Timo Parvela

Timo Parvela (b. 1964) is the number one children’s author in Finland. He has a unique ability to capture a child’s mentality, and he always does it with both a sense of humour and a touch of magic.

Parvela’s versatile works have made their way into the public consciousness: his books have been adapted for theatre and there’s even been a film based on his hugely popular Ella series. Parvela’s work is often used in the Finnish school curriculum. As a former teacher, Parvela enjoys being involved with educational book projects. Parvela’s works are adored by literary critics and readers alike: they’re continuously on top of bestseller lists.

Timo Parvela has received the most important children’s and youth literature prizes in Finland. The translation rights to his work been sold in Europe and in Asia and translation rights to Parvela’s books have been sold more than 30 languages.

Timo Parvela’s awards include:

2024 Shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award
2021 Nominated for the Finlandia C&YA Prize for The Clones
2021 Nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Prize for Shadows 1: The Jingle
2019 Pro Finlandia medal
2019 Nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Prize for The Whisperer’s Lair
2017 Runeberg Junior Prize for Pete’s Fishing Book
2015 Shortlisted for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA)
2014 The Finlandia Prize
2013 Shortlisted for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA)
2010 Finnish Kalevala Society prize for the Guardians of Sampo series
2009 WSOY Literary Foundation Reward for his Exceptional Merits as an Author
2008 Koura Prize for the TV script Sky in Fir
2008 Plättä Prize for Ella Hits the Jackpot
2007 Topelius Prize for Fireblade, Guardians of Sampo, Part 1
2006 Finlandia Junior prize for The Seesaw
2005 Book Club Reward for his Exceptional Merits as an Author
1989 and 1997 H.C. Andersen Honour List Diploma

Selected Works

Mission Nearly Impossible -series
Mission Nearly Impossible 1. The Marked Child
Mission Nearly Impossible 2: Into Thin Air
Mission Nearly Impossible 3: Master of the Web
Mission Nearly Impossible 4: Castor’s Heart
Mission Nearly Impossible 5: The Hunt

Shadows -trilogy
Shadows: Book 1. The Jingle, 2021
Shadows: Book 2. Auroria, 2022
Shadows: Book3: Krampus, 2022

Purdy & Barker series
Purdy & Barker, 2007
Purdy & Barker and the Giant Snowball, 2009
Purdy & BarkerBuild a House, 2010
Purdy & Barker’s Big Adventure, 2011
Purdy & Barker and Bear Growler, 2012
Purdy & Barker’s Book of Stories, 2013
Purdy & Barker’s Little Book of Friendship, 2013
Purdy & Barker’s Snout Book, 2014
Purdy & Barker’s Travel Book, 2015
Purdy & Barker Have a Good Day, 2017
The Best of Purdy & Barker, 2019

Pete series
Pete’s Blog, 2014
Pete’s Football Book, 2015
Pete’s Fishing Book, 2016
Pete’s Treasure Hunt, 2017
Pete, the King of the Jungle, 2018
Pete and the Monster of Black Ness, 2019
Pete and the Savannah Heroes, 2020
Pete and the Alaskan Treasure, 2021
Pete and the Sunken City, 2022
Pete and the Space Games, 2023
Pete and Magasound, 2024

Ella series:

Ella & Friends Third Graders include:

Ella & Friends: Saviors of the Baltic Sea, 2024
Ella & Friends: Naturally smarter than AI, 2024
Ella & Friends: Raiders of the Lost Story, 2023
Ella & Friends: Beacons of Hope, 2023
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 include:

Ella & Friends Ahoy There, 2020
Ella & Friends as Kings, 2019
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

Kepler62 series
Season 1: Kepler62
Book 1: The Invitation, 2015
Book 2: The Countdown , 2015
Book 3: The Voyage , 2016
Book 4: The Pioneers, 2016
Book 5: The Virus, 2017
Book 6: The Secret, 2017
Season 2: Kepler62 The New World
Book 1: Two Tribes, 2018
Book 2: The Island, 2019
Book 3: The Whisperer’s Lair, 2019
Book 4: The Cave, 2020
Book 5: Gaia, 2020
Season 3: Keper62 Terra
Book 1: The Clones, 2021
Book 2: Heart, 2022