Arnfinn Kolerud - Selected Title Author

What is your book about?

The book is about Ivar (12) who gets his first summer job. He takes on small jobs in his village and earns a few kroner – but then, his parents decide that allowance will be reversed! Now, Ivar has to pay allowance to his mom and dad. They think this is how Ivar will learn about responsibility and get a taste of how life will be as an adult.

At the same time, Ivar’s best friend, Maja, gets a job at a cafe. One day, a strange boy with wavy hair and a kayak paddle shows up. He knows a lot of words that Ivar doesn’t, and soon, Maja wants to spend more time with this boy than with Ivar.

It ends up being a hectic summer for Ivar when he has to pay money to his parents and fight to win his best friend back.

What inspired you to write this book?

I think it must’ve been my own safe and sheltered upbringing. I was twenty-five when I got my first job, and I’ve always avoided practical work. I can’t fix things or fish, tie a proper knot, or cut down trees with a chainsaw. I regret that a bit now. I shouldn’t have ended up as such an un-handyman! That’s why I decided I could at least write about the opposite – about a young boy who has to start learning about the things you don’t learn at school from an early age.

Also – I know a bit about a boy’s emotions when he feels like a girl is growing apart from him.

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