Mimi

by John Newman, Maria Rosich Andreu (Translator)

Mimi’s life is off the rails since the sudden loss of her mother. What will it take to pull her and her family together? A spot-on, witty, and genuinely moving novel.

One hundred and forty-nine days ago, Mimi’s mam died. Everyone’s given up. Dad keeps burning pizzas, and he doesn’t smile anymore. Sally wears only black now and has a terrible secret. Conor plays the drums all night and keeps the neighbors awake. The dog, Sparkler, hasn’t been walked in months. And that’s not even counting how terrible things are at school. But Mimi isn’t one to give up. In his solo novel debut, John Newman has crafted a story both touching and comic— a portrait of loss, compassion, and the power that comes from sticking together.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Death, Family, Childrens, Contemporary, Grief

185 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2010

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mimi hace un año que ha perdido a su madre en un fortuito accidente; del cual su familia no se ha recuperado. Mientras que ella (hija mediana de tres) es la cara de la situación, intentándolo llevar lo mejor posible, su hermana Sally es la cruz y se aleja de todo y todos. Por ello, Mimi indaga en su diario a escondidas a la vez que vigila a su padre y procurara tener a su hermano pequeño Connor ocupado.

Esta obra middle grade, parte con un argumento dramático realista, como es la desaparición de un pilar integrante de la familia y lo que conlleva su ausencia, para retratar y mostrar a los más jóvenes el drama realista y caprichoso de la vida algunas, veces. Está redactado en primera persona a través de una protagonista adolescente, y su voz narrativa no desentona. A través de ella, la protagonista narrará sus avatares en casa, la escuela y con sus familiares.
La novela contiene tres partes muy diferenciales. Una principal, en la que se nos explica el discurrir diario tras la defunción, con las observaciones de Mimi, la del nudo, con una desaparición (para dar un vuelco a los acontecimientos y poner algo de tensión al asunto), y un epílogo- final algo edulcorado para mi gusto, pero que quiere exponernos que “todo, pasado un tiempo, sino vuelve a su cauce, se repara y avanza en cierta medida”.

Es un libro muy correcto, de casi 200 páginas, que está orientado a su fácil lectura y comprehensión del problema; pero que no aporta mucha cosa nueva a un tema que está más lograda o redactada con “más ángel” en otros similares.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did like SO much about this heartbreaking near-perfect novel for the MG crowd. My only problem was Mimi, and since she is the main character, that kind of a big problem.

I have no idea how old Mimi is. If I were guessing, I'd say around 10, but at times she acts very young -- younger than my six-year-old son -- and at other times she acts like she might be around 12. Since I couldn't get a clear picture of Mimi, I couldn't get a clear voice for Mimi, and that murkiness flaws the otherwise near-perfect writing.

I gave this book four stars because of how beautifully the very difficult topics of death and the continuation of life were handled.

[Colby Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things I loved about this book:

1. Mimi reading her sister's diary
2. Her sister knowing that she was reading it
3. That it takes place across the pond
4. The growth in all the characters
5. I loved when Mimi told off the bully

Don't miss this book. I'm guessing that it would make a great addition to your classroom or school library.

[Kelly Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book with my daughter for her school required reading list, she loved it! Such a sweet and sad story all at the same time.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A student recommended this book to me. It was good but very sad. It involves the loss of a mother and how a family copes with this loss.

[Sally Schellenberger]

Mimi written by John Newman. This book is very unique, it shows good traits and life lessons that can make an impact. This book has a very interesting plot and loveable characters. If you are looking for a happy and sad book this is definitely for you.
In my opinion the title wasn't that great. It was just the main character's name which didn't have any meaning to the book. besides her name. I believe the book is missing a back story about her mother.This story takes place in a small town where a family is coping with the loss of a loved one.
The Style of the book shows a lot of sadness. Their dad is depressed because of his wife's death. So he doesn't care for his children. So there are mostly conflicts against the dad not doing any work. The characters got a little upset sometimes because of the bad decisions that they were doing, but I think they fit the role of each character.
Mimi. She's the main character, so it's her point of view. That shows us that we are seeing everything from her perspective, just a girl with a family who has to go through some really tough things. At the ending of the book it is not perfect and has a happy ending.
I think anybody would really like to read this book. It has good details, has a good theme, and never gets boring at all. You should definitely read this book.
Published August 1, 2010, by Walker & Company.

[Hera Diani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a book approaches you, and at the perfect time. This one did just that when I wasn't looking for a particular read. I was drawn to it at a children library yesterday, thinking it was a graphic novel from the look of the cover. It's not and I got hooked immediately. Had to leave after reading only half of it, but thankfully it's available on Kindle so I read the rest of it at home. I bawled, and smiled, and bawled some more. It's both heartbreaking and heartwarming only a good children book can do. With loads of dry British (or Irish) humor, it helped clearing some of the clouds on a particularly gloomy day(s).

[Carolina Ramírez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es literatura infantil pero un adulto también la puede disfrutar. Hay muchos datos que están implicitos y que puedes ir descubriendo en la medida que vas leyendo. Por ejemplo, que Mimi es adoptada.
Creo que leerlo desde una perspectiva de madre es igual o más triste que leerlo como hijo. Lo disfruté mucho, me parece una lectura liviana y entretenida para cualquier edad (me encantó que Mimi no entendiera los chistes de Orla)

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this YA book because my son’s 6th grade class was reading it and he was really enjoying it.
What a fun book! It was fun to go back to my tween years as I could see me and my friends in Mimi and Orla.
If you have a YA in your life I recommend this book.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle-grade sobre el luto, muy buena lectura para alguien de esas edades que esté pasando por algo parecido. Aunque no sea el caso también es muy interesante ver cómo afecta algo así a los diferentes miembros de la familia.

[Alycia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for middle readers, especially ones who like dark and sad books about real topics, like your mom getting run over by a bus.

[Joanna Glaze · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was sad but happy at the same time! I don't even know how to explain how good this book was! SUPER AMAZING!!

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart warming, yet heart wrenching, story of a young girl's family and their bounce back from tragedy.

[Egypt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have read this and quite enjoyed it, but i’ll give it a second go as it’s been more than 10 years since.

[Maeve Cowger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mimi by John Newman. When I first heard the name I thought it was going to be about some grandma, but I learned it was much more. This book is very unique, it shows good traits and life lessons that can make an impact. This book shows an interesting plot and the characters have a great back story. If you are looking for a happy and sad book this is definitely for you, and I have a few reasons why.
First, I am going to start off with the little details in the book. The title, in my opinion, wasn't that effective. It was just the main character's name which didn't have a big meaning to the book. In the story, it revolves around how her mother past away ( in every chapter is said how many days it had been since she died) So I think the book is missing a whole back story about her mom. Like how it was before all of the stuff happened. This story takes place in a small town where a family is coping with the loss of a loved one.
What about the story itself? The tone or style of the author shows a lot of sadness it is kind of depressing. There is for sure a conflict, I think it is man vs man because it shows a conflict between the kids and their dad. Their dad is depressed because of his wife's death. So he doesn't do anything anymore to help his children. So there are mostly conflicts against the dad not doing any work. The characters got a little upsetting sometimes because of the bad decisions that they were doing, but I think they fit the role of each character. The dad is the one who made me really mad because of how he treats his life all he made was burnt pizza, he sat in a chair all day, didn't clean up after himself, and he wasn't taking care of his children.
Mimi. She's the main character, so it's her point of view. That shows us that we are seeing everything from her perspective, just a little girl with a family who has to go through some really hard things. This book really intrigued me because it was never boring. Even at the beginning of the book, I was interested. I can't relate to any of this book really, which might be a good thing but it still has a big meaning. At the ending of the book, it is indeed satisfying. Although it is not perfect is has a happy ending, just like in real life. Life won't be always perfect but there is always one solution to something.
This book gets a good review from me and I think anybody would really enjoy this book. It has good details, shows a good theme, and never gets boring. You should definitely read this book, you will be amazed from the inside.
Published August 1, 2010, by Walker & Company.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent novel both for elementary school children and adults about coping with the loss of a loved one. Although Mimi has a happy ending, as you would expect in children's book, I didn't feel like the author was attempting to sugar-coat anything or magically pull a happily-ever-after out. Although the ending is happy, I don't feel as though Newman was promising a quick fix; rather he conveyed, particularly by initially marking the chapters as days after Mimi's mother's death, the long slow struggle for adjustment and the eventual light at the end of the tunnel. Mimi was written in a candid, realistic way that doesn't "talk down" to children, but which is also hopeful.

It was also clear that Newman has an understanding of children (likely because he teaches elementary school), their feelings, and quirks. There was enough humor in Mimi that made me crack a smile that I wasn't bogged down with the seriousness of the main topic.

As a last random note, I thought it was interesting that Mimi is actually is an adopted Chinese-Irish girl, but that this is only referenced obliquely a few times in the novel until the very end. Personally, I think that it's a good thing that there could be a story out there with a protagonist that is not only adopted, but of a different race than her adoptive family, and not have it be the Issue of the novel.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her family reeling after her mother’s unexpected death five months previous, Mimi struggles with her unwelcome new reality.

There’s a lot to like about this import from Ireland. Mr. Newman manages a pretty dark subject in a way that’s accessible to children without sugarcoating anything. Mimi’s family is a mess: her father has shut down, her older sister has gone goth, and her brother’s taken to locking himself in his room and playing the drums late into the night. And then there’s Mimi, no longer doing homework, mocked for crying in school, counting the days since her mother’s death, and trying to make the best of the situation.

One other great detail: Mimi is Chinese and adopted. It’s a small part of the book, and Mr. Newman did a great job of not making it a big deal.

That said, Mimi’s a bit all over the place agewise. Sometimes she reads at around seven or eight, other times closer to ten or 11. I’m still not sure what age she is.

The bigger problem is the narrative feels like a whole section of the book was removed. There’s a jump in time from the family having a mini crisis to six months later and everything being fine. That jump omits the very part that matters in a story like this: the family coming together and healing. We get the beginning and the end of that journey, but not the middle. It’s a very weird decision. Quasi-recommended.

[Ryoka Hirasawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Share Assignment

Directions: When you finish typing this, copy and paste your answers into Goodreads.com. Enter it in the “Review” section for your book.

1.) Book Title: Mimi

2.) Author: John Newman

3.) Total pages: 186

4.) Rating (1-5 stars): Four

5.) Two-three sentence summary: Mimi is a girl who lost her mom. Her dad, brother, and sister are sad, so she is trying to make them happy. One day Mrs. Lemon, who usually gives Mimi some free-snack finds that Mimi’s sister, Sally stole some stationery from Mrs. Lemon’s shop. Then Sally run away. Whole family even her brother, Conor who doesn't talk much with anyone try to find Sally. Taking this opportunity, their bond deepens.

6.) Favorite character and why or favorite scene and why (at least 4-5 sentences): My favorite character would be Orla who is Mimi’s best friend. After Mimi’s mom dead, many Mimi’s friends leave from Mimi because of Sarah who tease Mimi. However only Orla stays MImi. Orla is so clever and courageous.

7.) Blurb (a one-sentence description that you would see on a book cover; for example: “A page-turner--be sure to wear your seatbelt while reading this!”) A portrait of loss, compassion, and the power that comes from sticking together.

[Lubianka Carrillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is about a girl named Mimi who lives in Boston with her dad, sister, brother and her grandma and grandpa live two blocks away from her house. There is problem that Mimi is facing and problem is that her mom died and know she feels alone. Even if she has a sister her sister has changed since her mom died she turned into a goth. My opinion about this book is that its a good book and sad because her mom died. My evidence for my opinion is on page i on paragraph 5 which says " Mrs.Lemon has been giving me free sweets every day since mammy died. The person who should read this book is my elementary school teacher named Ms.Aaron. Another of my opinion about this book is that its very powerful and wonderful.

[María Greene F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me encantó cómo partió, aunque es un poco duro... encontré que estaba bien escrito, que podía tomar de una manera inteligente temas difíciles y que además había personajes adorables. Por ejemplo, la amiga de Mimi, la protagonista, es bacán :)

El final encontré que fue más torpe, lindo poco forzado, por la manera en que esá escrito, y tampoco me causó gracia que molestaran tanto a la abuela por ser gordita... pero, en resumen, el libro fue un aporte para mí. Aunque fuera para niños/adolescentes. Hay temas que son universales y siempre es interesante ver cómo son abordados.

No en vano dicen los religiosos que Jesús hablaba en parábolas. A todos nos gustan las historias sencillas.

[Susan Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet little book. 149 days ago, Mimi's mother died. Since then it's been a hard adjustment for her father and older siblings, as well as the rest of her close extended family. Mimi's dad makes frozen pizza every night (and always burns it), her siblings are off in their own worlds, and no one is paying attention to whether or not Mimi is doing her homework or brushing her teeth. It takes a crisis for the family to finally pull together again.

I highly recommend listening to this one - the author is Irish, so the narrator reads the book that way. Fun!

[Emilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was something rather heartbreaking about this book. The way the family fell apart was so simply and honestly told that I couldn't help but be moved. The matter-of-fact perspective as well as the constant reminder that life continues on each day combined for a powerful effect. There was something a little disturbing about it, but perhaps that's because as an adult reader I realized some of the problems more than the protagonist did.

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hesitated for quite a number of minutes before clicking on 4 stars. I ended up liking this book, but it was so relentlessly sad for the first half, that I would've abandoned it had it not been a book I have to review. While it was hard to read, it was a perfect portrait of a family immobilized by grief. The sunny colors of the cover belies what a sad book this is, but if you will notice, there is a hole in the middle of the portraits.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up in the Juvenille section of the library the other day, and it was a GOOD READ. It had a few swear words, so I wouldn't let a young child read it. There are also some heavy issues addressed in it such as death, bullying, and stealing. My favorite part about this book is that the family is so supportive of each other during the first year after Mimi's mother died. It's written from a young girl's point of view, which is really cute.

[CeinwenHB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet novel from the perspective of a young girl. Despite her happy-go-lucky nature her family is struggling; her mother has recently died in a bicycle accident leaving her family in destitute, her dad has stopped caring, her sister experiences major mood swings and her brother finds solace in drumming really loudly at one in the morning.
It's a great book that deals with loss, family and trying to fit I .

[Ronni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Youngest sibling Mimi has to simultaneously cope with being in primary school and her mom's unexpected death. Mimi and her immediate family members grieve and the extended family members support them. You'd expect this to be more depressing than it is. Well done, Mr. Newman. Hovers between kid and YA shelves.

[Jennifer Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story about a young girl, Mimi, and how she and her family deal with their grief over the death of their mother. And it takes place in Ireland, which just makes it better. A gentle, sweet story that is not overly sad, but hopeful as the family deals with their emotions and tries to move forward.

[Annette Gonzales · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I would like this book, but it just fell flat in so many ways for me. It's a good concept with disappointing execution - but a less critical, younger reader than I would likely enjoy the story.