Book Review:

Savvy, by Ingrid Law, is about Mibs, a girl that will discover her savvy, or her magical power, on her 13th birthday. When Mibs’s dad suffers an accident the night before her birthday that lands him in the hospital, Mibs is sure her savvy will save him. Frustrated she is left behind when her mother and brother go visit her father, Mibs goes on a crazy adventure with her two brothers and two friends to try to get to her father in time. This was a fun book that put a twist on the usual superpower book. I liked the family themes and the idea of learning not to listen to the negative voices in our heads. My daughter liked it because of the special powers.

Discussion Questions:

1. Mibs wishes, at least temporarily, that her savvy could “give [her] the muscle to turn nasty girls into slimy green frogs or to glue their mouths shut tight with a nod of [her] head” (p. 17). Why do the girls in Mibs’s class make fun of her? What would you do in her place?

2. The Beaumonts have to keep their savvies a secret from everyone. Would that be difficult for you? Do you think everyone has a secret? Who would you trust with your big secrets?

3. Describe Mibs’s relationship with her parents and siblings. How is it complicated by their savvies? What are the positive and negative aspects of having siblings with extraordinary powers?

4. Grandpa says to Mibs, “Your savvy’s in your blood. It’s an inheritance, like your brown eyes or your grandma’s long toes or her talent for dancing to polka music” (p. 121). Are people born with special talents or do they have to work at developing their unique abilities? Are there any talents you wish you had?

5. Explain how Mibs ends up on a Bible delivery bus with Bobbi, Will, Fish, and Samson. Where do they hope to arrive? How do things go awry? Which scene in their wild adventure is your favorite?

6. Slowly, Mibs discovers the way her savvy works. How does she figure it out? How is it different from the savvy that she originally hoped for? In the last year, what have you, like Mibs, discovered about yourself?

7. How does Lill Kiteley end up on the bus? What would you say is her special know-how? How does she use that know-how during her time on the bus and how does it affect the passengers?

8. How does Mibs’s relationship with Will and Bobbi change over the course of the adventure? Who do you think changes the most in the story?

9. Fish and Rocket have a terrible time scumbling their savvies. How does this cause a ruckus for the Beaumont clan and others who know them? Are there any parts of your own personality that you have a difficult time controlling? Is it better to tone down parts of yourself so that you fit in or is it more important to be yourself completely?

10. Momma warns Mibs that, “You can’t get rid of part of what makes you you and be happy” (p. 186). What makes you you? How do you let that special part shine through?

11. When Mibs thinks about Will’s obvious feelings for her she realizes that it “[makes her] feel too young and too old at the same time.” (p. 223) Do you feel like kids today are forced to grow up too fast? How might different aspects of modern life (the media, school, friends, etc.) affect the ways in which kids mature?

(Questions from: http://www.walden.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Savvy-Discussion-Guide-Updated-4-09.pdf)