★ Winner of the International White Ravens Award, the Krapivin International Book Award, and the Russian Children's Library Best Book Award!
★ This book consists of three short stories about teenage life, representing the psychological states of children at three different ages. It portrays the confusion, struggles, and growth of teenagers in a concise yet powerful language that resonates with readers.
★ This is a touching book that promotes mutual understanding between adults and children. It is suitable not only for growing children but also for parents who want to understand their children.

This book comprises three heartwarming coming-of-age stories. "Waffle Cone Ice Cream" tells the story of an extraordinary family whose home is open to anyone in the world facing difficulties. People can leave at any time to go to the sea, faraway places, or the ends of the earth, but they always return to this place that loves and waits for them. In "School on a Matchbox," a girl decides to become a firefighter and transfers to a special school, starting a life completely different from her peers: learning firefighting knowledge and techniques, building endurance, courage, and perseverance, while also striving to integrate into the group and collaborate better with others. "Festival Land" tells the story of a friendship between a girl and a boy, a friendship that is ordinary and brief but overcomes the unease and loneliness of growing up, making life colorful. These three stories reflect different aspects of children's lives, touching on family, friendship, loneliness, dreams, and courage. What they share in common is that the protagonists ultimately realize that no matter how the environment changes, we must focus on the present and cherish what we have.

Maria Bochkareva (1980)
Maria Bochkareva is a highly acclaimed contemporary Russian author of children's literature, essayist, playwright, and journalist! She is the recipient of the International White Ravens Award, the Krapivin International Book Award, the Russian Children's Library Best Book Award, and the Best "Fairy Tale Novel" at the All-Russian Children's Book Festival! She has also been a finalist for the Andrei Bely Prize, the "Debut" Prize, and the National Children's Literature Award "Dreams Come True"!

Born in Kirov in 1980, she graduated from the Journalism Department of the Ural Federal University named after Gorky and completed correspondence courses at the Yekaterinburg State Theatre Institute. She has published numerous poems, essays, fairy tales, and plays. Maria began writing at the age of 18, starting with fairy tales and later moving on to poetry. She has worked as a journalist for various publications and taught at the "Creative Writing School" literary studio. Her first published works appeared in newspapers such as "I Grow Up," "Kirov Truth," and "News," and later in magazines like "Ural," "New World," "October," "Volga," "Friendship of Peoples," and "Air," as well as on websites like "Young Russian Literature." Her play "Doctor Volka" was performed by the Tolyatti Youth Drama Theatre in 2011, and the following year, the Kirov Spassky Theatre staged her adaptation of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin's "The History of a Town." Maria's children's plays also include "My Dad is a Computer," "Grisha's Glass Heart," "City of Snow," "Lost Village," "Near the Big Road," and "The Elixir of Eternal Youth."

Maria Bochkareva's works are highly praised in the field of contemporary children's and young adult literature! Russian poet, translator, and literary critic Lev Oborin, winner of the Andrei Bely Prize for Literary Criticism and member of the expert committee for the National Literary Award "Big Book," commented on her work: "Bochkareva understands that children's and folk tales are not always idyllic; sometimes they are scary, terrifying, and perhaps universal..." Olga Miaeots, a judge for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, said: "Teenagers have a unique way of looking at the world, and their behavior can sometimes be strange, but adults trust children to find their own meaning in life. The adults in Maria Bochkareva's books have their own problems, but their love and responsibility for the children help them persevere and not give up."

Her works often focus on ordinary people in real life, especially children and teenagers. She delicately portrays their inner worlds and growth experiences. She excels at telling stories in simple, straightforward language without excessive embellishment or exaggeration, trusting readers to understand the deeper meaning without over-explanation. Through her characters and plots, she encourages readers to reflect on important social issues such as family relationships and educational methods. Critics unanimously agree that her works are highly beneficial for the younger generation. Maria Bochkareva won the Russian Triumph Youth Award in 2005 and was shortlisted for the Russian National Dream Children's Literature Award and the Russian Best Debut Literature Award. Her works "School on a Matchbox" (or "Waffle Cone Ice Cream") and the novel "Look! The Lighthouse" were included in the "White Ravens" list by the Munich International Youth Library. Additionally, her works have been shortlisted for the "Debut" Prize. Her books are not only popular in Russia but have also been translated into English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Slovenian, and more!

【Honors】
In 2005, awarded the "Triumph" Youth Literature Prize.
In 2005, shortlisted for the Russian Best "Debut" Literary Prize.
In 2006, shortlisted for the National Children's Literature Award "Beautiful Dream."
In 2013, shortlisted for the Andrey Bely Literary Prize.
In 2013, selected for the annual best book list of the online resource "Book Guide," for the work “The School on a Matchbox” (or “Ice cream in waffle cones”).
In 2013, longlisted for the "Ladybug" Literary Prize, for the work “The School on a Matchbox” (or “Ice cream in waffle cones”).
In 2014, awarded the International White Raven Prize, for the work “The School on a Matchbox” (or “Ice cream in waffle cones”)..
In 2014, awarded the Krapivin International Book Memorial Prize (Special Prize), for the work “The School on a Matchbox” (or “Ice cream in waffle cones”).
In 2014, awarded the Russian Children's Library Best Book Prize, for the work “The School on a Matchbox” (or “Ice cream in waffle cones”).
In 2018, awarded the International White Raven Prize, for the work “Look! The Lighthouse”.
In 2018, awarded the Best "Fairy Tale Novel" Prize at the All-Russian Children's Book Festival, for the work “Look! The Lighthouse”.
In 2024, the author was included in the IBBY Honor List for the work “The Black New Coat”.

Part I Ice Cream Cone
The End of the World 3
The Fragile Aristocracy 8
Difficult Relationships 12
The Unknown Faraway 15
Where Nina Came From 19
Black Metal Crowbar 27
Dad and Lyudmila 31
We Are What We Are 35
Nina's Mom 42
Vedka's Alphabet 46
The Vanishing Sea 50
When He Was Away 53
Mom, Vedka, and the Inspectors 57
Mom's Medal 63
Two People Missing 68
Ice Cream Cone 73

Part II School on a Matchbox
Between a Leg 79
The Polzunykha River 84
Smearing Onegin 90
The Ceiling 96
Two News Pieces and 30 Kopeks 103
One-Eyed Side Character 111
Kutuzov 118
Eyelashes and Gas Masks 124
Miracle and Alik's Grandfather 132
Saving Gosha Again 138
10 Minutes Before Bed 147
We don't know 152
Lost and found 157

Part III: Festive Land
Forest 170
Festival Land 174
Mossy stump 178
Shoulder hanger 182
Boys 185
Ala Borisovna 189
Circus 193
Opera 196
Persecuted 200
Walking and talking 204
Glass soul 208
Marin cider 211
Advertisement 214
Abkhazia 217
Long live the heart! 220