★ Included in the 2024 IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Honour List!
★ Maria Bochkareva's new work consists of five touching stories about teenagers, depicting the lives of 13 to 15-year-olds, their current situations, irreparable pasts, and anxious waits for the future.
★ The five teenage life stories are like five small performances, transitioning from one scene to another, showcasing different life collisions.

This book contains five stories: "I Want to Buy a Turtle," "Kostya's Blues," "The New Black Coat," "Where is the Truth?," and "Silver America." These stories depict the lives of 13 to 15-year-olds, their current situations, irreparable pasts, and anxious waits for the future. There are quirky teachers, a rapping dad, a librarian who serves tea, a hospital roommate, and a mom who makes cheese pancakes. Behind each story is a poignant tale, with each teenage character being vivid and sympathetic. Each faces their own difficulties and trials, chooses their own path, and seeks support, understanding, and love from friends and family.

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!