Savvy

Reach for this book when your child is on the cusp of adolescence and feeling the weight of high expectations or the fear of 'growing up.' It is a beautiful resource for families navigating a medical crisis or for children who feel like their internal world is too big and messy for the outside world to handle. Mibs Beaumont is about to turn thirteen, the age when every member of her family inherits a 'savvy,' a unique supernatural power. But when her father is hospitalized after a car accident, Mibs's big day is overshadowed by grief and the desperate hope that her new power will be the thing that saves him. This story is a magical odyssey through the American heartland that serves as a powerful metaphor for the transition into puberty. While the setting is fantastical, the emotional core is deeply grounded in the reality of family bonds, the discovery of self-identity, and the realization that everyone, even adults, is carrying around hidden burdens. It is a hopeful, lyrical, and compassionate choice for middle-grade readers who are learning that growing up means finding a way to 'scumble' or manage their own unique strengths and weaknesses.