Savvy by Ingrid Law

This book had already arrived at my school library when my local indie book store gave me an ARC of it for a project I helped them with and I'm so glad they did. Students have been checking out the one at school while I've been able to keep reading my copy at home. Win-Win, yes.

The Blurb on the back says:

Mibs Beaumont is about to become a teenager. As if that prospect weren't scary enough, thirteen is when a Beaumont's savvy strikes-and with one brother who causes hurricanes and another who creates electricity, her savvy promises to be outrageous...and positively thrilling.

Right before her big birthday moment though her father's in an car accident and Mibs' birthday dreams are temporarily crushed. The very best part of this book takes place when Mibs decides to stowaway on an old pink school bus with Lester, who's been selling pink Bibles to the minister so she can get to Salina, right where Poppa is resting up.
Two of her brothers, Samson and Fish, join her on the bus as well as two friends, Will, Jr and Bobbi. Will, Jr.'s characters is sweet and helpful but it's Bobbi, whose character transforms the most. Lester and later, Lill, the mother hen-always-late waitress help this band of children get to where they need to go, together. I liked this book for the wonderful premise, the great words and the friendships that bloomed.
Here are two of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Perhaps Samson's strengthing touch was just an ordinary sort of magic, the kind of magic that exists in the honest, heartfelt concern of one person for another. Regardless of the reason, with Samson's small hand on my arm, it wasn't long before my eyes began to dry." (p. 113)

and

"I watched Lill gaze fondly at Lester. I could tell by the way she looked at him that she found something in the man she admired. Maybe it had been the way Lester stopped to rescue her from her broken-down car, or how he'd helped her pick her money up off the floor, or his spur-of-the-moment plunder of the pie from the diner. Lester might not have looked the part of a hero, but I suppose you never can tell right off who might have a piece of Prince Charming deep down inside." (p. 199)

These are the characters that make you want everything, just simple everything, to turn out fine!! This is an amazing first book for Ingrid Law and you can find her information here.

I'm already a few chapters into Sarah Dessen's Keeping the moon and yet I managed to head to the bookstore after school to purchase both Rumors (The Luxe #2) by Anna Godbersen and Liar by Justine Larbalestier. Tough reading choices ahead.