A. Zhvalevsky, E. Pasternak

Time is always good

Feedback from test readers from LiveJournal

I've read it. Just super! Honestly, it was impossible to break away!

Here you know how to squeeze a tear out of the reader. I don’t understand why, but, reading the ending, I sat and squelched my nose.

Idea is class! And the absence / presence of books, and the division into a column, and the beating of the heart, and "eye to eye" - it's so vital. Great.

I read it in one breath. Let's drink, so to speak. Very good!!!

I was shamelessly late for training (it was impossible to break away), so I unsubscribe immediately, in hot pursuit, so to speak. Interesting and dynamic! Tears welled up not only at the end. In the place where Olya and Zhenya hold hands in the middle of the class. Well, a couple of times closer to the denouement.

Tightening became approximately closer to a third of the book and further on the rise, that is, everything is fine with dynamism. It is easy to read, and tears out where necessary, and you often giggle. I didn’t bother with the time continuum at all, even there were no questions. It's a convention, that's all. Overall, great idea and execution!

Zhenya P., Andrey Zh. How did you, adults, manage to write about us children in such a way that it was interesting for us to read it?

I woke up from a joyful “coo-ka-re-ku” and turned off the alarm clock on the comedian. I got up, wandered to the kitchen, turned on the computer on the way. There is still an hour before the first lesson, it is quite possible to see what was written on the forum overnight.

While the computer was loading, I managed to pour myself a cup of tea and listen to the standard from my mother:

- Olya, where did you go, eat like a man at the table for once.

“Yeah,” I muttered, grabbing a sandwich and heading to the monitor.

I went to the school forum. As usual, the Internet lived a busy life at night. Big Ape had another fight with Bird. We argued for a long time, until two in the morning. Here people are lucky, no one drives them to sleep.

- Olya, you're leaving in half an hour, and you're still in your pajamas!

- Well, right now ...

I angrily looked up from the computer and went to get dressed. I really didn't want to drag myself to school, especially since the first lesson was scheduled for a math test. This test has not yet been written by any class, so the tasks did not appear on the forum, and last year's ones were too lazy to look in the archive. Then fizra, history and only one decent lesson - OKG. Yes, and what they teach us there! Print? School program hasn't changed in ten years! Ha! Yes, now any normal student will type the text faster than he will speak.

While I was getting dressed, I still read yesterday's forum swearing. And then the eye suddenly caught on the fact that in the box, it turns out, there is a personal message. I opened it and ... my heart began to beat often, often. From Hawk...

The message was short. "Hi! Do you have a boyfriend?" But my hands were shaking. The hawk visited the forum rarely, but aptly. Sometimes, as soon as he writes something, as he jokes, everyone runs to read. And once he even wrote his own poems. The hawk is just a dream of all girls. In PM, they often only discussed what the Hawk would write new. And most importantly, no one, no one knew who he really was.

What Hawk wrote to me, Titmouse, it was just like a bolt from the blue.

Olya, are you going to school?

Oh, and why just go somewhere, if here it is, real life. Now I would sit down, calmly come up with an answer, write. And then find out his ICQ number and chat, chat at night ... I already closed my eyes with happiness. And then she took the briefcase and sullenly trudged to the door.

The fourth quarter is the coolest. Before summer holidays remains quite a bit, some one and a half months. And most importantly - before summing up the annual marks. I love April very much, and even more - the end of May. A couple more tests, collecting diaries ... and you open the last page, and there - solid, well-deserved fives. And a commendation sheet in the load ...

No, I'm not asking, but it's nice all the same. To be honest, when I was called to the head teacher, I had no doubt that I would hear something pleasant. And when I entered and saw the senior Pioneer leader in the office, I decided that this pleasant thing would be connected with my position in the detachment. Maybe they will introduce squads to the council? It would be great!

But I only guessed halfway.

“Sit down, Vitya,” Tamara Vasilievna, our head teacher, nicknamed Vassa, said sternly, “Tanya and I are talking to you as to the chairman of the detachment council!”

I sat down, automatically thinking: “There is no need for a comma before “how”, because here it means “as”.

Tanechka and Vassa looked at me sternly. Now it was clear that we were talking about some important, but not very pleasant business. Perhaps, about an unscheduled collection of scrap metal in honor of the opening of a new Komsomol construction site.

“Do you remember, Vitya,” the head teacher continued, “Zhenya Arkhipov brought Easter cake to school on Monday?”

I was surprised. Some unexpected question.

- Bulku? I clarified.

- Kulich! - Tanechka corrected me in such a nasty voice that it became clear that this was the whole point of the Easter cake.

I nodded.

– What are you nodding? Tanechka suddenly hissed. - No language?

It didn't look like a leader. Usually she spoke to me in a friendly and even respectful way. Not like with everyone else. I hastily said:

- I remember how Arkhipov brought a bun ... Easter cake!

- Tanechka! No need to shout at Vitya, - Vassa tried to speak softer, but she did not succeed well.

“It’s not his fault,” the head teacher continued.

I stopped thinking at all. What is to blame? Why didn't we eat this bun ... Easter cake in the dining room?

“But this is blatant…” Tanechka began, but Vassa did not let her finish.

“Victor,” she said in her usual commanding voice, “please tell us how it all happened.

I told everything honestly. How Zhenya brought a bun, how he treated everyone, how everyone ate. And even Irka Voronko treated, although they had a fight before that. And he treated me. The bun was delicious, sweet, just a little dry. Everything.

– And what were you talking about? the pioneer leader asked threateningly.

“I don’t remember,” I admitted frankly, after thinking.

“You were talking about Arkhipov’s grandmother,” Vassa told me.

- Yes! Exactly! - I was glad that I remembered the right thing. - He said that she baked a bun!

Two pairs of eyes glared at me.

“And why did she bake this… this bun, do you remember?” – the head teacher's voice sounded insinuating.

Time travel. This topic is certainly not new, but nevertheless, every book on this topic is interesting and curious to me. That's why I succumbed to the temptation and took a children's book by contemporary Russian authors. And, to be honest, it was quite good, although it is still far from ideal.
The idea of ​​the story is as simple as five kopecks - the boy Vitya lives for himself in 1980, and the girl Olya lives in 2018, each with his own life, with his own joys, sorrows and problems. And then... they suddenly switched places. And now Olya and Vita will have to re-learn how to live in a miracle time.
The first thing that catches your eye when reading is exaggeration. On one scale - 1980. Soviet Union, pioneers and ... a scandal over faith in God. Of course, I did not find these times, but somehow I never heard that in these years a child was attacked for an unfortunate Easter cake. But although that worries me less. But 2018 .. Yes, the book was written eight years ago, but ... Did the writers really think that over the years children would forget how to read and write, and would only be able to press the keys while chatting on the forums. And the term "comedian" instead of the phone. And where did they come up with it. However, let's leave the comedian alone, it's much worse that the children are presented as some terribly primitive with social point sight, and can't talk to each other! And it seems, yes, it looks like our world, where children with kindergarten they have smartphones, but no one has canceled personal communication for them. In short, it was a miscalculation.
Well, okay, now about the interesting. Namely, how children settled in someone else's life. And here, I must say that Olya was much more interesting to me. Her childish-modern take on the drab and boring Soyuz very accurately describes my view of the time, age-adjusted of course. She became that ray of light that at least a little illuminated the anguish of the reality of pioneers and sneaks. It is clear that she could not break the system, but still it was cool. But Vitya took root easily and quickly, although it was not easy to knock the Soviet "nonsense" out of his head. And it's easier to get used to computers, bright clothes and high-speed cars than to their absence. And the skills of live communication will only benefit. In general, the experiment, if you can call it that, was a success.
And now about the bad, or rather about what was missing. And first of all, the “justify” is lame here - it’s clear how the children switched places on external level, but how it happened at the physical level is not clear. It is good, of course, that scientists with time machines were not stuck here, but at least some explanations could be added. Well, let's write off the fact that the book is for children. And yet, the denouement with a woman Any. No, it’s beautiful, of course, but somehow unrealistic in general, far-fetched, or something.
If we talk about the book as a whole, then it left a positive impression. Easy to read main idea clear and understandable, although I do not entirely agree with it. It's really nice to know that there are still good contemporary children's writers out there.

11th edition

What happens if a girl from 2012 suddenly finds herself in 1980? Will the boy from 1980 be transported to her place? Where is better? And what is "better"? Where is it more interesting to play: on the computer or in the yard? What is more important: freedom and relaxedness in a chat or the ability to talk, looking into each other's eyes? And most importantly - is it true that "the time was different then"?
Or maybe the time is always good, and in general, everything depends only on you...

News, reviews and testimonials:

Shamil Idiatullin about the story "Time is always good": "A fascinating book". - a fascinating book, moderately didactic and witty problem solving, which the authors set for themselves: without lisping and not rudely play out the educational aspect of a common plot related to time travel

Collection of book trailers for the book "Time is always good"

Competition "GIF" (2011), Vladislav Krapivin Prize (2011), shortlisted "Kniguru", finalists of the third International Competition named after Sergei Mikhalkov, participants in the short list of the Yasnaya Polyana-2012 award, the award " cherished dream- 2008". Prizes of the Literary Club for teenagers "Reading in trend", Perm (2015) in three categories: "Parvantalia" - the most original work, "Typhoon" - the most exciting work, "Clock" - the most popular work.

Tatyana Sokhareva, Chips-journal.ru: School days are an inexhaustible topic for children and teen literature. On the eve of September 1, we are talking about books about the adventures of schoolchildren of all ages. - in the list of "6 great books about school that will help you survive September 1st"

Video blogger Alisa Dyoma about the story "Time is always good": "I highly recommend!" )

"Bible-aware" . This is a competition in which the winners are determined by the number of book loans in libraries, which is an objective criterion for choosing winners. The story was included in the top five best books by Belarusian authors, and its authors were declared the most sought-after (among library visitors) authors! Congratulations!

From the reviews of test readers from LiveJournal:

I've read it. Just super! Honestly, it was impossible to break away!

Here you know how to squeeze a tear out of the reader. I don’t understand why, but, reading the ending, I sat and squelched my nose.

Idea - class! And the absence / presence of books, and the division into a column, and the beating of the heart, and "eye to eye" - so vital. Great.

I read it in one breath. Let's drink, so to speak. Very good!!!

I was shamelessly late for training (it was impossible to break away), so I unsubscribe immediately, in hot pursuit, so to speak. Interesting and dynamic! Tears welled up not only at the end. In the place where Olya and Zhenya hold hands in the middle of the class. Well, a couple of times closer to the denouement.

Tightening became approximately closer to a third of the book and further on the rise, that is, everything is fine with dynamism. It is easy to read, and tears out where necessary, and you often giggle. I didn’t bother with the time continuum at all, even there were no questions. It's a convention, that's all. Overall, great idea and execution!

☯ Zhenya P., Andrey Zh. How did you adults manage to write about us children in such a way that it was interesting for us to read it?

Reader review lady_tory(livelib) : “There are such wonderful, wonderful, kind books that, when read, create a special, tangible aura of warmth. Through it, the world seems more beautiful, brighter, and a fluffy feeling of happiness swells in the soul, bursts out along with the desire to enclose the whole world in a strong friendly embrace. it's great that such books exist! They simply warm memories of childhood, charge with a real faith in justice that is not undermined by doubts. Reading does not at all resemble a nostalgic evening spent with an album of old sketches on your knees, rather it is a vivid kaleidoscope of scenes from the life of two eras. these scenes are typical of their time - another question, let's leave it to the conscience of the authors, but the main strokes are correctly noticed and really touch the soul sometimes. The book is written for children and does an excellent job of "teaching while entertaining". Yes, to be honest, it is written so entertainingly that not every adult will be able to come off!

I've read it. Just super! Honestly, it was impossible to break away!

Here you know how to squeeze a tear out of the reader. I don’t understand why, but, reading the ending, I sat and squelched my nose.

Idea - class! And the absence / presence of books, and the division into a column, and the beating of the heart, and "eye to eye" - so vital. Great.

I read it in one breath. Let's drink, so to speak. Very good!!!

I was shamelessly late for training (it was impossible to break away), so I unsubscribe immediately, in hot pursuit, so to speak. Interesting and dynamic! Tears welled up not only at the end. In the place where Olya and Zhenya hold hands in the middle of the class. Well, a couple of times closer to the denouement.

Tightening became approximately closer to a third of the book and further on the rise, that is, everything is fine with dynamism. It is easy to read, and tears out where necessary, and you often giggle. I didn’t bother with the time continuum at all, even there were no questions. It's a convention, that's all. Overall, great idea and execution!

Zhenya P., Andrey Zh. How did you, adults, manage to write about us children in such a way that it was interesting for us to read it?

Sinichka, April 10, 2018, morning

I woke up from a joyful “coo-ka-re-ku” and turned off the alarm clock on the comedian. I got up, wandered to the kitchen, turned on the computer on the way. There is still an hour before the first lesson, it is quite possible to see what was written on the forum overnight.

While the computer was loading, I managed to pour myself a cup of tea and listen to the standard from my mother:

Olya, where did you go, eat like a man at the table for once.

Yeah, - I muttered, pulled off a sandwich and went to the monitor.

I went to the school forum. As usual, the Internet lived a busy life at night. Big Ape had another fight with Bird. We argued for a long time, until two in the morning. Here people are lucky, no one drives them to sleep.

Olya, you're leaving in half an hour, and you're still in your pajamas!

Well right now...

I angrily looked up from the computer and went to get dressed. I really didn't want to drag myself to school, especially since the first lesson was scheduled for a math test. This test has not yet been written by any class, so the tasks did not appear on the forum, and last year's ones were too lazy to look in the archive. Then fizra, history and only one decent lesson - OKG. Yes, and what they teach us there! Print? The school curriculum has not changed for ten years! Ha! Yes, now any normal student will type the text faster than he will speak.

While I was getting dressed, I still read yesterday's forum swearing. And then the eye suddenly caught on the fact that in the box, it turns out, there is a personal message. I opened it and ... my heart began to beat often, often. From Hawk...

The message was short. "Hi! Do you have a boyfriend?" But my hands are shaking. The hawk visited the forum rarely, but aptly. Sometimes, as soon as he writes something, as he jokes, everyone runs to read. And once he even wrote his own poems. The hawk is just a dream of all girls. In PM, they often only discussed what the Hawk would write new. And most importantly, no one, no one knew who he really was.

What Hawk wrote to me, Titmouse, it was just like a bolt from the blue.

Olya, are you going to school?

Oh, and why just go somewhere, if here it is, real life. Now I would sit down, calmly come up with an answer, write. And then find out his ICQ number and chat, chat at night ... I already closed my eyes with happiness. And then she took the briefcase and sullenly trudged to the door.

Vitya, April 10, 1980, morning

The fourth quarter is the coolest. Before the summer holidays there is quite a bit, some one and a half months. And most importantly - before summing up the annual marks. I love April very much, and even more - the end of May. A couple more tests, collecting diaries ... and you open the last page, and there - solid, well-deserved fives. And a commendation sheet in the load ...

No, I'm not asking, but it's nice all the same. To be honest, when I was called to the head teacher, I had no doubt that I would hear something pleasant. And when I entered and saw the senior Pioneer leader in the office, I decided that this pleasant thing would be connected with my position in the detachment. Maybe they will introduce squads to the council? It would be great!

But I only guessed halfway.

Sit down, Vitya, - Tamara Vasilievna, our head teacher, nicknamed Vassa, said sternly, - Tanya and I are talking to you as to the chairman of the detachment council!

I sat down, automatically thinking: “There is no need for a comma before “how”, because here it means “as”.

Tanechka and Vassa looked at me sternly. Now it was clear that we were talking about some important, but not very pleasant business. Perhaps, about an unscheduled collection of scrap metal in honor of the opening of a new Komsomol construction site.

Do you remember, Vitya, - the head teacher continued, - Zhenya Arkhipov brought Easter cake to school on Monday?

I was surprised. Some unexpected question.

Bulka? I clarified.

Kulich! - Tanechka corrected me in such a nasty voice that it became clear that this cake was the whole point.

I nodded.

What are you nodding? Tanechka suddenly hissed. - No language?

It didn't look like a leader. Usually she spoke to me in a friendly and even respectful way. Not like with everyone else. I hastily said:

I remember how Arkhipov brought a bun ... Easter cake!

Tanechka! No need to shout at Vitya, - Vassa tried to speak softer, but she did not succeed well.

A. Zhvalevsky, E. Pasternak

Time is always good

Feedback from test readers from LiveJournal

I've read it. Just super! Honestly, it was impossible to break away!

Here you know how to squeeze a tear out of the reader. I don’t understand why, but, reading the ending, I sat and squelched my nose.

Idea is class! And the absence / presence of books, and the division into a column, and the beating of the heart, and "eye to eye" - it's so vital. Great.

I read it in one breath. Let's drink, so to speak. Very good!!!

I was shamelessly late for training (it was impossible to break away), so I unsubscribe immediately, in hot pursuit, so to speak. Interesting and dynamic! Tears welled up not only at the end. In the place where Olya and Zhenya hold hands in the middle of the class. Well, a couple of times closer to the denouement.

Tightening became approximately closer to a third of the book and further on the rise, that is, everything is fine with dynamism. It is easy to read, and tears out where necessary, and you often giggle. I didn’t bother with the time continuum at all, even there were no questions. It's a convention, that's all. Overall, great idea and execution!

Zhenya P., Andrey Zh. How did you, adults, manage to write about us children in such a way that it was interesting for us to read it?

I woke up from a joyful “coo-ka-re-ku” and turned off the alarm clock on the comedian. I got up, wandered to the kitchen, turned on the computer on the way. There is still an hour before the first lesson, it is quite possible to see what was written on the forum overnight.

While the computer was loading, I managed to pour myself a cup of tea and listen to the standard from my mother:

- Olya, where did you go, eat like a man at the table for once.

“Yeah,” I muttered, grabbing a sandwich and heading to the monitor.

I went to the school forum. As usual, the Internet lived a busy life at night. Big Ape had another fight with Bird. We argued for a long time, until two in the morning. Here people are lucky, no one drives them to sleep.

- Olya, you're leaving in half an hour, and you're still in your pajamas!

- Well, right now ...

I angrily looked up from the computer and went to get dressed. I really didn't want to drag myself to school, especially since the first lesson was scheduled for a math test. This test has not yet been written by any class, so the tasks did not appear on the forum, and last year's ones were too lazy to look in the archive. Then fizra, history and only one decent lesson - OKG. Yes, and what they teach us there! Print? The school curriculum has not changed for ten years! Ha! Yes, now any normal student will type the text faster than he will speak.

While I was getting dressed, I still read yesterday's forum swearing. And then the eye suddenly caught on the fact that in the box, it turns out, there is a personal message. I opened it and ... my heart began to beat often, often. From Hawk...

The message was short. "Hi! Do you have a boyfriend?" But my hands were shaking. The hawk visited the forum rarely, but aptly. Sometimes, as soon as he writes something, as he jokes, everyone runs to read. And once he even wrote his own poems. The hawk is just a dream of all girls. In PM, they often only discussed what the Hawk would write new. And most importantly, no one, no one knew who he really was.

What Hawk wrote to me, Titmouse, it was just like a bolt from the blue.

Olya, are you going to school?

Oh, and why just go somewhere, if here it is, real life. Now I would sit down, calmly come up with an answer, write. And then find out his ICQ number and chat, chat at night ... I already closed my eyes with happiness. And then she took the briefcase and sullenly trudged to the door.

The fourth quarter is the coolest. Before the summer holidays there is quite a bit, some one and a half months. And most importantly - before summing up the annual marks. I love April very much, and even more - the end of May. A couple more tests, collecting diaries ... and you open the last page, and there - solid, well-deserved fives. And a commendation sheet in the load ...

No, I'm not asking, but it's nice all the same. To be honest, when I was called to the head teacher, I had no doubt that I would hear something pleasant. And when I entered and saw the senior Pioneer leader in the office, I decided that this pleasant thing would be connected with my position in the detachment. Maybe they will introduce squads to the council? It would be great!

But I only guessed halfway.

“Sit down, Vitya,” Tamara Vasilievna, our head teacher, nicknamed Vassa, said sternly, “Tanya and I are talking to you as to the chairman of the detachment council!”

I sat down, automatically thinking: “There is no need for a comma before “how”, because here it means “as”.

Tanechka and Vassa looked at me sternly. Now it was clear that we were talking about some important, but not very pleasant business. Perhaps, about an unscheduled collection of scrap metal in honor of the opening of a new Komsomol construction site.

“Do you remember, Vitya,” the head teacher continued, “Zhenya Arkhipov brought Easter cake to school on Monday?”

I was surprised. Some unexpected question.

- Bulku? I clarified.

- Kulich! - Tanechka corrected me in such a nasty voice that it became clear that this was the whole point of the Easter cake.

I nodded.

– What are you nodding? Tanechka suddenly hissed. - No language?

It didn't look like a leader. Usually she spoke to me in a friendly and even respectful way. Not like with everyone else. I hastily said:

- I remember how Arkhipov brought a bun ... Easter cake!

- Tanechka! No need to shout at Vitya, - Vassa tried to speak softer, but she did not succeed well.

“It’s not his fault,” the head teacher continued.

I stopped thinking at all. What is to blame? Why didn't we eat this bun ... Easter cake in the dining room?

“But this is blatant…” Tanechka began, but Vassa did not let her finish.

“Victor,” she said in her usual commanding voice, “please tell us how it all happened.

I told everything honestly. How Zhenya brought a bun, how he treated everyone, how everyone ate. And even Irka Voronko treated, although they had a fight before that. And he treated me. The bun was delicious, sweet, just a little dry. Everything.

– And what were you talking about? the pioneer leader asked threateningly.

“I don’t remember,” I admitted frankly, after thinking.

“You were talking about Arkhipov’s grandmother,” Vassa told me.

- Yes! Exactly! - I was glad that I remembered the right thing. - He said that she baked a bun!

Two pairs of eyes glared at me.

“And why did she bake this… this bun, do you remember?” – the head teacher's voice sounded insinuating.

I remembered. I got hot. Now I understand why I was called.

“Uuuu…” I started. “Just like that… It seems…

- Here! - the senior pioneer leader raised her finger incriminatingly. - That's a pernicious influence! Vitya! You never lied! You're the chairman of the squad's council! Excellent student! Your dad is a party worker!

I got really bad. For the first time in my life, I actually lied to my senior comrades. But I didn't want to tell the truth. So I decided to keep quiet.

“Oh, Victor, Victor…” Vassa shook her head. Is this what I taught you? Is this what the pioneer heroes did? Did Pavlik Morozov, whose name our team bears, act like that?

The head teacher looked sternly at the counselor, and she broke off. Apparently, now was not the time to remember past merits. I looked at the floor and felt the hot color flood my cheeks.

We were silent for a bit, and every second I was getting hotter.

“So,” Vassa rasped softly, “do you remember why Grandma Arkhipova baked Easter cake?”

I didn't move. It was like tetanus attacked me.

“Okay,” the head teacher sighed, “I’ll have to remind you. Grandma Arkhipova baked this Easter cake ... Easter cake!., For the religious holiday "Easter".

I listened to this steely voice and remembered the vague rumors that were circulating about Vassa. Either she personally demolished the monuments to Stalin, or she protected them from demolition ... It was not customary to talk about this now, so no one knew the details. But that she excelled at the same time - that's for sure.

- Grandmother Arkhipova, - continued the head teacher, - in this way she tries ...

Vassa fell silent, choosing her words, and a pioneer leader came to her aid:

- He's trying to trick you! And lure in a network of religious dope.

The head teacher frowned. She, a teacher of the Russian language with great experience, did not like something in the phrase "network of religious dope." But she did not correct Tanya, on the contrary, she supported her.

- That's it!

The head teacher and the Pioneer leader were solemnly silent. Probably to make it better for me.

They tried in vain - it had already dawned on me that it couldn’t be better.

“And what are you going to do about it?” Vassa finally asked.

I was only able to extract:

We will no longer...