When I came across this Norwegian middle grade book in translation at Netgalley, I couldn’t resist since I was familiar with the author, was drawn to the cover, and liked the premise. On the last day of 6th grade when Nora’s classmates share all sorts of foreign vacation plans for the summer, Nora ends up lying about an upcoming trip to the tropics. However, she is outed by a new boy in class who lives in her apartment complex. The summer spirals into much more than she ever expected in so many ways. It was a very enjoyable and heartwarming book about a 12-year-old’s desire to fit in and make friends with the added difficulty and pressure of social media and socio-economic differences, and there were many examples of Norwegian culture present, my favorite being the summertime shrimp.

Absolutely beautiful! This book perfectly captures the innocence of those long childhood summers, stretched out in front of you with nothing but potential and the promise of freedom.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

An incredibly enjoyable book that I would have loved to have read as a younger woman. To explore language in this way is a joy!

I loved reading this book. It reminded me of the days when I used to play with my siblings, and make believe places, times, and things to do there. I loved the way that Nora and Wilmer interacted, but it was so sad when the two snooty girls showed up.
I felt sorry for Nora, when she pretended to go on holiday, and tried to be like the other kids in her class. It seemed that Wilmer was more down to earth, and was a much better friend.
This style of book, is a must read for any young adult, or middle grade reader, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone in that age group.

Marianne Kaurin really dug deep into being a 6th grader in Our Own Little Paradise. It discusses serious topics of wanting to fit in, the idea of whom we want to be friends with, talks about different social classes and the struggles of trying to fit in. It is a good length and it covers so much so it is fast-paced. The second story in the book was a great touch to help see the same issue Nora was facing but from a different time period and with a different outcome.