The Amazing Adventures of Groana Schmitt

Publisher: Carl Hanser Verlag

Mona's parents call her Groana because she's sometimes grumpy and loses her temper. She and her mother have moved out of their home and into a strange flat on the other side of town. Mona doesn't know why, and plans to put things right as soon as possible. At her new school, she reluctantly makes friends with a boy called Mo. Mo knows why the new flat is so strange: it was designed for people with disabilities. Later, Mona runs into her dad with another woman and refuses to talk to him.

Mona's mum reveals that she's ill and is going to get worse, and that's why they've moved into the disabled-friendly flat. Mona's eccentric grandfather comforts her, but she goes to her dad's place and has a huge, destructive tantrum. At the end of the book she goes to Mo's birthday party - a trip to McDonald's with his dad, his dad's carer and two prison guards. The book ends with a letter made of newspaper cuttings, telling Mona's dad to take care of the people he loves, or else…

Original Title: Die erstaunlichen Abenteuer der Maulina Schmitt

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