Oliver Scherz’s children’s book Sieben Tage Mo (Seven Days Mo) is about two very different brothers. Karl is at the end of his tether: four days a week he has to take care of his twin, who has been disabled since birth. And he always seems to draw the short straw. His mother works as a nurse and his father is abroad. Karl fluctuates between aggression and love for his brother. He doesn’t even let on to his classmates that he has a brother and vents his frustration at school by playing up. Scherz paints a psychologically accurate picture of the disabled boy’s behaviour and the way those around him react. Everything starts to improve when Karl meets a girl who comes round to his house and is immediately adopted by and accepts his brother, not to mention his football friends. And when his mother realizes that too much is being asked of him. The book, which is illustrated by Philipp Waechter, won the Luchs des Monats prize – which is awarded monthly – in October 2023. Sieben Tage ohne Mo is lauded for its “unpretentious story, which intentionally comes across as ‘small’ in order to be better able to talk about the big issues in life without pathos or kitsch: fear, friendship, betrayal, family, loneliness, being in love and happiness. And about the tragicomical nature of everyday life.”
Patrick Fix: Space Alarm. Mit Hyperschall durchs All
Hamburg: Oetinger, 2023. 176 p.
ISBN: 978-3-7512-0344-9 (from 8 years)
Andrea Grill / Sandra Neuditschko (Ill.): Bio-Diversi-Was? Reise in die fantastische Welt der Artenvielfalt
Graz: Leykam 2023. 216 p.
ISBN: 978-3-7011-8288-6
Lena Hach: Was Wanda will
München: Mixtvision, 2023. 186 p.
ISBN: 978-3-95854-204-4 (from 11 years)
Margit Ruile / Helge Vogt (Ill.): Nelumbiya. Im Land der magischen Pflanzen
Würzburg: Arena, 2023. 336 p.
ISBN: 978-3-401-60667-5 (from 10 years)
Oliver Scherz / Philipp Waechter (Ill.): Sieben Tage Mo
Stuttgart: Thienemann, 2023. 170 p.
ISBN: 978-3-522-18648-3 (from 11 years)