Mckay, Hilary. Saffy’s Angel. McElderry (2003). ISBN-10: 0689849346

Plot Summary

In Saffy’s Angel, we are introduced to the four Casson children, all named after paint colors by their mother Eve. Eve is an artist who spends much of her “single parent” time in a shed behind the house. Their father, Bill, is absent for much of the time. Cadmium (Caddy) is the eldest who struggles with her exams and has a crush on her driving instructor. Indigo, the only boy, watches over his “pack” of sisters and is fearful of heights, but he continually forces himself to face his fears. Saffron (or Saffy), the middle daughter, makes friends easily and later discovers, by chance, that she is adopted. The youngest daughter, Rose, is the budding artist and the most profound. Following their grandfather’s death, and the reading of his will, the children discover that they have inherited a house, a car, some money, and in Saffy’s case, a stone angel in the garden. When Saffy realizes that her stone angel is in Italy, she heads there with the help of her friend Sarah. And, the other children become inspired to search for their inheritances too.

Critical Evaluation

This is perhaps the best of Hilary McKay’s stories. Nominated Boston Globe-Horn Book Award 2002, it went on to win the Whitbread Children’s Book Award of the Year 2003. I certainly know why! This book is filled with nutty characters (the parents), humorous antics, and strange family interactions.

Reader's Annotation

The four Casson children are all named after paint colors, thanks to their mother Eve.

About the Author

Hilary McKay was born in Lincolnshire, England in 1959. Because her parents would not allow television in their home, books were always a big part of McKay’s family growing up. Authors such as Enid Blyton, E. Nesbit, L.M. Montgomery, Mark Twain and Louisa May Alcott influenced Mckay’s love of literature. During her lifetime, she worked various jobs like cleaning holiday cottages and painting pictures to sell to tourists. She eventually trained as a scientist earning a double degree in Zoology and Botany at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland.

Hilary’s first foray into writing children’s books began after a friend commented on her knowledge of books and that she might consider writing one of her own. Success came in 1992 when McKay won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award for The Exiles as an outstanding work of children’s fiction published in the previous year. Today, she is an award winning British author with over 35 books published.

Genre

Realistic Fiction

Curriculum Ties

Language Arts, Social Science

Booktalking Ideas

The Casson children are all named after paint colors. All of them except Saffron, or Saffy for short. When Saffy discovers that she is adopted, she feels lost. But, when her grandfather dies, his will is read, and Saffy learns of her stone angel. There’s only one problem…the stone angel is in Italy! To find out what happens with Saffy and the other Casson children, read Hilary McKay’s Saffy’s Angel.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 8-12

Reason for Book Selection

This book tackles the topic of adoption, which is difficult for many children to deal with, especially those at Saffy’s age. The story adds a lot of humor, which certainly helps to lighten the mood.