Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr (review)

Whether it’s creating a real life Noah’s Ark or getting her umpteenth concussion, nine-year-old Lena is a force to be reckoned with. Trille, the boy who’s her accomplice in misadventure, saves her skin more than once—all part of his duty to his best friend, though Lena’s biting and dispassionate ways leave him wondering if that friendship goes both ways in this tender and funny Norwegian import. A sense of expansiveness and possibility pervades this celebration of preadolescent childhood, with mishaps and merriment unfolding in well-paced succession. Trille’s large and loving family, complete with a permissive, fun-loving grandpa and Grandpa’s wafflemaking sister, Auntie Granny, provide a sense of security, making it possible for characters and audience alike to embrace exuberance and grapple with grief when a beloved character dies. A playful yet sweet story in the tradition of E. Nesbit’s The Treasure Seekers, this well-observed novel nimbly explores the balance of friendships and the fear and longing that hides beneath the most prickly personalities as it celebrating old-school scrapes and the rewards of mutual best friendship.