readers can, and should, take away from Savvy, is that everyone, the Beaumont family included, is unique in their own ways, and it is because of those characteristics that the world is a better place/  While the book only takes place over the span of a few days, readers will get to see Mibs' personal growth by the end of the story.  Savvy is story about family, love, and self acceptance, and it is a book that everyone should read.

What do readers think of Savvy? Readers from Booklist say that "Law's storytelling is rollicking, her language imaginative, and her entire case of whacky, yet believable characters [are] delightful.  Readers will want more from Law, her first book is both wholly engaging and lots of fun."

If you enjoyed Savvy, then you will be happy to know that Savvy is the first book in a trio.  The next two book focus on different members of Mibs' family and the second book is called Scumble, and the third and final book in the trio is called Switch.  After reading Savvy, encourage readers to think of a magical Savvy they'd like to have, and then have them reflect on themselves to find a natural Savvy that they already have.

Awards for Savvy

• Newbery Honor Book
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book
• Oprah's Book Club Kids Reading List Pick
• Al Roker's Book Club pick
• New York Time's Bestseller

Citations

Law, I. (2008). Savvy. Puffin Books.

Savvy, by Ingrid Law. Booklist Online. (n.d.). https://www.booklistonline.com/Savvy-Ingrid-Law/pid=2605237

Savvy. Ingrid Law. (n.d.). https://www.ingridlaw.com/savvy