Savvy’s Newberry Honor

I met Ingrid Law last March at the Public Librarian’s Convention in Minneapolis, when Walden Media took us both out to dinner – I was there for signings and a pre-screening of Nim’s Island, and they’d invited her, to start the supremely justifiable buzz for Savvy.

I’d already read the first line of “Savvy” – I can’t quote it here because I’ve loaned my copy out (again!) but that first sentence told me that this was a highly original voice and that I’d be amazed if I didn’t love the book. Well, I was amazed by many things, but not that one – the whole book lived up to the promise of that first sentence, and I loved it.

I was absolutely delighted to see that it had become a Newberry Honor book last week. It absolutely deserves it – and, although this isn’t what book awards are about – it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. I was not surprised to read that when her local paper phoned to interview her she was in the supermarket buying groceries for the food bank, to spread her good luck around.

Congratulations, Ingrid!