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By Ingrid Law

Gypsy Beaumont has always been a whirly-twirly free spirit, so as her thirteenth birthday approaches, she hopes to get a magical ability that will let her fly, or dance up to the stars. Instead, she wakes up on her birthday to blurry vision…and starts seeing flashes of the future and past. But when Momma and Poppa announce that her very un-magical, downright mean Grandma Pat has Alzheimer’s and is going to move in with them, Gypsy’s savvy—along with her family’s—suddenly becomes its opposite. Now it’s savvy mayhem as Gypsy starts freezing time, and no one could have predicted what would happen on their trip to bring Grandma Pat home…not even Gypsy.

This has been a long time coming! I’m so glad that Ingrid Law is continuing the stories of the Beaumont family and the Savvy world. The special thing about her books is that they aren’t just about fantastical powers or crazy plots, they’re ultimately about finding your true self. Gypsy is a free spirit, utterly unique and a bright spot in her family, but coming up on her 13^th Savvy birthday Gypsy is not only wondering what her Savvy will be, but is dealing with how others see and treat her. Trying to be ‘normal’ and have friends makes her shrink a little from who she really is, and she has a tough choice to make; be whirly-twirly self, or someone who doesn’t stand out, but is accepted in society. True to form, while tackling this question, all kinds of havoc is wreaked as Gypsy gets her Savvy and the family goes through yet another change with Grandma Pat coming to live with them. The result is another Beaumont road trip. If you’ve read Savvy and Scumble, (And if you haven’t, please please do!) you won’t be disappointed in Law’s third book.

I give it a 3.75 out of 5

Scumble

By Ingrid Law

Ledger Kale always dreamed of the awesome magical power he’d get when he turned thirteen- the day when folks in his family inherit an extraordinary talent called a savvy. But Ledge’s dreams are soon in pieces. And so are the toaster, the television, and the wipers on the family minivan.
After the Kales decide it’s safe to head to a family wedding in Wyoming, Ledge’s savvy rows. Worse, there’s an outside witness to his monumental mess: thirteen-year-old Sarah Jane Cabot, eagle-eyed reporter and daughter of the local businessman. Now Ledge has to stop Sarah Jane from turning savvies into headlines, stop her father from getting too close to Uncle Autry’s astonishing ranch, and scumble his savvy into control before he causes everything to fall apart.

This book, along with its predecessor, 'Savvy', are two of my new favorites. I'm talking want-to-own books. These books are so much fun, but I've always loved coming of age stories-and having the magical twist just makes them that much better. The thing about Savvies is they aren't magical powers really, they're just the knack of doing something unconventional. These books are all about figuring out your own savvy and going with it and finding the balance in your life to make you you. You'll fall in love with Ledge, Rocket, Fish, Mibbs, and all the others just as much as I did.

Savvy

By Ingrid Law

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy" -a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it's the eve of Mibs's big day. As if waiting weren't hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs's birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman's bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up -and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.

This book ended up being a delightful find for me as I read Mib's unconventional story about growing up within an extremely unconventional family. Savvy was a Newberry winner, and for good reason. It's cute and fun, with some serious themes, and talks about the importance of finding your own Savvy in life. I absolutely loved Ingrid Law's characters, not only Mibs, but they all get the royal treatment and have depth and color. Go on a trip with Mibs on the pink bible bus to rescue her Poppa, make new friends, and begin to understand other people. I highly recommed this book.