I just finished a book called WingNut by Mary Jane Auch, a local author who has been a favorite since she visited my elementary school. A quick read, but emotionally moving. It reminded me of the books Ingrid Law recently wrote called Savvy and Scumble. WingNut doesn't have the magic element of the other two but there are definite correlations of young struggling families with strong preteen kid characters that really start to figure out what is important in life. The relationships that are cultivated within these pages remind me of the kind of person I wanted to grow up to be... I hope I am still on that path.

B&N says about WingNut ~ Twelve-year-old Grady Flood and his mom, Lila, have been on the road ever since Grady’s dad died seven years ago. When their old car breaks down, they find themselves stranded in rural Pennsylvania where Lila gets work as a cook and caretaker. There’s nothing out of the ordinary in that, unless you factor in her new boss. Old Charlie Fernwald, a skilled mechanic and bird enthusiast, is definitely out of the ordinary. In fact, if Grady’s not mistaken, Charlie is a certifiable “wing nut.” For the time being, Grady figures, he can help Charlie with his birds and maybe even learn how to fix a car engine. But before he can do either, something goes terribly wrong.

B&N says about Savvy ~ Thirteen is when a Beaumont's savvy hits - and with one brother who causes hurricanes and another who creates electricity, Mibs Beaumont is eager to see what she gets. But just before the big day, Poppa is in a terrible accident. And now all Mibs wants is a savvy that will save him. In fact, Mibs is so sure she'll get a powerful savvy that she sneaks a ride to the hospital on a rickety bus with her sibling and the preacher's kids in tow. After this extraordinary adventure - full of talking tattoos and a kidnapping - not a soul on board will ever be the same.

B&N says about Scumble ~ Nine years after Mibs's Savvy journey, her cousin Ledge has just turned thirteen . . .But Ledger Kale's savvy is a total dud -- all he does is make little things fall apart. So his parents decide it's safe to head to Wyoming, where it's soon revealed that Ledge's savvy is much more powerful than anyone thought. Worse, his savvy disaster has an outside witness: Sarah Jane Cabot, reporter wannabe and daughter of the local banker. Just like that, Ledge's beloved normal life is over. Now he has to keep Sarah from turning family secrets into headlines, stop her father from foreclosing on Uncle Autry's ranch, and scumble his savvy into control so that, someday, he can go home.

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
~ Charles Wiliam Eliot