Mia Moves Out

by Miranda Paul, Paige Keiser (Illustrator)

Overview

A sweet sibling story about one fed-up big sister who wants to find a space of her own, perfect for fans of Ashley Spires's The Most Magnificent Thing.

Mia loved her big, bright room . . . until she had to share it with her new brother. With Brandon's toys, books, and even underwear taking up space, Mia has finally had it. "I'm moving out!" There are lots of new and interesting spaces she could settle into--the bathroom, the basement, even a pillow fort. But something is always missing. What could it be? Tackling the oh-so-relatable topic of finding a space of one's own, Mia will inspire siblings everywhere to work together as a team. Because sometimes the best place of all is a shared one.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399553349
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/16/2018
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	31 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Miranda Paul is an award-winning children's author. Her titles have received starred reviews from School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, in addition to being named to several recommended and "best of" reading lists. Miranda makes regular appearances at schools, libraries, and bookstores, and has been a guest presenter at the Library of Congress Young Readers Center. Miranda also serves as Mentorship chair for We Need Diverse Books(TM), volunteers for Books for Africa, and is a regional advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (Wisconsin chapter). She believes in working hard, having fun, and being kind. Learn more about her current and forthcoming titles at www.mirandapaul.com and follow her on Twitter at @Miranda_Paul.

Paige Keiser also moved out at age nine: she packed a bandanna, a pocketknife, and a peanut butter sandwich. She moved back in twenty minutes later. Paige is the illustrator of many picture books for kids. Visit her website at www.paigekeiser.com.

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2018
PreS-Gr 1—When little Mia moves into her own room for the first time, she's delighted. She decorates it with "Something big. Something bright. Something fun." After her baby brother Brandon comes along, she doesn't mind sharing at first; but as Brandon grows, so does the mess in the room. Fed up, Mia declares that she's "Moving out!…Forever." As she searches for a replacement space, she tries out the bathroom, the basement, and finally the pantry, but none of these places prove satisfactory. Finding temporary refuge in a reading nook, she realizes that she misses her little brother. Together, they create a fun play space in the yard. Keiser's cartoonish line-drawing illustrations capture an array of emotions, from Mia's worried face when her brother arrives, to more humorous expressions of frustration in the cramped pantry and delight when creating the outdoor space. VERDICT Though the original issue of shared space is never truly resolved, the importance of sibling friendship shines through nevertheless.—Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Library, Boston University

School Library Journal

2018-07-24

Mia makes a move when sharing space overwhelms her.

The opening text indicates that Mia is an adoptee: "When Mia moved in, Mom and Dad had a room ready for her." She makes the room her own, but then she must adjust to sharing it when a baby comes home. While Mom shares redheaded, pale-skinned Mia's coloring, baby Brandon looks more like Dad, with olive skin and black, straight hair. The text merely says he "arrived," which leaves open the possibility that he was adopted, too. At first, room-sharing is fun, but their room becomes increasingly messy. A climactic illustration depicts clutter and chaos overtaking a central spread, and Mia's frustrated declaration "I'm moving out!" appears in oversized, red type. Mia's move occurs within the house—first to the bathroom, then the basement, then the pantry, and so on. Each new space is unsuitable for some humorous reason. A nook fashioned of a blanket overhanging a bookcase seems ideal until Mia decides "it needed something." Brandon is that something, and together they create a big, open play-space outside. Never do they solve the indoor clutter problem, to which they'll presumably return, but this narrative gap recedes behind the pleasure of seeing adoptee characters confidently negotiating a sense of home and belonging.

Move this picture book onto the shelf. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews