My name is Ella. I’m still in the second grade. We have a nice class and a nice teacher. Or we used to. You see, our teacher disappeared and we won the lottery jackpot.
“What if the teacher’s wife kidnapped him?” I asked.
“That’s not possible. They’re married,” Hanna said doubtfully.
“My Dad says that Mom kidnapped him and forced him to go to the altar,” said Petey. ”And Mom says she wouldn’t have if she had known that no one would pay the ransom,” he continued.
Ella Hits the Jackpot is the ninth Ella book. This time the friends find a lottery ticket, lose it, look for an alibi, follow clues, empty the arts and crafts closet, and fill it again.
Timo Parvela (b.1964) is the number one children’s author in Finland and Ella & Friends is his longest standing series. He is a true master of capturing how children think in familiar situations and he always does it with a sense of humour and a touch of magic.
Ella & Friends Role Reversal, 2022
Ella & Friends on a Poop Trail, 2021
Ella & Friends Remote Schooling, 2021
Ella & Friends Finally in 3rd Grade, 2020
Ella & Friends Ahoy There!, due 2020
Ella & Friends Save the Earth, 2019
Ella & Friends as Kings, 2019
Ella & Friends in Concert, 2018
Ella & Friends as Master Chefs, 2018
Ella & Friends on their Way to Scout Jamboree, 2017
Ella & Friends – Horseplay, 2017
Ella & Friends in a Pickle, 2015
Ella & Friends in His Majesty’s Secret Service, 2016
Ella & Friends Build a Magic Machine, 2016
Ella & Friends Babysit, 2015
Ella & Friends Skip School, 2014
Ella & Friends in the Woods, 2013
Ella & the Lost Pointer, 2012
Ella & the Great Deeds of Sampo, 2011
Ella & Friends Have a Party, 2010
Ella & the Night Knight, 2010
Ella Hits the Jackpot, 2009
Ella & F1, 2008
Ella & the Seven Sillies, 2007
Ella – Watch Out for the Children!, 2006
Ella at Sea, 2005
Ella & the Superstar, 2004
Ella in Lapland, 2003
Ella at Night School, 2001
Ella & the New Boy in Class, 2000
Ella & Pete, 1999
Ella & the Holiday Camp, 1998
Ella on a School Trip, 1998
Ella in the Theatre, 1996
Ella & the Blackmailer, 1995
146pp
Black and white drawings
The Ella books have been published in Arabic/ME, Belarusian, Czech, Danish, Estonian, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Sámi and Persian
Finnish edition
German translation
Norwegian translation
“Parvela is in in his element. Gorgeous blundering that keeps you entertained.”– Anita Ruckerbauer, BN-News, Germany
“The Ella books are one of very few book about school that you even want to read during the holidays!”– Die Zeit, Germany
“Guaranteed nonsense and deliusions with Ella and her friends!” – Stéphane Larue, France
“The wordplay in the Ella books is clever, genuinely funny and just the right touch of moving. The fundamental message gets through without preaching.” – Savon Sanomat newspaper
“The themes of Ella Hits the Jackpot are money and lack of it, but Parvela knows how the turn trivial topics into a comical detective novel that both girls and boys will appreciate.” – Pohjolan Sanomat newspaper