Timid, Norwegian sixth-grader Markus Simonsen writes outlandish let ters to celebrities, pretending to be someone else in hopes of adding to his autograph collection. He writes to the beautiful actress Diana Mortensen, claiming to be a thirty-six-year-old, mountain-climbing millionaire. They exchange letters, and she decides to come to Norway to meet him. With the help of his intelligent and fearless sidekick friend Sigmund, he works up a scheme for the encounter. Scenes are hilarious, charming, and creative in this story, which was first published in 1997 and is part of a popular series written by the Norwegian author. 2007 USBBY Outstanding International Books List. mjw

Originally published as Markus og Diana: Lyset fra Sirius in Norwegian by Aschehoug Norway, in 1994. Translated by Tara Chace.

Timid Markus Simonsen wants to learn to be himself in this USBBY Outstanding International Book. He is afraid of almost everything. But when he writes fan mail to famous people, he becomes somebody else: a blind widow bound to a wheelchair who longs for an autograph of a famous novelist, or a young sportsman whose career was destroyed by doping. One day Markus writes to the famous actress Diana Mortensen, pretending to be a sensitive millionaire who is able to understand the drawbacks of fame. When she responds, Markus is drawn into a humorous adventure that requires him to invent still more stories. In the end Markus realizes that he wants to experience something more difficult: he wants to be himself.