This is a middle grade chapter book that I read with my kids as part of our Read Aloud Revival membership. I had never heard of it before, and now I realize what a true shame that was. This is a truly delightful novel about friendship, family, love, and loss. It follows two next-door neighbors, Trille and Lena, in their hilarious and still-relatable adventures. Lena is bold, blunt, and impulsive. Trille is quiet, sensitive, and hesitant. While he knows Lena is his best friend, he worries that perhaps their relationship means more to him than it does to Lena. Over the course of a year, they experience significant loss together and have to figure out what it means to care for one another as friends. There were moments our entire family was laughing out loud and other moments when I was crying and the kids were hiding under blankets or burying their faces in my shoulders. The writing is simple but impactful. We loved the interesting glimpses of Norwegian culture, too.

Parr handles the joys, pain, and questions of childhood with both honesty and grace. My seven year-old found some true comfort (and I would even say healing) as Trille navigated some of the same losses our family has experienced. Truly, this book felt like a gift–a delightful, funny, heartwarming gift. I’m so glad we read it.