This week we welcome a new young reader: Aamna, aged 11. This is the first book translated from Norwegian that she has ever read, and it sounds like it won’t be her last…

Title: Lena, the Sea and Me 

Author: Maria Parr 

Illustrator: Lara Paulussen 

Translated from Norwegian by Guy Puzey

Rating: 5/5 

Summary:

Lena and Trille are best friends and love going on adventures in Mathildewick Cove, where they live. But when a new girl called Birgit arrives, she comes between Trille and Lena. Trille is torn between Birgit and Lena, and he isn’t sure if his lifelong friendship with Lena will break apart. 

Why I liked the book:

Lena, the Sea and Me is such a brilliant book! The plot is so gripping and lots of things occur in the book, instead of just one thing happening throughout the whole story. The characters are described really well and by the end of the story, you really feel like you know them.

This book goes through all of the seasons, starting at summer and going through autumn, winter and spring. I kept reading and reading, until I had finished the whole book. I did not even realise that this book was a sequel to Waffle Hearts, but now I really want to read that book too!  

Overall, I rate this book 5/5. 

Lena, the Sea and Me is available in the UK from Walker Books. It is being released in the US by Penguin Random House on 3 August, 2021. Pre-order now!