Norwegian / Norway
Buffy By er talentfull. En selvbiografie
(Buffy By is talented. An autobiography)
Arvola, Ingeborg
(text)
Brech, Nora
(illus.)
Oslo: Cappelen Damm, 2019. – 254 p.
ISBN 978-82-02-60957-3
Poverty | Solidarity | Team spirit | Skiing
Reading age: 10+
White Ravens issue: 2020
Buffy, her mother, and her brother live in Oslo. Money is tight, so they often eat crispbread, but somehow they make do. When a free slalom class is offered, Buffy can hardly believe her luck: She simply HAS to join. She buys a pair of second-hand skis, grabs some forgotten winter clothes from the school’s lost items box, and off she goes. Soon it becomes evident: Buffy By is talented. Her trainer is eager to take her on the school’s ski trip, and there’s nothing the girl would like better; but such a trip costs money. Buffy is at a loss, even though she usually sports a steadfast happy-go-lucky mentality and manages to achieve a lot with very little. In this novel, Ingeborg Arvola creates something of a utopian society: Despite the fact that Buffy’s family is poor, there is no bullying or envy. Instead, Buffy shows how important it is to believe in yourself and your dreams – even without a wallet full of money. [IG]