Saffy's Angel (Casson Family, #1)
Hilary McKay
The four Casson children, whose mother, Eve, is a fine-arts painter, have all been given the names of paint colors. Cadmium (Caddy), is the eldest; then Saffron (Saffy); Indigo, the only boy; and Rose, the youngest. When Saffy discovers quite by accident that she has been adopted, she is deeply upset, though the others assure her that it makes no difference at all. Saffy is the daughter of Eve's twin sister, who lived in Siena, Italy, and died in a car crash. Grandad brought Saffy, as a very small child, back from Siena. At Grandad's death he leaves something to each of the children. To Saffy, it is "her angel," although no one knows its identity. How Saffy discovers what her angel is, with the help of an energetic new friend, lies at the heart of this enchanting story. Unforgettable characters come alive in often deeply humorous and always absorbing events to be treasured for a long, long time.
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Saffron (Saffy) Casson is part of a unique artistic family; there is her older sister Caddy (short for Cadmium), her older brother Indigo, and her younger sister Rose. One day, after eight-year-old Saffy searches and searches for her name on the color chart like her brother and sisters, Saffy learns the truth about how she came to live in the Banana House in England. Fast forward a few years and meet the now older tween Saffy who is struggling to fit in with her adoptive family and fighting the feeling that she just does not belong. Over time, Saffy goes on a journey to find not only herself, but her angel that she believes is in her hometown of Siena, Italy.
This is a cute book about a quirky family. Saffy is a strong character who is in search of her true identity. Even though the book is titled Saffy’s Angel, it is just as much about the other three Casson children as it is about Saffy. I felt that, at times, because the book was divided up into portions about all four of the Casson children, I never really got to delve deep into any one child before it started me off on another. Sometimes, this left me disappointed. Otherwise, I really enjoyed reading about the Casson family, and I am glad to see that McKay has continued their story in other books.
I think that this would be a great choice for library book clubs as well as a fantastic recommendation for tween girls to read. It deals with family relationships, adoption, and growing up; all topics that I think tweens will relate to and enjoy. Not only that, but the Casson family is so unique it is hard to not get involved!
Awards: ALA Notable Children's Books: 2003, Hawaii: Nene Award Nominees: 2004, Kentucky: Bluegrass Award Nominees: 2004, Maine: Student Book Award Nominees: 2004, New Hampshire: Great Stone Face Award Nominees: 2004, Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Award Nominees: 2005, Wyoming: Indian Paintbrush Award Nominees: 2005.
Characters: Saffy, Caddy, Indigo, Rose, Eve, Sarah.
Series: Followed by Indigo Star, Permanent Rose, Caddy Ever After, and Forever Rose.
Subjects: Adoption, Artists, Brothers and sisters, Contemporary fiction, England, Italy.
References: Book information and award information retrieved from www.bwibooks.com. Accessed on October 4, 2011.
Saffy’s Angel. (2002, May 1). Retrieved October 4, 2011, from Kirus Reviews.
Hilary McKay. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://www.hilarymckay.co.uk/.
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