The Center of the World (novel) facts for kids

The Center of the World (which means Die Mitte der Welt in German) is a book written by Andreas Steinhöfel in 1998. It tells a story about growing up, dealing with new feelings, envy and jealousy, friendship, and finding love. The book was nominated for the German Youth Literature Award. It was translated into English by Alisa Jaffa and published in the UK as Centre of My World.

The Story

The main part of the story begins when Phil's best friend, Kat (whose real name is Katja), comes back from her summer holiday. This part of the story covers the time from July until a little after New Year's Day the next year. The book also includes many memories from the past, called flashbacks.

Phil is seventeen years old. He has a twin sister named Dianne. His best friend is Kat. His mother, Glass, is a bit unusual and often has new boyfriends. Phil remembers some of these men well. For example, there was Martin, the gardener. Glass hired him because her garden at 'Visible' was very wild. 'Visible' is the name of the big house Glass got from her sister Stella. The story mainly focuses on Phil's journey of growing up and the challenges he faces every day.

Phil lives with his mother and sister in the huge house called 'Visible'. It is a bit far from their town. Most people in the town do not often talk to this unique family. The main person who does is Phil's best friend Kat. She is the daughter of their school's principal. Kat often visits Phil even though her parents told her not to. Another important person is Tereza, a lawyer. She is a friend of the family and helps Phil a lot, like a mentor.

The book shares the family's past through emotional stories. These include tales about Phil's father, who is no longer around. There are also stories about an uncle who was like a father figure. And there are childhood memories of Phil and Dianne. The parts of the story happening now show Phil's feelings for Nicholas. They also show conversations with his mentor and arguments between his sister and mother. The story is told from Phil's point of view, meaning he is the one telling it.

Characters

• Phil: He is 17 years old and tells the story. Not knowing his real father has left a gap in his life. He is trying to understand himself and his feelings.
• Dianne: She is Phil's twin sister. They used to be very close. Now, Phil misses their closeness and does not understand why Dianne has become distant.
• Glass: She is Dianne and Phil's mother. She came from the U.S. and has lived in Germany since she was pregnant. She inherited the big house 'Visible' after her sister Stella died.
• Tereza: She is a lawyer and Glass's boss. She is one of Phil's closest friends and someone he can talk to.
• Pascal: She is Tereza's girlfriend.
• Nicholas: He is from a wealthy family in town. He is a new student at Phil and Kat's school when the main story begins. Phil develops strong feelings for him.
• Katja ("Kat"): She is Phil's childhood best friend. They met in the hospital when Phil had an ear operation. Kat's father is the principal of their high school.

Awards

• 1999: Nominated for the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis.

Sequel: Defender – Geschichten aus der Mitte der Welt

The author wrote more stories about some of the characters in a book called 'Defender – Geschichten aus der Mitte der Welt'. This book was also nominated for the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis. It has not been translated into English yet.

Movie Adaptation

A movie based on the book came out on November 10, 2016. Jakob M. Erwa directed the film. It was made by Neue Schönhauser Filmproduktion, mojo:pictures, and Prisma Film. Universum Film distributed it. The movie received some money to help make it. Louis Hofmann played Phil, Jannik Schümann played Nicholas, and Svenja Jung played Kat. Other actors included Sabine Timoteo as Glass, Inka Friedrich and Nina Proll as Tereza and Pascal, Ada Philine Stappenbeck as Dianne, and Sascha Alexander Geršak as Glass's new boyfriend Michael.