Scumble (2010) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

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• Ledger Kale: 13-year-old with new-found savvy to break things.
• Ledger "Ledge" Kale: Having just turned 13, Ledge discovers his Savvy.
• Fedora Kale: Ledger's little sister, very safety-conscious.
• Dinah O'Connell: Ledge's mom, can convince people to do anything with her dazzling smile.
• Thomas Kale: Ledge's dad. Has no savvy but can run very fast anyway.
• Rocket Beaumont: Ledge's cousin, still working to control his electrical savvy.
• Autry O'Connell: Ledge's uncle, owns a ranch and has a gift with insects.
• Mesquite O'Connell: Autry's daughter and Marisol's twin, has side-to-side telekinesis.
• Marisol O'Connell: Autry's daughter and Mesquite's twin, has up-and-down telekinesis.
• Bomba O'Connell: Ledge's grandfather, the family patriarch, can move the earth.
• Noble Cabot: Sarah Jane's father. Owns half the town, and loves foreclosing.
• Winona Neary: Mechanic and daughter of Gus Neary, sculptor in the medium of scrap metal.
• Gypsy Beaumont: Rocket's little sister, still savvy-less.
• Samson Beaumont: Rocket's brother, generally invisible.
• Mississippi Beaumont: Rocket's sister, hears ink on skin.
• Fisher Beaumont: Rocket's brother, makes storms, marrying Mellie Danzinger.
• Mellie Danzinger: Fisher's bride, floats.
• Julianna Payne: Ledge's great-aunt, travels back in time when sneezes.
• Fedora "Fe" Kale: Ledger's sister
• Sarah Jane Cabot: Obnoxious local girl who keeps trying to spill the beans about savvies through her stupid newspaper.
• Mississippi (Mibs): Ledger's cousin whose savvy allows her to hear thoughts through ink on the skin.
• Rocket: Add a description of this character.
• Fisher (Fish): Another one of Mibs' brothers who has power of the weather
• Samson: Another one of Mibs' siblings who can become invisible
• Gypsy: Mibs' sibling who is not 13 yet
• Tucker: Mibs' sibling
• Grandma: She had passed away but left music and radio broadcasts in jars that they family values
• Grandpa Bomba: The oldest member of the clan who is weak and loves his wife's jars of music created from her savvy
• Hedda: Maid for the Cabots
• Eva Mae: Ancestor to the savvy group
• Brown
• Beacham
• Jenny
• Alexandra
• Ryan
• Gus Neary: Owner of the junkyard

Quotes edit see section history

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• “I think he just had to learn to make some choices. (p. 393)”

  Ledger Kale

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• I pictured my cousin blowing out her birthday candles and sprouting pixie wings, shrinking down to the size of Thumbelina to spend the rest of her life living on a toadstool surrounded by dandelions and daisies, farting glitter and singing kumbaya.

  Highlighted by 44 Kindle customers

• “Some fears can be conquered, Ledge,” he went on after a lengthy silence. “Others have a way of coming back around. Sometimes at the moment you least expect. Often with the very worst possible timing. Fear makes it hard to think. And when you can’t think, it’s hard to figure out your choices. When you can’t see all your options, all you can do is react.”

  Highlighted by 37 Kindle customers

• My sister’s second-grade teacher had been a stickler for safety, and Fe carried her most memorable sayings inside her head, handing them out like toothbrushes on Halloween.

  Highlighted by 35 Kindle customers

• Fedora bounced like a jumping bean soaked forty days in Red Bull and then set out in the sun.

  Highlighted by 34 Kindle customers

• “When I turned thirteen,” Grandpa carried on, “my savvy opened a crack in the earth so deep, I fell in and conked my noodle on the earth’s very core. I was nearly a grown man before I found my way back up from the depths and the darkness. And the headache I got lasted years.”

  Highlighted by 32 Kindle customers

• No one knew which were true and which were super-sized servings of deep-fried baloney.

  Highlighted by 25 Kindle customers

• “Er . . . what kind of Harley?” I asked, flinching, pretty sure I already knew the answer. “I had a ’47 Knucklehead. Now I’ve got a kit.” She pointed over her shoulder toward the pile of dismantled pieces. My stomach felt like lead. Inside my chest, my heart hammered against my ribs: My fault. My fault. My fault.

  Highlighted by 20 Kindle customers

• Her eyes were as sharp and black as chiseled obsidian as they surveyed me.

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• “We have to stop now!” I announced. “Yeah, I’m dying here,” Fedora chimed in, straining against her seat belt. “My butt’s going to fall off and I’m thirsty. Ledge drank everything we had.”

  Highlighted by 20 Kindle customers

• Seeing Grandpa fumble through a football helmet full of useless lids was like watching someone eat crackers and call it cake.

  Highlighted by 19 Kindle customers

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Sundance, Wyoming
• Indiana
• Wall
• Scumbling
• Van
• Buffalo

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Scumble: To control one's savvy well enough that it does not harm others during emotional distress, and even becomes useful. Also a painting term for toning down a bright hue so that the picture is more harmonious.
• Savvy: A gift discovered on the 13th birthday of all Ledge's relations on his mother side. Can be amazing (telekinesis), dangerous (electrical discharge), or just plain strange (traveling back in time with every sneeze).

Series & Lists edit see section history

Preceded by Savvy.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Ingrid Law (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Children's Books › Literature › Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror › Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
• Books › Children's Books › People & Places › Family Life
• Books › Teens › Social Issues › Being a Teen
• Books › Children's Books › Ages 9-12