AFK
It’s been years since Giovanni last got out of his room. Day and night, he is shut in his room, his eyes to the monitor, earphones on all the time, a videogame match after another. He weighs 130 kilos and knows that his parents call him “the Problem”. Emilia, his older sister, is not a “problem” at all: she looks and behaves like a perfectly normal 18-year-old girl. And yet, she is that is hiding a secret and is preparing to run away from home. And she is determined to drag Giovanni along. Taken away from his obsessive routine, he will be forced to open his eyes to the reality surrounding him, something he couldn’t even imagine.
From Andersen Award shortlisted author Alice Keller, a strong and touching novel about an hikikomori boy.
An authentic and powerful voice, rendered with highly literary writing, a story about the affection between brothers and the possibility, which is always there, to change one’s life.
By the same author or illustrator
-
Cece & Cice On the Sand
Two inseparable friends embrace the joyful adventures each season brings! It’s summer, and Cece and Cice are up bright and early, ready for the beach! With sun cream, shady specs and a cart full of supplies, they roll in the sand, dive into the sea, and vanish in the waves… only to pop up with a splash and a cheeky…
-
Cece & Cice In the Meadow
Two inseparable friends embrace the joyful adventures each season brings! Cece and Cice stretch out lazily in a sunny meadow, dozing beneath a parasol, snacking on boiled eggs atop a chequered cloth. But spring breezes are full of surprises — and soon everything’s up in the air, including them! With gentle humour and clever twists, this is another delightful day…
-
Cece & Cice On the Snow
Two inseparable friends embrace the joyful adventures each season brings! Cece and Cice won’t get out of bed — not in winter! But once they’re finally up, wrapped in hats, gloves and checkered scarves, it’s time to head out into the snow. They tumble, roll and disappear into snowy drifts… only to reappear with a surprise! With warmth, humour and…
-
Cece & Cice Among the Leaves
Two inseparable friends embrace the joyful adventures each season brings! Cece and Cice are two curious and cheeky little ones who turn an ordinary day into an adventure — ignoring the alarm, savouring hot tea and lemon marmalade, then finally getting out to explore! Between splashing in puddles and the joy of coming back to a warm home and putting…
-
At Night
It’s a quiet evening, in a living room two children are playing on the carpet. Suddenly, one of them notices a small door behind the books on the shelves. Crossing it, he finds himself outside, in the garden of their house. A large snowy owl glides towards him and invites him to come on board, for a wonderful journey through…
-
Tariq
Tariq lives in a tenement, one that has no lighting or water. Tariq performs poorly at school, he’s long been labeled: he’s the disturbing element, the hopeless one. Jasmine also lives in that tenement, but she’s different from all the other girls: Jasmine studies, she believes in herself, under her headscarf there’s a brilliant brain, while patience and determination are in…
-
Dear Mister G.
An unwelcome guest in the attic upsets the peaceful existence of Elvira and Concetta, two elderly ladies who have never left their village. First the mysterious noises, then a letter from the Houses & Attics Agency, addressed to a “Mr G.”: there is no doubt about it, it must be a ghost who has taken up residence in their attic!…
-
In the Whale’s Belly
It’s not easy when you are a kid and you got to go to school wearing a jacket you don’t like and a ripped tracksuit, your parents are separated, your mother always looks sad. But what would you do if one day your Mum didn’t come back home and you had to move on somehow on your own, while trying…










