At the beginning of Scumble, readers learn that Ledger’s parents have postponed committing to attending Fish Beaumont’s wedding due to their fears about Ledger’s savvy. Of what are they afraid? Do you feel their fear is reasonable?
-It was close to his 13th birthday and his savvy of breaking things could have ruined everything. They were especially worried that he might ruin something at the ranch.
-Their fear was reasonable because it was a wedding.
-The book is awesome.
Ledger believes his father’s biggest dream is that Ledger’s savvy will make him lighting fast as a runner. Why does Ledger feel so disappointed when his savvy doesn’t give him this extraordinary ability? What does he fear about his father’s reaction?
-He feels like he's letting his dad down. He's not the good son his dad wished for.
-He thinks that his dad might get mad because he wanted to be able to run with him. And win the marathon.
-Ledger might also be disappointed because he wanted to be like his friend Brian.
Consider Uncle Autry’s ranch, the Flying Cattleheart. What are some specific elements about the ranch that make it so special? Is there a place that you find particularly magical and special? If so, explain what makes your place so important to you.
-The jars that Grandma Dollop has make it special.
-They have some of the endangered butterflies.
-Grandpa Bomba made the spot
-The tree that Sarah Jane's mom made
-They made a moat
-In Montana, at my Grandma and Grandpa's house, we have our own room of stuff to play with.
-I like Virginia because that's where a lot of my cousins are
-My special place is my bedroom because it's my place to be by myself sometimes
-Alaska because I have many relatives there
-I like going to my grandparents house because they have toys and an indoor pool
-The Newport Ice Skating Rink because I love to ice skate
Part of being a member of a “savvy” family is that “family rules said keep quiet” (p.4). Why is it so important that this “gift” remain a secret? What might be the consequences of others learning about the special savvies held by family members?
-They might try to hurt the family members in order to find out more
-If a newsreporter finds out, they might put it in a newspaper and everyone will know about it
-They might murder them to find out why they have a savvy
-Someone could trick them into doing something that they wouldn't normally do
-They may be taken in to study them and their genes
Consider the savvies of Ledger’s extended family; if you could select one of these, which one would you chose? What makes that particular gift appealing to you?
-Samson's invisibility because it would be good for hide and go seek
-I liked the mom in Ledger's family that could make anyone do whatever she wanted
-I would like to be like Rocket so when the power goes out, I can turn it back on
-I would control things with my hands and mind because I could scare people on Halloween
Ledger’s parents decide to leave him and his sister, Fedora, with Uncle Autry for a portion of the summer; what do you believe their motives are in doing so? Do you think they’ve made the right decision?
-I wouldn't have left him there because they were wary of having Ledger go to the wedding in the first place
-He wrecked the barn
Describe Sarah Jane. Do you find her to be a likeable character? Why or why not?
-Sometimes but sometimes not. She stole the jar.
-She's sassy
-She helped Ledger break into her dad's office
-She was so-so
Sarah Jane’s newspaper, the Sundance Scuttlebutt, is the source of much consternation on the part of her father. Why is he so determined to have Sarah Jane discontinue creating her work?
-Because her savvy is writing and he doesn't want her knowing about it.
What can be guessed about Samson Beaumont’s choice to use his savvy—why do you believe he rarely “shows himself” to anyone but Grandpa Bomba? What does his willingness to be visible at the end of the story indicate?
-He wanted to protect the butterfly house because Grandpa Bomba really liked it
-Samson isn't a child anymore
In what ways are Rocket and Ledger alike? How do these similarities interfere with their understanding of each other?
-They destroy stuff so it's hard on them. They need to learn to control it.
Ledger’s sense of worth is largely based on what he believes his family expects of him. What are some specific things he does to slowly begin to believe in himself? What lessons do you believe Ledger learns along his journey?
-When he goes to the salvage yard, he learns to rebuild the motorcycle that he wrecked
-He learned to scumble his savvy.
Please rate this book between 1 and 5, with 5 being the best.
-4
-3
-4 1/2
-4
-4 3/4
We will meet on Wednesday, March 2 at 3:00 p.m. for the next book club. We will be reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.
| "When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life." - summary |
Please pick up copies of this book at the Circulation Desk and be sure to register so that Miss Lisa knows how many people to expect.
