Anton and Piranha

Anton is going on holiday with his grandparents to a campsite. He can just about tolerate this, until he finds out that there is no swimming pool, only a murky, slimy lake. Anton’s grandparents worry about him, so in order to keep them happy, he promises to make friends and enjoy himself: not, as it turns out, in the way most people would do, as he bonds with a fish his granddad has caught from the lake. As the end of the week draws near, Anton realises he will have to let his friend go back to where he belongs and must confront his worst fears of the slimy lake. A happy ending follows with promises to newfound friends to return next summer. Readers will warm to Anton, who is not the coolest kid to know, and will be drawn to sympathise with his real and honest distaste for the lake, his struggles with Poodle, the coolest character on the campsite, and his eccentric character as he rigs up a vehicle to transport Piranha from his remote controlled car. His inner dialogue is amusing and revealing. Occasional small black and white illustrations supplement the text with humour. This novel won the 2011 German Youth Literature Prize and has been seamlessly translated for the UK reader.