Saffy's Angel facts for kids
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| Author | Hilary McKay |
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| Illustrator | Liselotte Watkins (UK) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Casson Family |
| Genre | Novel |
| Published | 13 June 2002 Hodder |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 224 pp |
| Followed by | Indigo's Star |
Saffy's Angel is an exciting book by Hilary McKay. It's the first story in the popular Casson Family series. This book is all about a quirky and artistic family and their everyday adventures. It has been enjoyed by many readers around the world. The story has even been translated into many different languages! You can also listen to it as an audiobook, read by Julia Sawalha. The audiobook even won a special award called the AudioFile Earphones Award.
Contents
Discovering Saffy's Angel
This section tells you about the main events in the book.
A Family Secret Revealed
The story starts with Saffron, a girl who loves colors. She is looking for her name on a color chart in her house. While she is busy, a health visitor checks on her new baby sister, Rose. The visitor finds Rose sucking on paint tubes, which is a bit messy!
Saffron then learns a big secret. She finds out she was adopted by Bill and Eve. Her birth mother, who was Eve's sister, sadly passed away in a car accident. Saffron feels very sad about this news. But her loving family is there to comfort her.
Rose's Art and Grandfather's Gifts
The story jumps forward to when Rose is six years old. Rose starts school and draws her first picture. Her teacher puts it on the wall, but Rose gets upset. She convinces her brother, Indigo, to steal it. Then, her sister Caddy draws a new one to replace it!
Soon after, Saffron, Indigo, Rose, and Caddy's grandfather visits. He is a special part of their lives. Caddy also has another tricky driving lesson. She tells her instructor, Michael, about failing all her school exams.
A Mysterious Inheritance
After their grandfather passes away, he leaves something special for each child.
- Caddy gets his property in Wales.
- Indigo receives his car.
- Saffron is left his stone angel from the garden.
- Rose inherits his money.
After the will is read, Bill, the father, heads back to London. Saffron runs after him and meets Sarah. Sarah is a girl who uses a wheelchair and lives nearby.
New Friends and a Trip to Siena
Caddy has another driving lesson. Meanwhile, Saffron visits Sarah's house. She meets Sarah's mother, Mrs. Warbeck, who is a headmistress. Sarah gets an idea to visit Siena, a city in Italy. Saffron believes her stone angel might be there.
Sarah convinces her parents to take her to Siena during the school term. Sarah's mother starts to trust Saffron and Sarah. She lets them explore the town together. They meet some girls who have nose piercings. Sarah wants one too and persuades Saffron to get one. Sarah gets into trouble when her mother finds out. But Saffron's family loves her new nose ring!
The Search Continues
Caddy spreads her revision books everywhere to study hard. Sarah perfects her plan to sneak Saffron into Siena in her car. Saffron's siblings convince her to go along with it. Caddy passes her written driving test. Saffron then heads off to Siena with Sarah's family.
They arrive in Siena, and Sarah's family finds out about Saffron being there partway through the trip. Mrs. Warbeck, Sarah, and Saffron search for the stone angel. They find a locked door and feel very disappointed.
Saffron calls home and talks to her mother. Caddy is still studying hard. Rose is busy with her art, and Indigo is trying to overcome his fears. Saffron and Sarah keep trying to find the angel. On their last day, they meet Saffron's old neighbor. The neighbor tells Saffron that her grandfather took the stone angel away a long time ago, when he brought Saffron home.
Meanwhile, Caddy takes her driving test. Rose and Indigo decide to look for Saffy's angel in the "Banana House" back home.
The Angel Found!
Caddy is surprised to find she passed her driving test. She is a bit sad because she won't have lessons with Michael anymore. But Indigo and Rose convince Caddy to drive to Wales. They want to find Saffy's angel, Indigo's car, and Caddy's house. Indigo has a clever idea!
On the way, Rose holds up funny signs to help Caddy with her nervous driving. When they arrive in Wales, they find Caddy's house surrounded by barbed wire and a "Keep Out" sign. But they climb over and find Indigo's wrecked car. Inside the car, there's a chest nailed shut! They return home to find Saffy and Sarah back from Siena.
Bill, the father, has also arrived home. Saffron and the family explain everything to him. Bill opens the box and finds Saffy's stone angel, but it's in pieces. Saffron is still thrilled to have found the box! Caddy is going to university in London because she passed all her exams. Before she leaves, Caddy finds the perfect glue and paint. She carefully puts Saffy's angel back together just before she goes.
Saffy realizes that she truly belongs with the Casson family. She learns that there's no place like home.
Meet the Casson Family
Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in the book.
- Saffron Casson - She is the main character and the second oldest child. Saffron is actually Indigo, Rose, and Caddy's cousin. She becomes best friends with Sarah. Saffron's big goal is to find her special angel.
- Indigo Casson - He is the only boy in the Casson family. Indigo loves to cook unusual meals when his mom forgets to buy food. He dreams of being an Arctic explorer. But first, he needs to overcome his fear of heights!
- Rose Casson - She is the youngest of the Casson children. Rose is incredibly talented at art. She also knows just how to get her parents to do what she wants.
- Cadmium Casson - Caddy is the oldest of the Casson kids. She has had many driving lessons! Caddy is also very fond of her driving instructor, Michael.
- Eve Casson - She is the mother of the Casson family. Eve often spends time in her garden shed, drawing pictures for anyone who asks. She can be quite forgetful because she gets so lost in her art. She always worries about her children when they are out.
- Bill Casson - He is the father of the Casson family. Bill is very different from the rest of his family. He is stylish, cool, and calm. Bill often works in his neat studio in London, away from the family's mess.
- Sarah Warbeck - She is Saffron's neighbor who uses a wheelchair. Saffron and her family had not paid much attention to Sarah before. But Sarah and Saffron quickly become best friends. Sarah goes to a private school where her mother is the headmistress. Sarah is very good at convincing her parents to do things.
- Michael - He is Caddy's driving instructor. To encourage Caddy to learn, Michael makes up a pretend girlfriend named Diane. Later in the books, Michael and Caddy realize they like each other.
Awards for Saffy's Angel
This amazing book has won some cool awards!
- 2002 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year
- Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
- ALA Notable Book
- School Library Journal Best Book of 2002
