My husband and I are always on the lookout for good books to read to the children (or listen to on CD). Our latest technique involves searching through the Newberry awards and honorable mentions. Once such book is Savvy, written by Ingrid Law and an honorable mention in 2010. I knew that the whole family would like the book as soon as I read the first couple of sentences on the back of the book.
For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy" -a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity... and now it's the eve of Mibs's big day.
Superpowers! What's better than superpowers to young children (mine were 7 and 9 when we read this) and science fiction fan adults? The kids were entranced after the first chapter of the book.
The family lives on the border of Kansas and Nebraska, so they mix the two names together when they talk about where they live. Grandpa talks about how he created a state. Mibs reminisces about watching her grandmother catch radio waves out of the air and can them and about what happen when her brother Rocket got his electrical savvy and her brother Fish received his weather savvy.
The first few chapters build up the suspense about what Mibs' savvy will be. Then, the family hears about her father. He's been in an accident and he's in the hospital in Salina, Kansas. Mibs' mother and her brother, Rocket, go to Salina to watch over the father. Mibs' birthday comes and she gets her savvy. She decides she must see her father, and she and some other kids go off on a merry adventure.
The bulk of the book is about the adventure the kids make and the hard lessons they learn and epiphanies they receive.
As any good science fiction or fantasy novel does, the savvy's can be mentally substituted for any thing that a person does differently from others, so with a little imagination, any child (or adult) can "identify" with the characters in this story.
If you and your family have the slightest interest in fantasy, comic books and super heroes, or any stories where reality is not one hundred percent what you see every day, this book is excellent. My family enjoyed it, and I hope yours will too.
Now, I need to get a copy of Scumble, which is another book by Ingrid Law in this same universe.
Gwen Nicodemus has two children that she's been homeschooling all their lives. Gwen also teaches science and math classes in a local homeschooling cooperative. As a temporarily retired engineer, Gwen keeps her brain active by writing unit studies and little books for her kids whenever someone gets interested in a new topic. Check out the great free resources, including unit studies, videos, tutorials, and little books at http://unitstudiesbygwen.com/
©2010, Gwen Nicodemus
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