Sweden
182
Adbåge, Emma (text/illus.)
Leni är ett sockerhjärta (Leni is a sweetie)
Stockholm: Rabén & Sjögren, 2010. – [28] p.
ISBN 978-91-29-67339-5
Father – Daughter – High spirits – Overconfidence
Being a sweetie is a thing of the past – Leni is a big girl now! One needn’t
wear a hat anymore (superb). Also, being big means eating mustard (well...),
drinking coffee (into the flowerpot it goes), and taking out the trash (groan).
Leni earns high praise for this, she is even called a “young woman”! But
that’s going too far: “I am not a young woman! I am a sweetie, and I am
going to go play now.” Sometimes it is a very nice thing to be a sweetie.
Emma Adbåge’s picture book delights in its use of a child’s perspective, a
striking punch line, and especially its illustrations. The spacious and
colourful compositions include many funny details and are as much a success
as the unusually accurate portrayal of Leni’s mood swings. (Age: 3+)
183
Jägerfeld, Jenny
Här ligger jag och blöder (I am lying here bleeding)
Stockholm: Gilla Böcker, 2010. – 251 p.
ISBN 978-91-86634-03-2
Search for identity – Asperger’s syndrome – Daughter – Mother
In a wonderfully self-deprecating, partly slapstick-like, yet also very
reflective style, and with a deliberately casual air, Maja talks about her
family and her search for identity. She lives at her father’s place and
visits her mother Jana every two weeks. One day, Jana is not at home at the
agreed time; Maja ends up at a party but can’t shed a feeling of uncertainty.
Gradually, she learns what happened. Jana had herself examined by a
psychiatrist and is now shocked to hear the diagnosis: Asperger’s syndrome.
When Maja visits her unexpectedly, Jana brusquely rejects her. It takes
quite some time before mother and daughter are able to deal with the
diagnosis. On various levels, the book examines what it means to have
parents who are “different”. The novel was awarded the Augustpriset, one of
the most prestigious literary awards in Sweden, and deservedly so. (Age:
15+)
184
Sjöberg, Lena (text/illus.)
Kalla fakta om is (The cold facts about ice)
[Bromma]: Opal, 2010. – 45 p.
ISBN 978-91-7299-394-5
Ice – Arctic – Antarctica – Fauna – Climate
Winters are quite cold in Sweden – did this inspire Lena Sjöberg’s “The cold
facts about ice“? This appealing and witty non-fiction book revolves around
the topic of ice. Sjöberg explains, for instance, how ice is made and how
differently fresh water and salt water behave. An excursion into the fauna
of the Arctic and Antarctic is covered, as are the rules of ice-skating
etiquette. There are tips to prevent global warming, so that not even the
problem of global climate change is spared coverage. Illustrated mainly in
blue and white, this eclectic book seems almost to radiate its own frosty
cold, and suitably so. One ought to think about putting on mittens before
turning its pages and reading ... (Age: 5+)
185
Thydell, Johanna
Ursäkta att man vill bli lite älskad (Sorry for wanting some love)
Stockholm: Alfabeta, 2010. – 245 p.
ISBN 978-91-501-1167-5
Love – Self-doubt – School – Friendship – Growing up
You can have the one you don’t want, but not the one you want; and if you
get the one you want you lose interest pretty quickly. Nora Jonasson is
seventeen, thinks she’s a bore and wants a boyfriend more than anything else.
When, after some back and forth, she gets together with Stoffe, the friend
of her older brother, she’s assured everyone’s amazement. Finally everything
is perfect, just a question of how long... Johanna Thydell succeeds in
bringing energy to her third book – a kind of diary novel and typical
teenager story. With her verbal, self-deprecating style, neologisms, and the
wonderful idea to regularly insert little aphorisms along the bottom edge of
the page, she is able to hone in the emotional states of the protagonist.
(Age: 13+)
186
Unenge, Johan (text/illus.)
Mitt extra liv. En serie roman (My second life. A comic novel]
Stockholm: Bonnier Carlsen, 2009. – 253 p.
ISBN 978-91-638-5414-9
Racism – Persecution – Love – Growing up
Racism and xenophobia: in Hellevik, increasing numbers of inhabitants are
participating in the persecution of refugees. Mattias can’t stand the
fascistic talk. He takes Abdi, who is fleeing the mob, under his protection.
But Mattias has also fallen in love with a girl who wears a swastika around
her neck. He is torn, but in the end he decides that he cannot tolerate
Alva’s attitude. This story is told from Mattias’s point of view and in a
tone of voice that alternates between being distanced and being tormented.
Though the coming of age of the boy stands at the centre, social contexts
are not ignored. The novel gives no explanations; instead it challenges and
educates mature readers, by leaving open spaces that invite reflection and
discussion. At the same time, Johan Unenge reveals the drastic nature of the
events – as when he lets pictures speak instead of words. Placing graphic
and textual passages side by side allows visual and verbal meanings to be
equally productively evoked.
(Age: 12+)