Now here’s a girl after my own heart: My Name Is Mina

My Name Is Mina by David Almond; published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, New York; 2010.

Nine year old Mina keeps a journal.  What was once a blank book by her bedside is quickly filled with observations of life from her perch in a tree.  After some defiant outbursts at school, her widowed mother has decided to homeschool her.  Mum offers loving nudges in one direction or another, but for the most part, Mina is exploring the world through her extraordinary writing and observation skills.  Although the book appears to be about nothing in particular, by the end Mina’s growth is apparent.  Maybe she’s ready to step back into the world of school and friendships.

I really don’t know how to describe this book.  Like Mina, it was extraordinary.  Almond’s inclusion of “extraordinary activity” suggestions blew me away; I can think of dozens of patrons and former students that would jump at the opportunity to read a book that challenges them to try things Mina tried; to think outside the norm.  Expressing Mina’s growth through observations, poems and short stories is remarkable.  I did feel like I was reading a diary found under a mattress.
So, who will read this?  It is certainly not a book that will appeal to the general population.  However, there are so many children, girls in particular, who feel isolated and are looking for characters like them.  Well, as Mina discovers at the end of the book, to make friends you only have to introduce yourself.  Hello, my name is Mina.

By the way, this book is promoted as the prequel to Skellig.  I did not read that book.  This one stands on its own as realistic fiction.  Don’t let the “prequel” or the “fantasy” terms prevent you from reading or recommending this book!

For more information about the books or the author, and resources that include audio excerpts, visit http://www.davidalmond.com/.

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