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Emil and the Detectives

author: Erich Kästner (1928)
date added: 2015-08-06
date read: 2004-12-01
pages: 224
author: gender:male, origin:german
awards: five-stars
genre: kids
language: german
rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Cover of Emil and the Detectives.

Charming adventures in Berlin of the 1920s? Children taking on adults together? Wild chases and solidarity? All this, and more. Emil is infinitely relatable as he travels to the big city, is robbed and tries to recover the money. Emil is just a good kid in a bad situation, and seeing him grow and manage to muddle through and make friends is heart-warming.

Fun Fact

This book is the reason why Astrid Lindgren’s Emil is called Michel in German. Can’t have two Emils, apparently!

Quotes

Wenn man sagt: „Das tut mir aber wirklich leid“, so meint man meistens gar nichts weiter als: „Mensch, lass mich bloß in Ruhe!“

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Cover of Kalle Blomquist.

Kalle Blomquist

by Astrid Lindgren · published 1946 · read 1998-09-01
★★★★★
Another junior detective.
Cover of Der Räuber Hotzenplotz.

Der Räuber Hotzenplotz

by Otfried Preußler · published 1962 · read 1999-09-01
★★★★☆
Less serious, but also kids taking it upon themselves to deal with criminal adults.
Cover of Das fliegende Klassenzimmer.

Das fliegende Klassenzimmer

by Erich Kästner · published 1933 · read 2001-07-01
★★★★★
Also has children who have to deal with all sorts of trouble on their own.
Cover of Pünktchen und Anton.

Pünktchen und Anton

by Erich Kästner · published 1931 · read 2001-01-01
★★☆☆☆
Emil and Anton are the same person.