June 20, 2011
Irish author Newman's first solo effort and U.S. debut will win readers' hearts through the conversational tone and openhearted observations of elementary schoolâaged narrator Mimi, whose mother died 149 days earlier (she is counting) after being hit by a bus. Mimi's life has settled into something of a routine, with Mimi drawing comfort from her extended family and grandparents, but it's not enough: Mimi's family is falling down around her. Her father burns pizza every night for dinner; laundry and groceries have fallen by the wayside; Mimi does not brush her teeth, is late for school, and only does her homework on Wednesdays; and her older siblings, Sally and Conor, barely talk to Mimi or each other. Newman ably conveys a family hanging together by a thread; that Mimi, who is Chinese, is adopted is nearly incidental to the plotâuntil a climactic scene in which she stands up to a school bully. Closing chapters, set six months after the rest of the book's events, provide just enough hope to reassure readers without minimizing the struggles the family has overcome. Ages 8â10.