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A review by iymain
Mimi by John Newman
4.0
I read this book because it came highly recommended by my eight-year-old. She was on to something, too.
With a tone reminiscent of Junie B. books, Mimi narrates her experience of life after her mother's death. Unlike Junie B. books, though, Mimi isn't annoying and her mistaken pronunciations and bits of confusion are legitimate in a little girl whose world has lost one of its moorings. It is told in a matter-of-fact way, complete with diary reading, bad jokes, embarrassing events and struggles with difficult kids at school.
Mimi has very human qualities that keep her from being a caricature like Junie B. I love it that even though she often misses the punch lines to her friend's jokes, she has her own sense of humor that is authentic and child like. (Her role playing as an old man, Dag, with her cousin who plays an old woman, Dig, are funny and quirky, and very believable, too.)
Mimi's struggles and triumphs make for a great plot. We also get elliptical portraits of how the rest of her family is dealing with the pain of losing a loved one. Her sister, Sally, becomes Goth and distant with a "dark secret" that also drives the story along. This is a sweet story about a family coming together to heal after a loss.
Initially I was disappointed (as I know my daughter was) that there aren't more of these books, like Junie B. (What number are they on now, anyway? Volume 124?) When I finished it however, the story was so neatly told and completely finished that I think it would be a disservice to write more. Or, if John Newman does write another one, he can't crank it out in serial form like the JB books. Books like this take time, thought and careful crafting and you can detect all of that when you read Mimi.
With a tone reminiscent of Junie B. books, Mimi narrates her experience of life after her mother's death. Unlike Junie B. books, though, Mimi isn't annoying and her mistaken pronunciations and bits of confusion are legitimate in a little girl whose world has lost one of its moorings. It is told in a matter-of-fact way, complete with diary reading, bad jokes, embarrassing events and struggles with difficult kids at school.
Mimi has very human qualities that keep her from being a caricature like Junie B. I love it that even though she often misses the punch lines to her friend's jokes, she has her own sense of humor that is authentic and child like. (Her role playing as an old man, Dag, with her cousin who plays an old woman, Dig, are funny and quirky, and very believable, too.)
Mimi's struggles and triumphs make for a great plot. We also get elliptical portraits of how the rest of her family is dealing with the pain of losing a loved one. Her sister, Sally, becomes Goth and distant with a "dark secret" that also drives the story along. This is a sweet story about a family coming together to heal after a loss.
Initially I was disappointed (as I know my daughter was) that there aren't more of these books, like Junie B. (What number are they on now, anyway? Volume 124?) When I finished it however, the story was so neatly told and completely finished that I think it would be a disservice to write more. Or, if John Newman does write another one, he can't crank it out in serial form like the JB books. Books like this take time, thought and careful crafting and you can detect all of that when you read Mimi.