Book Review: Astrid the Unstoppable

Astrid: The Little Thunderbolt of Glimmerdal!

Like a beautifully crafted fairy tale, Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr will transport you to a hidden mountain town where anything can happen!  9-year-old Astrid is a spirited child that lives on the snowy hills of Glimmerdal.  In fact, Astrid is the only child that lives in Glimmerdal.  Her best friend is her 70-something year old godfather, Gunnvald, and Astrid wouldn’t have it any other way.   Told in 3rd person, we follow Astrid as she drives the owner of Hagen’s Wellness Retreat crazy, befriends some kids vacationing in Glimmerdal, and discovers a huge secret about Gunnvald; a secret that could damage their friendship forever.  Quoted as a cross between Pippi Longstocking and Heidi, middle grade readers will love adventuring with Astrid!

The first time I read a Maria Parr book was last year when her book Adventures With Waffles was nominated for the Grand Canyon ReaderAward here in AZ.  Her books are translated from Norwegian to English and beg to be read out loud.  Parr’s descriptive writing, along with Guy Puzey’s translation, will take you to another place and before you know it, you are completely engulfed in the story! 

The best part of this book is the friendship that Astrid has with old Gunnvald.  They are both fiery and stubborn, but love each other like family.  Like true best friends, they indulge in each other’s crazy ideas and comfort each other in times of need.

I would recommend this book to kids ages 7 – 12 or 2^rd graders with a high reading level (if reading independently, because of some difficult Norwegian names & words) up to 6^th graders.  I would also recommend this book to parents to read aloud to their children of any age! It is such an enjoyable book!

Astrid the Unstoppable comes out on November 13^th!  Just in time for the holidays!  Pre-order it here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for this E-ARC!  I always love the opportunity to read and review.