the read feed

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Savvy by Ingrid Law, 342 pages.

One of my favorite books of the year...I can tell already. Savvy is the story of Mibs Beaumont and the days surrounding her thirteenth birthday.You see, in her family the 13th birthday is when they receive their savvy - a unique gift/ability. One of her brothers creates electricity and the other causes hurricanes. For Mib, she is trying to figure out her savvy while leading a bus full of "misfits" on a journey to visit her Poppa in the hospital.

This is everything a story for kids should be - charming, funny, sad, honest, sweet, and a bit quirky. The absence of smut doesn't hurt either. Yeesh. A little bit of magic with a lot of heart makes this a wonderful book for everyone in the family. I'm going to start reading it aloud to the kiddos tonight.  And I can already tell this is my new Tale of Despereaux - meaning I'm going to nag everyone I know who has kids until they read it. You've been warned...

Here's the first line, which I already shared with Trish and think she may be hooked:

"When my brother Fish turned thirteen, we moved to the deepest part of inland because of the hurricane and, of course, the fact that he'd caused it."

This book was recommended to me by Staci, a goodreads & SIStv friend. And is just another example of how your friends, most likely, will not steer you wrong. Thanks S.

So like the old shampoo commercial where "she told two friends and they told two friends" (was that Prell or Breck or what?) and multiplied until the screen was full of heads...i'm telling you it's Good Stuff. So read it.

5 BIG FAT JUICY stars (how's that for a rating?)

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PS - you can read the first chapter on the Walden Media website and check out the author at www.ingridlaw.com.

Children's Lit Booklists

Here is a booklist of, well booklists (for kids):

The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

Books Children Love by Elizabeth Wilson

Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt- choosing books with the whole family in mind

The Children's Literature Lover's Book of Lists by Joanna Sullivan - a true book of lists upon lists

Their maybe some overlap here, but these are the ones we have and they serve us well.

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M.L.K. Birthday Booklist

A few worthy titles for both you and the kiddos:

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. - seems like a good place to start.

I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches that Changed the World The Civil Rights Movement for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by Mary C. Tuck.

If You Lived at the Time of Martin Luther King Jr. - I'm a fan of this series for kids - it works at giving them insight into the culture and surroundings, not just flat facts on a page.

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport

The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Cole

If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold - I haven't seen this in person, but Faith Ringgold's books are so beautifully illustrated that I can only imagine how lovely this must be.

Happy Reading!

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