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Choice. Go towards the dream, but at what cost; run away from the past or try to understand it; obey or remain free even in a world of violence, die or accept it … All the young heroes of these books are faced with a completely adult choice, which everyone can only make for themselves, at their own peril and risk.
From 11 years
“Mathieu Idalf and Stray Lightning” Christophe Maury
Mathieu Idalf seems to have made his choice a long time ago – he dreams of leaving his father’s house and enrolling in a magical school for the elite. But the dream may not come true: for the whole year he has not opened a single book and is not ready for the exams. And most importantly, the most difficult elections, it turns out, are ahead. Mathieu suddenly realizes that for the sake of the fate of a fearless hero who performs feats, he is ready to go to many tricks and deceptions, but not to betrayal (he refuses to follow his sister, although with such a condition they are ready to take him to school). Choosing between family trust and fear of parental anger, between love for sisters and his own plans, between filial love and calling, Mathieu, by and large, makes a decision: to be who he is and not be afraid of condemnation. This is probably what real growing up is all about (even if you’re only eleven). In addition to an incredible number of miracles, the fantastic novel by the Frenchman Christophe Maury is worth loving for its humor and sensitive translation that retains the brilliance and complexity of the jokes.
Translation from French by Alina Popova. Polyandria, 352 p.
Read more:
- Why don’t we understand teenagers?
From 13 years
“Wango. Part 1. Between Heaven and Earth” Timothée de Fombel
This real historical detective story is written by French writer Timothée de Fombel a little bit in the spirit of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. 1934 The main character, a foundling seminarian from Sicily, Vango Romano is going to become a priest in Paris, but fate decides otherwise. Suspected of a crime he did not commit, he is forced to flee from the persecution of the secret services of the USSR, Germany and France, moving throughout pre-war Europe, Russia and even South America. And at some point, Vango thinks: why is he running away all the time if he does not remember a single bad deed? Is he running from the world or from his past? In order to understand the reason for the hunt, he will have to find out the secret of his birth and the history of his family. “Between Heaven and Earth” is the first part of the two-volume edition. The novel has been translated into two dozen languages, won several awards and was included in the lists of the best books of the year, and its author received a dozen international awards.
Translated from French by Irina Volevich and Yulia Rats. Scooter, CompassGuide, 256 p.
From 15 years
“Sugar baby: the story of a girl from the last century, told by Stella Nudolskaya” Olga Gromova
Reading this book is scary: it is about the 1930s of the USSR and the beginning of World War II. But necessary. Because we and our children are inseparable from the history of our family and country. And because a person is free in spirit, even if his childhood is spent in a labor camp for families of enemies of the people. And love and faith help not only to survive, but also to preserve their identity and dignity. The choice between slavery and freedom is always made by man himself. And the sooner the child learns about this, the better – those who choose freedom are stronger in spirit.
Compass Guide, 160 p.
Read more:
- Adolescents: Keys to Dialogue
From 16 years
“The Ballad of Sandra Es” by Kanni Meller
The books of the Swedish writer Kanni Meller are known in Russia, but the story about Sandra, which won the prize. August Strindberg in the nomination “Best Book of the Year for Children and Youth”, published in Russian translation for the first time. Sandra (better just “S.”, “Es”) was adopted at the age of 8. She was lucky with her foster mother, but not very lucky with life in general – loneliness and a feeling of bottomless emptiness inside made her unsociable and aggressive. She defends herself from the world and attacks it the best she can: she dyes her hair black and wears a collar, cuts her hands in the toilet, dreams of a single man, and sometimes runs away from home. Until he finally finds a job in a nursing home and meets there with a capricious old woman, 80-year-old Judith Klein, a real witch. This is the story of a strange friendship of women whose life has just begun and is already ending, helping each other to accept their past in its entirety, with the painful and beautiful that was in it. They both have the strength to face the truth.
Translation from Swedish by Lydia Starodubtseva. Livebook, 320 p.