Markus + Diana
Timid Markus Simonsen wants to learn to be himself in this USBBY Outstanding International Book. He is afraid of almost everything. But when he writes fan mail to famous people, he becomes somebody else: a blind widow bound to a wheelchair who longs for an autograph of a famous novelist, or a young sportsman whose career was destroyed by doping. One day Markus writes to the famous actress Diana Mortensen, pretending to be a sensitive millionaire who is able to understand the...
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\ Publishers WeeklyThis tale from a Norwegian author featuring anxiety-ridden Markus Simonsen shows how the "shortest, scrawniest boy in class 6B" manages to finagle a date with a gorgeous TV actress. Markus may be short of stature, but his imagination is huge. Besides fabricating outlandish adventure stories, he also writes letters to celebrities, making up lies about himself in hopes of gaining an autograph. ("I am sitting in my wheelchair, blinded by tears," he writes to a famous author.") He outdoes himself when he writes to soap-opera star Diana Mortensen, claiming to be a Norwegian mountain-climbing millionaire. Not only does Diana send a letter back, she asks to meet him in person. Although pulling off an encounter seems impossible at first, Markus, with the help of his overly confident sidekick, Sigmund, comes up with a scheme that just might work. Opposites in almost every way, Markus and Sigmund make a hilarious duo. Their conversations, predicaments and dilemmas make for some priceless moments as they bone up on etiquette in order to pass as millionaires; then invite two female classmates to an expensive French restaurant to practice their skills. The author's sense of comedic timing and vibrant depiction of characters prove effective in conveying the lighter side of middle-school angst. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.\ \ \ \ \ VOYA\ - Alice F. Stern\ Markus, nicknamed Wormster, is a shy, awkward, unpopular thirteen-year-old who is only comfortable when he is pretending to be someone else. He tries on different personas when writing to celebrities to ask for their autographs. Markus ends up in a correspondence with a beautiful TV star who thinks that she is writing to a thirty-year-old millionaire. The actress becomes so enamored of Markus's fake self that she decides travel to Norway to meet him. With the encouragement of his only friend, the fearless Sigmund, Markus must find a way out of the web of deceit that he has created. Translated from the Norwegian and first published in 1997, this novel is one of a series about the intelligent, likeable Markus. There are some clever, laugh-out-loud moments, particularly when the boys commit an etiquette book to memory and begin to practice their new manners publicly. The setting will be refreshing and totally understandable to a young American audience. This charming, well-written story is sure to have broad appeal to a middle school audience. Recommend it to fans of Sachar, Spinelli, and Gantos's Joey Pigza. Readers can only hope that the rest of the series makes its way across the sea.\ \ \ Children's Literature\ - Leslie Wolfson\ This YA novel may bring to mind the plot of a Disney film. In an unlikely but Hollywood-ish premise, social misfit Markus "Wormster" Simonsen has a hobby of writing letters to famous people pretending to be someone else. He writes Diana Mortensen, a beautiful American actress, posing as a millionaire. She answers his letter, intimately, as if responding to a personal ad. This is in spite of Markus' obviously childish handwriting and the fact that he claims in the first sentence, "I am a Norwegian mountain climber and millionaire" which would make most people suspicious. Assisted by his best friend, the manipulative but highly intelligent Sigmund, Markus keeps up the charade, with the story culminating in a meeting between boy and movie star. Both Markus and Sigmund are only twelve and seem more sophisticated than American kids of the same age. Markus has his endearing moments, while Sigmund is merely annoying; readers may wonder why they are friends. Originally published in 1997, this novel is part of a popular series written by a Norwegian author; it was recently translated into English.\ \ \ \ \ School Library JournalGr 4-6-Although the books about Markus enjoy popularity in the author's native Norway, they may be a tougher sell to an American audience. The timid sixth-grader is afraid of almost everything (especially girls). His hobby is writing letters to celebrities, while claiming to be someone else and requesting an autographed picture for Markus. Egged on by his confident friend Sigmund, the boy writes to beautiful actress Diana Mortensen, pretending to be a sensitive millionaire. His growing infatuation with her leads to madcap adventures when she decides to come to Norway after her soap-opera character is killed off. Many preteens will empathize with the boy's shyness and root for him to gain confidence, but this title doesn't stand out from the many other books with similar themes.-Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.\ \ \ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsHeights paralyze, darkness terrifies and just about everything worries the cautious Markus Simonsen, a Norwegian sixth-grader. However, Markus lets himself live a little through autograph requests that he sends to famous people. In his requests, Markus creates personas ranging from a distraught widow to a track star, all begging for autographs. Markus's hobby seems harmless until, while posing as a 36-year-old millionaire, the young Markus contacts the starlet Diana Mortensen, who suggests meeting up when she visits Norway. Partnered with his geeky friend, Sigmund, the duo transforms the awkward Markus into Markus Jr., a suave millionaire's son through a humorously misguided crash course in millionaire etiquette. Unfortunately, the much awaited meeting with Diana is anticlimactic and feels flimsy-though it does showcase Markus's growth and newfound willingness to take risks. The translation is smooth and unnoticeable, except for the presence of foreign first names and cities, which adds a slightly exotic flavor to the text. Quirky and humorous. (Fiction. 10-13)\ \
