Representing the best
Finnish authors abroad
Finnish authors abroad
Nelli spots Wills in the street and shouts after him but Wills doesn’t seem to hear her and just disappears around a corner.
Rose is surprised when she sees Wills in the shops as Wills is supposed to be at home, vacuuming. Alfred, their downstairs neighbour, invites Wills fishing but Wills does not turn up at the lake at the agreed time. What is going on?
“It’s a conman – someone acting as my doppelganger,” Wills says, angrily.
Rose is frightened. Especially when she hears tales of shadowy beings that suddenly appear in some people’s lives. “What if this double is a parallel image of Wills?” she wonders.
Wills and Nelli decide to uncover the identity of the double. Why has that boy suddenly appeared in town? Why is Rose hiding her photo album away? Does it contain something that points to the answer?
Wills and Nelli track down the album and find a clue. By the end of the summer, all of their lives have changed: this doppelganger has opened the window to a world they never even knew existed.
The Wills & Nelli books by Sinikka Nopola (b. 1963) and Tiina Nopola (b. 1971) have been popular in Finland for over 20 years. Now films, plays, and songs that are based on the books are further increasing their popularity.
W&N: Shy Elmer, 2019
W&N: Julia the Schemer, 2018
W&N: The Artist Within, 2017
W&N: Something in Common, 2016
W&N: The Unusual Suspects, 2015
W&N: The Scrooge of Seville, 2014
W&N: The Lookalike, 2013
W&N: Nelli’s Plight, 2012
Illustrated by Christel Rönns
W&N: Wills’ New Dad, 2011
W&N: Star Struck, 2009
W&N: The Last Ice-Cream, 2007
W&N: A Gaming Frenzy, 2006
W&N: Teacher’s Pet, 2004
W&N: The Persistent Pimple, 2003
W&N: Dandy Andy, 2002
W&N: Freezer Fran, 2001
Wills & Nelli, 2000
Wills McFinn and the Horrible Sausage, 1998
Wills McFinn, 1997
Illustrated by Aino Havukainen & Sami Toivonen
104pp
Colour illustrated
Age: 8+
Finnish PDF
Series synopsis
Arabic (Dar Al Saqi)
Brazilian (Sds Editora)
Bulgarian (Faber)
Danish (Turbine)
Danish (Carlsen)
Estonian (Varrak)
Finnish, Sámi (Abc-Company)
French (Pocket Jeunesse), six book deal
Hungarian (Cerkabella)
Japanese (Komine Shoten)
Latvian (Zvaigzne)
Lithuanian (Nieko Rimto)
Polish (Foksal)
Slovenian (Sodobnost)
Spanish (Santillana)
Swedish (Bonnier Carlsen)
Turkish (Altin Kitaplar)
“The enduring popularity of Wills reflects the fact that Sinikka and Tiina have managed to keep their readership happy… the Nopolas are masters of charming storytelling and skillful language.” — Savon Sanomat newspaper