My Happy Life

I have to be honest.  When I first finished My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz, I wondered, “What was that about?”  It didn’t particularly strike me as a great book.

But the more I thought about it, the more the story grew on me and the more I liked it.

Dani, the main character, is the happiest girl she knows.  She goes to sleep counting the reasons why she’s happy.  One reason is that she is going to start school in the morning.

At school, Dani meets Ella, another girl who looks lonely on the playground.  They become best friends and spend lots of time together.

But then, Ella moves.  And all sorts of bad things happen to Dani.  Can she really be happy again?

While My Happy Life didn’t make me laugh out loud, nor was is mysterious or suspenseful, it was a sweet story of a young girl and her very real life.  This book is great as a read-aloud to preschoolers with lots of pictures (lovely ones by Eva Eriksson) and short chapters – both of which also make it a good choice for younger elementary students who are advanced readers, but not ready for more action-packed books.

Highly recommended for ages 3 (as a read-aloud) to 9 (as a reader – depending upon reading ability).