Savvy by Ingrid Law

          I have never been a big fan of fantasy except for Stephen King books.........but never the less I read this book to the end because I wanted to see what was going to happen next. This Newberry Honor Book is full of surprises.The Beaumont family consisting of mom, dad and five children is special because when they turn thirteen, they get their "savvy." A "savvy" is a special power: one child can produce high winds and cause a lot of damage like a hurricane, another can cause all sorts of electrical problems and the main character, Mississippi (Mibs) Beaumont can hear what someone is thinking through any ink they have on their body (like a tatoo, even a temporary one).
          Mibs grandad used to be able to move mountains when he was younger, and her grandmother could reach out and grab a song or t.v interview out of the air and "can" it in a mason jar so that she could crack the lid and listen anytime she wanted to. Mib's mothers' savvy was being "perfect." Anything she went to do was perfect which wasn't always so great either. But Mib's poppa was the only one who was "normal" and didn't have a savvy. The Beaumont family lives in the middle of Kansas and Nebraska, and their poppa is involved in a terrible car accident and is taken to Salina, Kansas.The majority of this story takes place over the course of two days, with Mibs and her family trying to get to Salina because Poppa isn't waking up and Mibs thinks that her new savvy can help to wake him.
          Mibs and her family and friends get into all sorts of trouble trying to get to Poppa and help him wake up. Finally they make it there but no one is sure Poppa is going to make it. Finally Mibs remembers that Poppa has a faded tattoo and she tries to make him hear her through this, and she can hear him faintly too. Finally he does wake up, but he is never the same again.........he has his good days and his bad. One day, Mibs mother writes a recipe on the back of her hand and Mibs finds out that her mother is going to have another baby. So the books ends on a high note. This is an interesting idea and does keep the readers attention; it is full of underlying, hidden meaning and would be more appropriate for at least fourth grade and up. I loved some of the ideas the author came up with like canning your favorite music so that you could listen to it at another time, but I do think a savvy could be a curse too. I am not sure that I would want to hear other people's thoughts all day just because they had ink on them somewhere. There are no pictures in this book and it is long, but it is a fast read. You can visit the author at: http://www.ingridlaw.com/.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham---1963 By: Christopher Paul Curtis

         This story is about an African American family living in Flint, Michigan in 1963. This Newberry Honor, and Coretta Scott King Award winner, is filled with funny stories about the Watson family, but it ends on a more serious note. Byron is the older brother who acts like he doesn't care about anything and is always getting into trouble for lighting things on fire, skipping school and putting stuff in his hair that requires his head to be shaved! Kenny is the middle child and is always trying to be good, and always wondering why Byron does the things that he does. Joey is the younger sister and the drama queen.
         They call themselves the "Weirdo Watsons" and there is a lot of talk about papa and his "brown bomber" that he loves to drive and will not get rid of. Mama is from Birmingham, Alabama and misses it a lot. She hates the Michigan weather and often reverts back to her southern drawl by saying things like "hea uh" for "here," which the children think is hilarious. Finally, momma and poppa decide that Byron needs to get away from his friends in Flint, so they decide to take a family trip to Birmingham to visit momma's family. The intent is to leave Byron there for the summer, but after a few days of visiting, a tragedy occurs. One Sunday morning, Joey decided to go to the local Baptist church with her friend, and while she was there, it was bombed and four young girls were killed. At first the reader is unsure whether Joey is one of these girls, and Kenny is convinced she is, but later you find that she had decided to come back to grandma's house early. The next day, the Watsons decide to go back to Michigan, but Kenny suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome and takes to hiding, sleeping and eating behind the coach. At first no one knows where he is until Byron figures it out. Although Byron usually acts like he doesn't care about anything or anyone, he does stay with Kenny all day, everyday until he finally convinces Kenny to come out. Finally Kenny is able to release his emotions and the story ends more positively.
          I do appreciate the author taking the time to write an epilogue going into more detail about the struggle for basic human rights and the civil rights movement, during this time period. He elaborates on actions taken, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and others who contributed to the movement, as well as those that died. This book has so much hidden, underlying meaning and it is a page turner. It is very easy to relate to the trials and tribulations the Watsons go through as a family. I really enjoyed this book.

Christopher Curtis is the author of Bud, Not Buddy which also takes place in Flint, Michigan in 1936