Glass Frogs: Three Stories About Choice

"Somewhere in South America, glass frogs live. You look at one, and you see everything inside it. People are like glass frogs. They are filled with thoughts, intentions, reasons, always wanting something and imagining themselves as someone often far from... their real selves." Thus, the heroine of Natalia Vishnyakova's story characterizes those around her. The characters in all three stories in this collection seem to be transparent... Until it turns out that everything is not so simple. A person especially reveals themselves in situations of difficult choice. In the world of sports, such a choice arises, perhaps, more often than in everyday life. But these stories are not about scores, points, or speed. They are about human relationships, about what a person considers most important. The heroes are aged 11 to 15. Football, figure skating, or artistic gymnastics are just the backdrop that makes it clearer who is worth what. The collection contains three stories. One of them, "Voluntary Exercises" by Tatiana Sergeeva, has already been published by "KompasGuide". Maria Boteva's story "Football Coach Chistyakov" (longlist of the "Kniguru 2022" award) and Natalia Vishnyakova's story "The Start Invites You" (V. Krapivin Award, "Professional Jury's Choice") are new. However, these authors are also well-known to readers.