Babbis Friis-Baastad (1921–1970)

Mikkel, 13 yrs old, feels the burden of being an older sibling to a mentally challenged brother. Yet when Teddy throws a stone that knocks out another boy's tooth, Mikkel is afraid Teddy will be taken by the police and put away. While their parents are away on errands & work, Mikkel makes plans to hide with Teddy at their uncle's mountain cottage. He has enough money saved for their train ride to the closest city, but needs to be wary of adults wondering about what they are doing. Getting Teddy to co-operate isn't very easy, and the hike up the mountain takes more than a day. They are ill-prepared for the weather and have insufficient food.
This older story, translated from the Norwegian, doesn't give much explanation of Norwegian culture which would be helpful to American readers who don't know the landscape or the monetary and mileage systems. It's a good portrayal of a brother's concerns, but is better presented as a historical story than as current events.… (más)