"Opposites in almost every way, Markus and Sigmund make a hilarious duo. Their conversations, predicaments and dilemmas make for some priceless moments. ... The author's sense of comedic timing and vibrant depiction of characters prove effective in conveying the lighter side of middle-school angst."
     —Publishers Weekly

"This novel is one of a series about the intelligent, likeable Markus. There are some clever, laugh-out-loud moments, particularly when the boys commit an etiquette book to memory and begin to practice their new manners publicly. The setting will be refreshing and totally understandable to a young American audience. Recommend it to fans of Sachar, Spinelli, and Gantos's Joey Pigza. Readers can only hope that the rest of the series makes its way across the sea."
     —Voice of Youth Advocates

"Beneath the slapstick and the wish-fulfillment lies a deftly handled tale of childhood fears and a touching portrait of two relationships, a boy and his sad-sack single dad, and a boy and his kindly, supportive friend."
     —Horn Book

"Quirky and humorous."
     —Kirkus Reviews

"Many preteens will empathize with the boy's shyness and root for him to gain confidence."
     —School Library Journal

"The tenderness of this heartwarming shy-guy-makes-good story is balanced by Markus' self-effacing humor and Sigmund's old-physicist-in-a-kid's-body quirkiness. Markus' relationship with his father...is deftly drawn in all its spiderweb complexity of seeming fragility and subtle strength. The story is sweet in the best sense, as the boys demonstrate the gains in sardonic worldly wisdom that come from being chronic social misfits.. ...Published in Norway in 1997, this is the first of the Markus adventures to be imported to the U.S. (it's also been made into a film); let's hope others soon follow, since Markus is the kind of character who inspires a cult following."
     —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This English translation means that millions more middle readers can now enjoy this self-deprecating young hero. ...The translator...has done a superb job of making this gentle, witty novel accessible to American tweens."
     —ForeWord