Book Review of Savvy

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Law, Ingrid. 2008. SAVVY. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group in partnership with Walden Media, LLC. ISBN 9780803733060.

 

PLOT SUMMARY

Mississippi “Mibs” Beaumont is a girl waiting for her 13th birthday because that is when her special power (“savvy”) will convey itself upon her. She lives with her family on the state line between Kansas and Nebraska. One day her father is hospitalized in a coma after a bad car wreck. Mibs is determined to get to the hospital to see him. She ends up stowing away on a traveling salesman’s bus to sneak a ride to the town the hospital is in. Many adventures later, she eventually makes it to the hospital. Along the way she has discovered that her power is being able to hear the thoughts of people, but only if they have ink (like a tattoo) on them. She uses her “savvy” to communicate with her father to encourage him to come out of his coma. Everyone returns home together.         

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The characters (especially “Mibs”) were well fleshed-out in this story, and the reader’s regard and concern for them develop throughout the book, reaching a high level of excitement at the end. The journey from the church to the hospital is engrossing and engaging. The reader feels compelled to root for Mibs to reach her destination. As Mibs overcomes each hardship placed in her way, the reader shares her struggles and successes. By the end of the book the reader feels that the ordeals have shaped Mibs into someone who will be able to find success and happiness in life.

 

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

2008 BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK HONOR AWARD

2009 ALA NOTABLE BOOK FOR CHILDREN

2009 NEWBERY HONOR BOOK: “This rich first-person narrative draws readers into a wild bus ride, winding through the countryside on a journey of self-discovery for Mibs Beaumont and her companions.”

KIRKUS starred review: “Law displays both a fertile imagination (Mibs’s savvy is telepathy, but it comes with a truly oddball caveat) and a dab hand for likable, colorful characters.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “With its delightful premise and lively adventure, this book will please a wide variety of audiences, not just fantasy fans.”

 

CONNECTIONS

* Growing up through the teen years, family life, and trying to find what makes you special, and how you fit in the world and negotiating your place in it are all topics that this book explores with its readers. Teens will relate to the feelings of the protagonist.  

* Other books like this one include:

Law, Ingrid. SCUMBLE. ISBN 978-0-8037-3307-7

Law, Ingrid. SWITCH. ISBN  978-0-8037-3862-1

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