Nicholas in Trouble

Following the success of Nicholas, Nicholas Again, Nicholas on Vacation, and Nicholas and the Gang, this is the equally funny and charming fifth title in this well-loved series of books, now available to English-speaking children all over the world. In Nicholas in Trouble, the gang sells raffle tickets for a good cause, learns how to cross the road safely, and brings all kinds of interesting things to school to the surprise and consternation of their long-suffering teacher.

In Nicholas, Goscinny and Sempe have created an archetypal schoolchild whose world of mishaps, confusions, and downright naughtiness are sure to raise a smile, whatever the age of the reader. Written between 1959 and 1965, these classic books are loved by readers around the globe. They offer not only a hilarious and entertaining read but a vivid description of French life and culture. Though the books are clearly set in a more innocent past, the charming world conjured up in this book is instantly familiar, full of situations almost everyone who has ever been seven years old can relate to without any trouble at all: being made to write thank-you letters, having to endure older relatives who keep insisting on giving you a kiss, and all those arguments with your friends that seem like the most important thing in the world one day, and are happily forgotten the next.

The Nicholas stories are considered classics and available in twenty-six languages. The tales of Nicholas and his friends delight both children and adults, and they are regularly used as teaching materials by primary and junior school French teachers. The sublimely innocent Nicholas is firmly established as a literary cult figure, having charmed millions of readers worldwide since the series was first published over forty years ago. Nicholas in Trouble was translated from the original French by the award-winning translator Anthea Bell, who also helped bring Asterix the Gaul to the Anglophone world.

Nicholas and Nicholas and the Gang were both honored with the Mildred L. Batchelder Award for Outstanding Children's Books Originally Published in a Foreign Language, the former in 2006 and the latter in 2008.

Customer Reviews:

What joy Nicholas brings

By cobiko "cobiko" - July 29, 2009

I will base my review on all the Nicholas books, not just Nicholas in Trouble.

I first read Nicholas when I was a child. Thirty years later, I've read them again. I related to Nicholas when I was younger, and now I relate to the parents, being a parent myself. The stories are even funnier now that I can see the parent's perspective. You have to have the right frame of reference as to when and where these stories are written; even then, these are hilarious. I let my 9-year-old read them, and we both laugh at the things Nicholas does. (I just have to have a talk with him after he reads, as to what is right and what is wrong, but even then, the stories are pretty innocent.)

These books are beautifully bound, the illustrations are Sempe's original, and the pages are nice and substantial. Wonderful books and stories.

An excellent book

By alligator - May 30, 2011

I am a 9 year old I like this book because it is just-right for me. I like this book because every chapter is like a small story that is happening. Every chapter isn't too long and it isn't too short. When you read this book you can notice that all the pictures are black and white. This book gives us a lot of detail in the pictures, so you can know what is happening. Some parts of this book are really funny, and it never gets boring. That is why you should read this book "Nicholas in Trouble." I recommend this book to children who are 8-10 years old.