Count Silently To Ten

Laura Lähteenmäki

Original title: Laske salaa kymmeneen

Author: Laura Lähteenmäki

Published: 2023

Publisher: WSOY

Genre: Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Pages: 206

Reading material:

English sample & synopsis, Full Swedish translation, Finnish edition

A novel about friendship, growing up, and the importance of childhood play: a summer on the border between childhood and adolescence.

Myy, Viivi, Heta, Aada, and Camilla are a close-knit group of five girls who call themselves Pätkikset. But as the fourth grade draws to a close, Myy finds that something has changed. She feels that she’s no longer part of the gang. She notices that lively conversations fall silent when she approaches her friends. When the girls hug each other in a tight circle, there’s no room for Myy.

COUNT SILENTLY TO TEN is a story about friendship between girls and the changes that come about as you grow up, but which are difficult to accept. Myy is left out and feels that there may be something wrong with her, since she still wants to play and isn’t interested in make-up and growing up. As things become difficult with the girls, a new boy appears in the area provides a wonderful opportunity for Myy to throw herself into the world of play. Myy and Lassi run to a nearby forest and immerse themselves in a joint game where time and space disappear.

The novel describes a summer on the border between childhood and adolescence. Although the book depicts childhood in our time, the portrayal of play captures the timeless charm and power of childhood games.

"Count Silently to Ten" is a fluently written, linguistically beautiful children’s novel that describes a summer on the border between childhood and adolescence. Although the book depicts childhood in our time, the portrayal of play captures the timeless charm and power of childhood games.

- The Jury of 2024 Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize.

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Rights sold:
WSOY (orig.)

About author

Laura Lähteenmäki

Laura Lähteenmäki is a Finnish writer of children’s and youth literature. Since her debut youth novel in 1998, she has written around twenty works. Lähteenmäki writes about young people’s lives and their search for a place of their own. She was awarded the Arvid Lydecken prize for a first-class children’s novel for her book Marenkikeiju in 2007 and her work has also been nominated for the Topelius and Finlandia Junior prizes. Laura Lähteenmäki lives in Jyväskylä and, in addition to her work as a writer, she is executive editor in a publishing house.

Bibliography


2023, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Laura Lähteenmäki

Count Silently To Ten