Adventures with Waffles

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY Parr, M., Puzey, G., & Forrester, K. (2015). Adventures with waffles. Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2015. ISBN 9780763672812 B. PLOT SUMMARY Who says a boy and girl can’t be best friends? Adventures with Waffles tells the story of  just that! Trille and Lena are complete opposites. Trille is a 9 year old caring boy and Lena is a 9 year insensitive girl. However, Trille and Lena are inseparable and they have a common interest. They are addicted to going on random adventures together even if it means getting into trouble! Lena is a very mischievous girl and the mastermind of all these adventures that goes south, but that doesn’t discourage Trille from being her best friend. Above all, the only thing Trille is worried about is if Lena feels the same way about him.  When tragedy strikes, Trille will begin to question many things in his world including their friendship. C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS Adventures with Waffles is a recommended read for ages 9 and up.  Many young  readers will connect with the overall theme of friendship, family, and adventure! There are many cultural markers I found in this book including food, clothing, celebrations, and  dialect. The author naturally integrates the Norwegian culture into this book. For example, the delicious waffles that Trille and Lena are addicted to happens to be very popular in Norway. In addition, readers will learn that Norwegian people still wear wooden clogs as a form of footwear.  Trille’s traditional family home life is another cultural element because it seems Norwegian families stay in the same household and are really close-knit. D. REVIEW EXCERPTS “With simply rendered illustrations that zero in on key elements of the story, Forrester extends the charm of this tale.Filled with both rollicking escapades and poignant moments, Parr’s notable tale portrays a young boy’s heartfelt appreciation of family and friends.” —Kirkus Reviews “Recommended for public and school libraries, this will be useful as supplementary material in units about day-to-day life in another country.” —School Library Journal E. CONNECTIONS Here are more books about friendship! Pennypacker, S. (2014). Summer of the gypsy moths. ISBN 0061964204 Bowe, J. (2008). My last best friend. ISBN 0152061975 Stead, R. (2017). Liar & spy.ISBN 0375850872