MIA

An intrepid mouse deals with family dynamics.

In this follow-up to Jennings’ children’s novel Mia: Ripples in the Water (2019), Mia is back with her family of anthropomorphized mice in Italy. She takes part in the daily gathering of food, cooperates with her brothers, Cade and Rupert, and copes with the hostility and jealousy from another group of siblings led by her sister, Invidia. The book opens with an incident in the marketplace, where the mice escape a cat and the attentions of the merchants whose crumbs they steal. Papino and Mamma enjoy their family, though the conflicts between some of their children are evident. When Mia loses track of one of Papino’s old diaries, Invidia hides the work and allows her sister to think it is lost. Invidia then tells Mia that Papino has said he can never forgive a child who loses one of his books. Mia, who has no idea that Papino’s reaction was the opposite, decides she is unworthy of her family and runs away. At first, the family thinks Mia has joined the rescue efforts as the mouse community grapples with the aftermath of a major earthquake. But when Cade and Rupert arrive at the spot where rescue workers are organizing, they realize Mia is missing. Invidia, who tagged along on their journey, makes a new friend among the survivors who inspires her to repair her relationship with Mia. Mia has been on her own journey of self-discovery, and when she encounters Cade and Rupert, she is ready to return home, sure that Papino loves her despite her mistakes. In Jennings’ engrossing sequel, Invidia and Mia are both strong characters, and the conflict between them feels authentic (“Invidia and her group…spent most of their time gossiping and taunting others. Mia was their favorite target. Jealousy toward her took root from the attention she received from Papino”). The frequent references to Mia’s previous escapades may seem excessive to readers who have not perused the series opener, but they will have no trouble following the story here. This vibrant blend of the spirit of the Redwall fiction series and the Ramona Quimby novels will likely appeal to young independent readers.

An engaging protagonist overcomes sibling conflicts and finds adventure.