Savvy by I. Law

From my Literary Journal in my Children's Lit class:

Law, I. (2008). Savvy. New York, NY:  Penguin. 342pp. (Grades 3-8).

            "Mibs' special 13th birthday is just around the corner- the day when everyone in her family gets their savvy- their special 'know-how'. Her father gets in a bad accident just before the big day and is taken to a big hospital. Mibs really wants to be there with him, she is convinced she can help, so her and some friends sneak onto a pink school bus that is headed for the town the hospital is in. Only, they end up taking a few detours and, to make things worse, Mibs' savvy comes and she doesn't know how to deal with it.

            Savvy is told with a matter-of-fact tone, and it seems as if Mibs is telling the readers all sorts of things from her heart. She is very honest, even with her hopes and fears. The character development was done craftily, helping the readers hold the characters dear. For older students, this would be an opportunity to have them discuss characterization, what they like and dislike about different characters in the story, and what they would think or talk about if they met the characters. I have had the privilege of interviewing this author, and have several short essays or thought blurbs I wrote, and I believe these are resources I ought to take advantage of in my classroom."