Adventures with Waffles

March 16, 2015
This heartfelt and humorous debut novel comes to the U.S. having received award attention abroad and spawned a television show in the author’s native Norway. Trille considers his classmate Lena his best friend (“There isn’t really any such thing as an ordinary day when you’ve got a... friend like Lena”), but she’s too free-spirited to think of their relationship in those terms. The episodic novel follows the friends as they make mischief together—playing Christmas music in June for money on the street, for example, or pretending they are spies while riding on Trille’s grandfather’s moped. “You and Lena never do the same thing twice,” exclaims Trille’s father after the busking incident. “You only come up with more insanity!” Trille and Lena’s warm friendship recalls that of Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi and Tommy, though Parr does engage in serious issues, too. Lena’s hunt for a father (her mother is her only family) often has Trille considering his own close-knit family, and the loss of Trille’s grandmother and his shared grief with his grandfather are tenderly and authentically treated. Forrester’s handsome b&w silhouette-style images open each brief chapter. Ages 7–9.

March 1, 2015

Gr 3-5-In this delightful Norwegian import, two friends, a boy nicknamed Trille and his best friend, Lena, get into some hair-raising, frequently hilarious, and, sometimes, injury-inducing escapades over the course of a year. Narrated by Trille in a realistically childlike, first-person voice, the novel is fresh and fast-paced. While readers will chuckle at the friends' adventures-and marvel at their chutzpah-their mouths will also water at the frequency with which waffles, clearly a popular Norwegian treat, figure into the story. Children will relate to Trille's anxiety about whether he is Lena's best pal, a worry extinguished in a final, harrowing episode that, fortunately, ends well. Silhouettes, featured on the charming cover, also highlight chapter openings and provide a cozy, friendly feel. Readers may occasionally be put off by Lena's portrayal as too proud, stubborn, and reckless for her own good, but they'll appreciate her resourcefulness and strength of character anyway. Purchasers should note some religious overtones and Christian references. VERDICT Recommended for public and school libraries, this will be useful as supplementary material in units about day-to-day life in another country.-Carol Goldman, Queens Library, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2015
Next-door neighbors in a small Norwegian town share mishaps and mischief.Spanning a year in their lives, this lively tale details the escapades of Trille and his neighbor, Lena. Through the voice of pragmatic 9-year-old Trille, Parr deftly portrays her narrator's earnestness and Lena's insouciance as together the friends carry out their schemes with often humorous and occasionally regrettable results. Though they live in quiet Mathildewick Cove, the friends' dynamic imaginations lead to several exhilarating-and a few precarious-escapades, which range from seafaring ventures to a mountainside helicopter rescue. Amid these antics, Parr subtly reveals Trille's and Lena's innermost worries. Although Trille considers the irrepressible Lena his best friend, he wonders whether she reciprocates those feelings. And beneath Lena's vibrant exterior, she longs for a father, a dilemma that she attempts to resolve in her indefatigable, quirky fashion. Through several well-nuanced characters, Parr delineates Trille's extended family support and reveals the familial closeness that Trille so cherishes. Trille's relationships with his grandfather and his beloved "Auntie Granny" celebrate these multigenerational connections. With simply rendered illustrations that zero in on key elements of the story, Forrester extends the charm of this tale.Filled with both rollicking escapades and poignant moments, Parr's notable tale portrays a young boy's heartfelt appreciation of family and friends. (Fiction. 8-11)

Starred review from April 1, 2015
Grades 2-4 *Starred Review* When readers meet nine-year-old Trille and his best friend Lena, Lena is barely hanging onto the rope they have strung between their houses' second-floor windows, and Trille is frantically hauling his parents' mattress down the stairs and out to the yard to save her. It's a fitting introduction, since Lena races headlong into every crazy scheme they concoct, with Trille following close behind. Set in a tiny seaside community in Norway, the story contains other adventures, such as the duo's amusing attempt to re-create Noah's Ark with a rowboat and livestock. Although two events threaten to overwhelm Trille with a sense of loss, one ends well and, after the other, he finds comfort in family and friends. Trille's accessible first-person narrative shares both his adventures and his feelings, which run the gamut from terror to grief to elation. Parr creates a strong sense of the characters as individuals, especially Lena, Trille, and Trille's grandfather. For all its emotional resonance, the narrative is never soppy. In fact, humor plays a big part in this rewarding book. Published first in Norway and translated into 20 languages, this appealing chapter book has a distinctive setting, plenty of humor, and unusual emotional clarity.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Narrator Trille's best friend is next-door neighbor Lena, almost nine, fearless, and hilariously blunt. Their small, contemporary Norwegian community provides all the adventure they need, from reenacting Noah's ark on Uncle Tor's fishing boat (mayhem ensues) to quieter adventures such as advertising for a dad for Lena. The novel is episodic but strongly plotted, with changes in the families' lives woven into Trille's small-scope story.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)