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| image (c) Goodreads |
STORY: Emilia is an 11 year old girl from east Helsinki. In her diary, she writes about her schooldays, family, and about her amazing adventures with her new pet guinea pig. One evening her guinea pig bites her and that night she sees dreams about a giant guinea pig, who declares Emilia to be Super GuineaPig. She will gain superpowers by drinking from her pet guinea pig's water bottle.
LANGUAGE: This is a children's book, the original aimed at younger readers, approximately 2-4th grade. The selkokirja version is at an ideal 99 page length and includes a character list at the beginning. Black and white illustrations appear throughout, some filling part of a page, some full page illustrations.
The vocabulary and grammar in this book are not too difficult, but does require an understanding of verb tenses such as past tense and possessives (-ni, -ään). Because the story contains fantastical elements, this book and the vocabulary would appeal most to fans of superheroes and younger readers. While teens and adults would naturally benefit from the reading, the appeal of the storyline would be less motivating. I rate this book a B1 level, though readers below B1 are certainly able to pick it up and read parts, if not the entire book.
CHARACTERS: Emilia lives with her mother, who works as a nurse, and is often away from home. Other characters include Emilia's father and his new girlfriend and schoolmates and teachers. Chapter 4 is exclusively written as descriptions of three side characters. And let's not forget the guinea pig (both real and fantastical)!
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: This is a popular series among younger readers in school and as free time reading. It's an excellent choice for younger readers who want to read the same story/series as their friends. Readers will enjoy the school life elements, along with the fantastical adventures as Super GuineaPig. There are some elements of school bullying addressed, but they are described and dealt with in a very light manner, with the help of Super GuineaPig.
Happy Reading!
