Nine-year-old Thomas often sees what others do not—tropical fish in city canals, the extraordinary beauty of Eliza, a girl with a prosthetic leg, and the kindness of an elderly neighbor whom everyone thinks is a witch. He also sees Jesus, who often visits Thomas for a chat. But besides this, he sees his father beat his mother, and even Jesus is powerless here. Only thanks to his friends does Thomas one day realize that to be happy, you simply have to stop being afraid. "The Book of All Things", a novella by the famous Dutch writer Gijs Koster, became an absolute worldwide bestseller almost immediately after its publication. In 2005, the book was awarded the Belgian literary prize "Golden Owl", and in 2010, a highly successful stage adaptation was first performed in Australia. For middle school age.
