The Gnork Family
By Line Halsnes, Thoralf Fagertun
Jungle medicine, smart boys and the most important football match in the world!
Tom misses his best friend Martin, who is half-dead in hospital. Together they would have won the incredibly important football match against their abominable arch-enemy Preben and his team, but without Martin all will surely be lost. When the Gnork family moves from the jungle to Tom’s boring small town, a spark of hope is lit. If Tom does the Gnork family a favour, they will make him a natural miracle cure that will restore Martin’s health and make him fit for the match. As they attempt to make the medicine, crocodiles, cats and whales are all roped in as guinea pigs, with unexpected con- sequences, and all the while Preben and his evil plans lurk in the shadows…
The Gnork Family is a wacky and cheerful tale about friends, enemies, spider hunts, flying crocodiles and home-made medicines with unbelievable side effects. And football, of course.
The book features charming and funny illustrations by Line Halsnes.
Thoralf Fagertun (b. 1980) works in research dis- semination. He is literary scholar and studied writing at the Norwegian Children’s Book Institute. The Gnork Family is his first book.
Line Halsnes (b. 1981) is an illustrator and author. She has created her own picture books, as well as illustrating others’.
Read an interview with author Thoralf Fagertun here (in Norwegian only) Read the interview in English her
Named one of the three best children’s books of the year by the newspaper Vårt Land.
Nominated to the Avid Reader Award 2023/2024.
“Funny scenes follow each other in finely punctuated chapters that at the same time have a clear tension curve. Are you still in doubt about which book should be under the tree for all children between the ages of nine and eleven?” Astrid Fosvold, Periskop
“The Gnork family is a fast-paced story about friendship, football, large crocodiles with sparkling teeth, flying blue whales and annoying rich boys. (…)The humorous story constantly takes new turns and surprises the reader time and time again!” Nynorskbok.no
“The Gnork family is a novel about grief and friendship, cooked together in a big pot where cuddly crocodiles, huge spiders and a rocking tiger are natural ingredients. Out of this wild mixture comes a story so crazy and full of charm that there is nothing else to do but look forward to the next book from Thoralf Fagertun.” From the nomination text for the Debutant Prize Trollkrittet.
Translation rights sold to Denmark.