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For true intellectuals
In a provincial Volga town in pre-revolutionary Russia, a new state with the proud name of Schwambrania appears in a doctor’s house. Schwambrania has its own geography, population, political system, and economy; wars break out and treaties are signed there,...
Bittersweet summer
Natalya Evdokimova is not the most famous writer, but she is one of the most talented. The closest person she can be compared to is perhaps the Swedish author Maria Parr, who wrote "Waffle Hearts" (which, if you aren't aware,...
Corrupting influence of friends
A little Scandinavian story about how one can fall under the influence of a stranger, lose one’s mind and willpower, do some foolish things, but still shake off the obsession and return to normal life. And this is not about...
We want to be beautiful, wealthy, and have wings.
Despite the "PSAMMEAD" (or "BEAST") in the title, there are no horror stories here. The creature is a sand-fairy (who looks quite absurd, hence the politically incorrect label), who lives in a sand pit and grants wishes. Five children—brothers and...
The teenager fell into an art trap
Art has outgrown the confines of museums and broken free, out into the world where everyone can see it! You don't have to go to museums anymore; graffiti will catch up with you on its own, hook you with its...
And grow roses!
There are very famous books that very few people have actually read, yet they have spawned so much—music, films, household items, and design concepts—that we all feel as though we are well-acquainted with the source material. The BBC once conducted...
On the beaver's side
Start reading this book, and you will urgently want to get yourself a beaver. Or even two!  You probably won't do it, of course, but you will definitely go looking for photos and watching videos, because in this book, beavers...
The most important formula in life
Do you know which formula we encounter most often in life? Not on T-shirts or pencil cases with Einstein on them, but in our actual, real lives? It’s the speed-time-distance formula, of course. S=Vt. How long it takes us to...
Please wrap up a little bit of shamelessness for me.
There is exactly the same robe here, but with mother-of-pearl buttons. And exactly the same horse, but without wings. And exactly the same landmine, just smaller, but different. You will find absolutely everything in the grasshopper's shop: - A ceremonial...
Freedom for Petka! A story about how beneficial it is to leave children alone
The book begins in a politically incorrect way: "Petka was fat..." This novella was written in the late 80s, so it feels like a Soviet story about body shaming, bullying, and all that is about to follow... But no: the...
A family held together by a promise (and love)
A book for those who enjoy reading about the north. And about unusual vacations. And about complex family relationships. And also about science. Julia and her parents arrive for the summer on a Scottish island; her dad, an engineer, will...
Non-colonial Kipling
Boots is a true English gentleman: sophisticated, noble, living in a country house and fond of hunting. He loves having tasty morsels tossed under the table for him and occasionally howls at the moon. But most of all, he loves...
The secret ingredient for melancholy
What lies behind such a beautiful cover? Mysterious keys, locked doors, quests, a gloomy house? No, not quite. This is not a quest book where the reader solves riddles alongside the characters. And the house isn't gloomy, either. No corpses,...
Nordqvist is testing parents' patience.
Without exaggeration, this is one of the most wonderful New Year/Christmas books in all of world literature. It is Sven Nordqvist's longest story, enough for several evenings of family reading. Findus has decided that for New Year's he doesn't need...
If you want to make Santa Claus laugh, tell him your plans.
This is a rare kind of school: a fairytale atmosphere reigns within. And that’s because the only people who work and study here are fairytale characters: Kostik the Immortal, Vasya the Beautiful, Misha the Leshy, Kotofey Kotofeich Pushkin, and many...
The Soviet version of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
But "The Adventure Seller" is not your typical Soviet children's book; it is completely devoid of moralizing and propaganda, lacks any signs of socialist daily life, but is full of merry chaos, absurd humor, surrealism, and a total disregard for...
Folklore Akunin-style
A collection of original fairy tales stylized as folk tales. Akunin turns to well-known classical plots and characters, creating new stories based on old archetypes. These are not "modernized" fairy tales—they could genuinely be mistaken for folklore. Though, perhaps, with...
Chocolate!
When people want to praise a book by a Latin American author, they compare it to Márquez, Borges and Cortázar. When they want to praise a children's book, they compare it to the stories of Astrid Lindgren. Usually with no...
Distant loved ones
Liza is 12, and she loves her dad very much. She loves her whole family, and they love her, but Dad is her best friend and her most reliable support. And then, out of the blue, like a bolt from...
Let's get started!
Who would I recommend this book to? Everyone, perhaps! To everyone who follows what is happening in Russia right now. To everyone who wants to explain to their children what is going on there. To everyone who wonders how this...
After reading it, catharsis.
Sven Nordqvist is not just about the stories of Findus and Pettson. We highly recommend getting your hands on the book "Where Is My Sister?" — a story in verse by Nordqvist, naturally accompanied by his own illustrations. The author...