Lena, the Sea and Me

A heartwarming and action-packed story of friendship from Norway's answer to Astrid Lindgren.
This classic in the making from award-winning author Maria Parr is packed full of laugh-out-loud adventures and paints an honest picture of the highs and lows of friendship and growing up.

Dark clouds are looming in Mathildewick Cove. The arrival of a new football coach is putting twelve-year-old Lena's goalkeeping career in doubt. And in the house next door, Trille is wondering how to impress the girl who has just joined his class.

The stage is set for a dramatic year ahead. What are Trille and Lena to do when every raft they build sinks, and every message in a bottle they send washes up on the shore at home? As the best friends battle the elements and their own emotions, one thing is for sure: they're not giving up, not if Lena has anything to do with it!

“I was engrossed from the start by this salt-tanged, airy, funny and adventurous story of growing up and friendship in a different (and kinder) culture than our own. It made me long to go and live in Norway.” -- Hilary McKay
A sensitive coming-of-age story in translation … the book is tender and has an emotional depth that will resonate with many readers. Just Imagine
A story that is as full of adventure as it is heart-warming and set in such a unique place in the world, the descriptions of the cove and how it changes throughout the year are wonderful, you can almost taste the salty sea air and feel the wind on your face. Acorn Books

Maria Parr is an outstanding Norwegian author who has been compared to Astrid Lindgren. She has twice won the prestigious Brage Prize for best children's book, as well as the Sult Prize, the Norwegian Critics' Prize, France's Prix Sorcières and the Dutch Zilveren Griffel. Her debut novel, Waffle Hearts, was also shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation. It was made into a popular children's television series in Norway and adapted for the stage, while her second novel, Astrid the Unstoppable, has also been made into a theatre production. Her books have been published in more than 30 countries worldwide. Maria lives in Norway.
Guy Puzey began translating Norwegian literature in 2006, having studied the language at the University of Edinburgh. In 2011 he went on to complete a doctorate on Italian and Norwegian language policy. He now works at the University as a lecturer in Scandinavian studies. In 2015 he was shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation for his work on Maria Parr's first novel, Waffle Hearts.

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