"My name is Mina"

"and I love the night. Anything
seems possible at night when the rest of the world
has gone to sleep."

That's the voice of Mina in the first two sentences of David Almond's (2010) prequel to his 1998 classic "Skellig". I absolutely loved this book! It's not for everyone. Like "Skellig" the word pieces sometimes seem disjointed, but be patient. In some ways this seems like a visionary primer on how to teach poets and artists. He creates an incredibly deep resonating tapestry that connects spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. "My name is Mina" is a beautifully constructed work of art. It's also probably too challenging for most readers...who may find themselves scratching their heads at the structure and some of his ideas on reincarnation and religion. The man is a genius and will probably never be read except by weirdos like me, book critics, and perhaps a few others. Coming soon to a remainder table near you. I seriously hope I'm wrong.

A quote from David Almond's book "My Name is Mina":

As we ate, Mum talked about birds and souls. She
said that some people believe the soul never dies, but
it moves from one body to another, even to the
bodies of animals. This is called the transmigration
of souls. It's a kind of rebirth, or reincarnation. She
talked about Plato and Hinduism and Buddhism.
She said that some people believe that if you have
not lived well you will be reborn as an insect, or
even as a vegetable.
"Or as a fruit?" I said, holding up my
banana.
"Yes, some people believe you could be reborn
as a banana. Or as a pea, or a Brussels
sprout."
I bit the banana.
"I wouldn't like to be a sprout. But a
banana! Imagine being such a color and having such
a taste!"
I bit the banana again. If there was a soul
inside it, would you taste it? Or was the soul's
taste the essence of banana-ness?
"Maybe good souls turn out bright and
tasty," I said. "And bad souls turn out being green
and yuck!"
"Maybe. Then raspberries, for instance, must
be very good souls. And if you became an insect,
what would a good soul be?"
"A dragonfly," I said. "Imagine being able
to do what a dragonfly does and look like a
dragonfly looks."
"Or a good soul could turn out to be a bee."
"To be a bee," I said. "To be a bee."
"And a bad soul?"
"A cockroach."
"A bluebottle."
I pondered.
"I'd quite like to be a bird," I said.
"I can imagine you as a bird." (pages 79-80)

Isn't his writing and ideas amazing! No one writes like this for children or adults!
All ages.