A modern classic in the making, this hilarious and heartwarming story explores the true meaning of family and friendship. Reminiscent of Pippi Longstocking, Heidi and Anne Shirley, Astrid is a feisty and irrepressible heroine who will help readers navigate the complexities of family and friendship with plenty of warmth, wit and humour.
Speed and self-confidence, that's Astrid Glimmerdal's motto. And her hair-raising escapades give her plenty of opportunity to practise both. Nicknamed the little thunderbolt , Astrid loves to spend her days racing down the hillside on her sledge or skis. But poor Astrid longs for other children to come to her village and join her adventures. Instead, she has to put up with a grumpy old seventy-four year old for a best friend (although secretly, she knows she wouldn't have it any other way). Astrid's world is about to be turned upside down, however, first by the arrival of a strange family, and then a mystery woman. Her best friend, Gunnvald, has been keeping a secret from her - one that will test their friendship to its limits. Everything is changing in Astrid's valley, and she's not sure she likes it.
Maria Parr is an outstanding Norwegian author who has been compared to Astrid Lindgren. Her first book, Waffle Hearts, won France's Prix Sorcieres and the Dutch Zilveren Griffel, and was shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation. Waffle Hearts has been translated into 26 different languages, was made into a popular children's television series, and has been performed on stage. Astrid the Unstoppable is Maria's second novel, and won the prestigious Brage Prize for best children's book and the Norwegian Critics' Prize. It has been sold to 19 countries and made into a theatre production. Maria lives in Norway.
