STORY: Leevi is a 12 year old boy who has moved from the country to the city. He said teased by bullies at school. Leonora has moved from Albania to Finland and the bullies tease her too. The bullies chase the two on their bikes everyday after school. On one of these days Leevi discovers that the two are neighbors. They become friends and try to come up with a way to stop the bullying.
This is a great book for the 12 and under crowd. It's set up similar to an easy reader book with short chapters and accompanying pictures. Older readers might enjoy it but younger readers will more appreciate it.
CHARACTERS: Leevi is a regular boy from the countryside. He likes nature, exploring, using the computer and spending time with his grandparents, who he visits everyday after school. Leonora is from Albania and Finland is still a new culture to her. She is adventurous, likes to climb, laugh and learn new things.
This book is appropriate for boys and girls. The book is told from Leevi's perspective, but Leonora is clearly the bolder of the two.
LANGUAGE: The vocabulary and grammar in this book is very basic. There's also a lot of dialogue, and the pictures help to explain the story without giving anything away.
I read each page in 3 minutes or less using an online dictionary. This book could easily be read in a short time without looking anything up or spaced across a longer time, reading chapter by chapter. I recommend this to A2.2 readers for a challenge and to B1.1 readers as an easy read.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: I think this book should be on all required reading school lists for Finnish as a second language students. It's a great story, with lots going on, lots of interaction between the characters, humor, multiculturalism, moving, and lots more. A fun story with a nice moral in the end. 5/5