Scumble

I resisted reading Savvy at first, because I have a strong dislike of what I think of as "Southern quirky" but once I started I was drawn into the story and enjoyed it very much, although it was still a bit too quirky for my taste.

I was prepared to like Scumble and I was not disappointed. Nine years after the events of Savvy, Ledger Kale is waiting for his own savvy to come through. He's absolutely, desperately sure it's going to be speed. After all, that's what his savvy-less dad wants most of all, so it's what he wants too. Unfortunately, that's not what he gets. What Ledger gets isn't just a savvy; it's a whole lot of trouble. Suddenly, instead of being on his way to star of the track team at school and a hero to his dad, he's stuck show more at the family ranch in the middle of nowhere, wondering if he'll end up like his Rocket, stuck there forever because he can't control his dangerous power.

Into this volatile mix of family pressure and magical talents, pops one SJ. She's determined, she's nosy, and she's going to find out what's going on at the ranch whether Ledger wants her to or not. Will the family secrets be revealed to the world?

This story is all about changes. Ledger is experiencing both the normal changes kids go through as they grow up; worrying about how he measures up to his parents' expectations, wanting to be independent, and realizing his parents aren't perfect. He's also dealing with a powerful talent and learning that it's important to have control and to know when to let go.

I was drawn in by the characters and rapid pacing of the plot immediately. Although there are several different storylines, they are smoothly woven together throughout the story, and there's no chance for the reader to lose interest as the characters change and grow. I did feel Ledger's discovery of the other side of his savvy was a bit too opportune to be realistic, but it did move the plot to a conclusive ending. I have one other complaint about this book, and it's kind of a general one about middle grade literature. Why is this story so darn long? My galley clocks in at a massive 401 pages. It's marketed for grades 3 - 7, but only a few truly voracious readers in grades 3 - 5 will pick up a book this large. Middle schoolers are likely to take one look at the cover and dismiss at as "too young". I'm seeing more and more of these thick books for the upper elementary grades, and they're just a bad idea. Yeah, I hate series, but please, please, please publishers break these things up! Every time I add one of these doorstopper books to my library, no matter how fascinating, exciting, delightful, or well-written the story, I feel sad, knowing that 90% of my young patrons will take one look at the massive spine and hie themselves back over to the series shelf, where the books are skinny and appear more manageable.

Rant over.

Verdict: Recommended for kids who like realistic stories as well as fantasy. You'll need to do some solid booktalking to get over the length; I recommend something along the lines of "This book obeys the most important rule of middle grade fiction: Always include an explosion. The massive bugs are just an extra." show less

Ledger Kale is in a family that gets a "savvy" - a special talent, of sorts - on their thirteenth birthday. Unfortunately, his appears to be a really unhelpful one: he can make things fall apart. When his family is off to a cousin's wedding and he causes problems with the car, they pull over and he meets a young girl Sarah Jane, who definitely spells trouble if she finds out about his family. Plus, Ledge needs to figure out how to control, or "scumble" his savvy fast, or he'll do worse damage than making the barn fall down and crushing all the jars of music his grandma saved (true story). A summer on the farm with his uncle, sister, and a bunch of cousins may be just what he needs, if he can manage to save that jar that ending up in show more Sarah Jane's possession...

I had really liked Savvy, the Newbery Honor-winning book about Ledge's older cousin, Mibs Beaumont. Scumble can be read entirely independently, and only slightly overlaps with those characters from the first book. Ledge has what sounds to me like an authentic voice of a 13-year-old boy just trying to figure out this thing called life. His family comes straight out of tall tales, and story has a lot of heart and humor. show less

This second book was just as enchanting as the first, Savvy. Wonderful world building. I wish I had a savvy and I'm sure that every child who reads this book wishes the same thing. The author has tapped into the magical realm where children reside before adult life beats wonder out of them. And there's even a lesson. But like the very best writing, the message is woven through the beautifully told story instead of whacking the reader over the head. In this case basically the lesson to be learned is that we shouldn't just let life happen to us but rather we should think through our choices and choose the best/wisest one and then follow through.

I loved Ledger. He was a charming boy. The secondary characters were well done. The savvies show more were all entertaining. I was glad to see Rocket (best name ever) get control of his savvy and get a girl. I hope Ms. Law is not done with the series. I would love to see Ledger's little sister, Fedora, when she gets her savvy. show less

If Ingrid Law's debut, SAVVY, taught us anything, it's that this writer is adept at portraying humanity at its most basic level. While I loved SAVVY, I can't think of an adequate word to describe my adoration for SCUMBLE. Maybe it's because I live in the Mountain West near Wyoming, but something in the story of young Ledge struck home.

What Law does best in both her books is show an everyman struggling with an extraordinary power and coming out more human than before. I can't recommend SCUMBLE highly enough. Pay attention to this story, and it will change you. It changed me.

As if puberty wasn't bad enough! In Ledger Kale's extended family, kids look forward to their thirteenth birthday, not just as their entry to the turbulent teen years, but as the day their "savvy" will manifest. A savvy is a quirky special ability, such as Ledger's uncle's affinity for insects, or his grandpa's fabled ability to shift the ground for miles around. Ledger hopes for enough speed to make him the champion of his school track team (and the next father-son marathon), but his dreams of glory are shattered right along with his dad's nose-hair trimmers and his sister's stopwatch. Ledger's savvy involves breaking man-made gadgets, and the more agitated he becomes, the more likely he is to break bigger things. On a trip to Wyoming show more for a wedding at the family ranch, Ledger nearly disables the family car, not to mention blowing up a motorcycle and dismantling a barn. Ledger must learn to scumble (control, or tone down) his savvy before he breaks the first big rule of his family: don't let the world know about your savvy! His parents leave him for a few weeks' vacation at the ranch, but Ledger has more troubles than just an over-active savvy while he's there. Ledger's twin cousins are determined to pester him to the breaking point, and his cousin Rocket, with whom he shares a room, may just hate him. Girl reporter Sarah Jane from the nearby town has latched on to Ledger, certain that there's something different about him. And worst of all, the ranch is in danger of foreclosure unless Uncle Autry can figure out a way to scrape together enough money to pay off his loan. In the midst of all of these problems, Ledger learns some important lessons about self-control and keeping promises -- but will he find a way to help his uncle save the ranch, too?

This companion to Newbery Honor book Savvy stands on its own, though fans of the earlier book will be excited to see that Mibs makes a brief cameo in this volume. Ledger's plight will resonate with adolescents who struggle with finding their place in the world while dealing with difficult families, changing bodies, and bewildering budding romances. Scumble is part tall tale, part coming-of-age novel, and completely fun! show less

What would you do if turning 13 meant not only the dawn of puberty, pimples and emotional upheavals, but the appearance of a special power, or savvy. Not the kind of super hero power that might actually make middle school more bearable, like being able to read the mind of that cute girl in science or the ability to stop locker room bullies with a single look. No, these powers make it nearly impossible to even attend school – how do you act “normal” when you walk into a building and all the light bulbs blow out?

Ledger Kale is convinced that his 13th birthday will bring him the super speed he needs to become the fastest kid in school and win the father/son half-marathon. But savvies seldom appear as one wishes and Ledger is graced show more with the ability to bust up anything held together with nuts and bolts (or screws or nails or, well you get the idea). This would be bad news at anytime, but right before the family leaves on a road trip from their home in Indiana to attend a family wedding at the home of an uncle in Wyoming, it’s downright disastrous. Throw in a 13-year-old local with a nose for news and a father who not only holds the deed to every property in town but has a severe dislike for anything out of the ordinary, and it could be the end of the Flying Cattleheart Ranch. Will Ledger learn to scumble or control his power? Is there more to his savvy than meets the eye? Will Uncle Autry’s ranch be saved?

In the 2009 Newbery Honor book, Savvy, Ingrid Law introduced us to Mississippi (Mibs) Beaumont and her family. She also introduced the idea of a “savvy”, a special power that appears on the 13th birthday of members of certain “savvy families”. Scumble, Law’s “companion” to Savvy, introduces Mibs cousins, who are spending the summer at Uncle Autry’s ranch after her brother Fish’s wedding. We also see a lot of Mibs’ brother Rocket (he of the electric touch) and Samson and her sister Gypsy. But the story focuses on Ledger and his struggle to scumble his savvy, while trying to put off kid reporter Sarah Jane Cabot and her nasty father who’s threatening to foreclose on the ranch.

Law is a great writer. Her plots are interesting and exciting and there’s always a twist to keep the reader on the edge of her (or his) seat. Her characters (like the incredibly annoying Sarah Jane) continue to defy expectations. Though everything gets wrapped up a little too neatly at the end, it’s still an extremely satisfying read. Savvy had one of the longest waitlists in our library last year and I know Scumble will join its “companion” at the top of the charts. show less

When I read Savvy last summer I must admit that though I thought it was good I didn't *love* it for some reason. Maybe because I tend to prefer edgier fiction written for older teens, maybe it was just the wrong book at the wrong time. Nonetheless, I expected to feel the same way about Scumble. Instead I found myself really enjoying it. It's well-written, pitch-perfect, and an overall fantastic bit of magical realism for juvenile level readers. It's touching, original and really held my interest. The characters learn lessons without the tone ever being too didactic or preachy. In fact God and prayer are mentioned several times but in such a natural, matter-of-fact way that you know it's more a representation of who the characters are show more than a point the author is trying to get across. I think we would have a lot of readership for it in our library, and I'll be adding it to my "wish list" and waiting for the next volume. show less