MARKUS AND DIANA

Heights paralyze, darkness terrifies and just about everything worries the cautious Markus Simonsen, a Norwegian sixth-grader. However, Markus lets himself live a little through autograph requests that he sends to famous people. In his requests, Markus creates personas ranging from a distraught widow to a track star, all begging for autographs. Markus’s hobby seems harmless until, while posing as a 36-year-old millionaire, the young Markus contacts the starlet Diana Mortensen, who suggests meeting up when she visits Norway. Partnered with his geeky friend, Sigmund, the duo transforms the awkward Markus into Markus Jr., a suave millionaire’s son through a humorously misguided crash course in millionaire etiquette. Unfortunately, the much awaited meeting with Diana is anticlimactic and feels flimsy—though it does showcase Markus’s growth and newfound willingness to take risks. The translation is smooth and unnoticeable, except for the presence of foreign first names and cities, which adds a slightly exotic flavor to the text. Quirky and humorous. (Fiction. 10-13)