Saucy by Cynthia Kadohata

Saucy, a smart, obstreperous, and very large pig tests the patience of the parents and the coherence of a set of quadruplets.

Saucy by Cynthia Kadohata. Atheneum, 2020, 284 pages. Illustrated by Marianna Raskin

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-12

While Becca and her three brothers were still newborns their grandpa wrote them a Serious Letter—made more serious by Grandpa’s cancer, which took him away before they could know him. His message was to

figure out what you were supposed to do, because it would make you feel better than just about anything else would. Also, if you figured out that you were a bad person, you must figure out how to make yourself a good person before you grew up.

Becca believes she’s failed on both accounts. Unlike Bailey (the sensitive one with cerebral palsy), Jammer (the hockey star) or K.C. (the science nerd searching for evidence that we’re living in a computer simulation), Becca has no clue what she’s supposed to do. And she fears she’s not a good person either. When her best McKenzie’s mom went to jai last year, the whole class shunned McKenzie. And to her shame, Becca did too. How can she become good?

The answer presents itself during one of her family’s evening walks. In the hedge by the sidewalk they find a very sick baby pig. The poor creature’s plight goes straight to Becca’s heart. They have to save the pig! And once the crisis is past, they have to adopt her.

Three facts about pigs: they are very intelligent and very destructive. And they grow very fast, reaching a weight of 600 pounds before you know it. Becca’s parents display superhuman patience with their daughter’s determination to keep Saucy no matter what, in spite of the food budget shot, the garden uprooted, and Dad working overtime to pay the extra bills. More patient than I would have been—Becca got on my nerves, frankly, but eventually she faces reality. Saucy is a fun read about an exceptionally close family, but you may never feel the same about bacon.

Consideration:

• The question, What makes a good person? could lead to some fruitful discussions.
• The family has no religious affiliation, but Becca is drawn to Buddhist meditation.

Overall Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: see our take on two other books by this award-winning author: The Thing about Luck and Checked.
• Reviews: For other books about loveable but challenging animals, see our reviews of Fenway and Hattie, Sled Dog School, and Panda-monium.

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