This is a fantastic series for young kids with a great main figure. The book is a special edition for all the Carlotta fans before the newest book will come out in the fall of 2017. An English title could sound like this: Carlotta – Boarding school and snowstorm. I love this series. There is a lot of heart, friendship, and warmth in it and the setting is a beautiful old castle. And the other thing that makes this new book so great: Sofie is back!
Carlotta_Internat Und Schneegestöber*
by Dagmar HoßfeldCarlotta Series #6.5
Publisher Carlsen on September 29, 2016
Genre Children 10+
Pages 261
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶½
The Theater AG is rehearsing Charles Dickens´ A Christmas Carol at Castle Prinzensee. The joy is immense when Carlotta learns that Sofie will give a concert with the orchestra of her Belgian boarding school at the castle. But suddenly the temperatures slip into the cellar. It starts to snow and just doesn´t stop. The roads are blocked because of snow drifts. The castle is closed off. Nobody can get in, no one comes out. And now? (personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary)
Story
Carlotta had actually planned to go with her mother, stepfather, and the twins on a Christmas trip to Norway. But heavy snowfall and an icy winter storm have other plans with her. So she stays and endures Manu´s crazy way to get used to the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Takes pictures wherever she can, enjoys the beauty of the park, and some quality time with Jonas. Until a few seconds of joy destroy all her plans.
Style
This novel is written from Carlotta´s personal view in the past tense. She lets the reader see how she feels, what she thinks and believes, and that not everything is in unison with her. The Barbie´s (the girls´ clique with the blond hair, dressed all the same and who can´t live without their Smartphones and the internet) are some real bitches and complaining all the time. Dagmar Hoßfeld has a great way to show how Carlotta deals with them. The dialogues are fun to read, with a lot of wit in it, and how Manu responds to one of the Barbie´s when she is complaining that she still has no connection with her Smartphone is hilarious. I cracked up when I read that line and laughed tears. The author´s style is simple but effective. With only a few words she describes the landscape and scenery. Shows the beauty of winter and what a family means.
I was so thrilled when I read that Sofie, the girl from Belgium, would be appearing again. She has such a lovely way to speak with her nice accent, how she says things, and sometimes gets corrected by Carlotta in a really wonderful way. I missed her deeply when she was removed from the series.
Characters
Carlotta has grown quite a bit. Now a beautiful teenage girl, she knows exactly what she wants. Taking pictures and travel the world. Connect with new cultures and people and see how others live. Her parents are divorced and her mother got remarried and has now twins whom Carlotta loves dearly. What they give her a few weeks before Christmas is so sweet, I almost cried.
Conclusion
And she did it again. This book is pure fun, contains lovely characters, and lets you wish you could be a teenager again and living in a castle together with your dearest friends. For every Carlotta fan, this book is a must-have!
Happy reading
*This book was at the time of review only available in the German language. The summary beneath the Goodreads-link is a personal translation.
Dagmar Hoßfeld
Dagmar Hoßfeld was born 1960 in Kiel, Germany. When she was a child, she wanted to become a veterinarian, farmer or studs owner. The fact that she has decided otherwise, is due to her son. When he was about half a year old, she was eager to write a children´s book. She sat down at her desk – and didn´t stop writing. Luckily! Dagmar Hoßfeld lives in a little village between the Baltic Sea and the Schlei and, as she says, has the most beautiful profession in the world: author.
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