Dominik Mikulaschek: The break that never wanted to end, Gebunden

Klappentext

In **"The Break That Never Wanted to End"** a completely normal Monday at **Regelberg Elementary School** turns into the funniest, strangest, and most suspicious school day ever. Milo Mertens is watching the big classroom clock, waiting for the most beautiful sound in the universe: the bell for recess. Turbo is already in "launch position" under his desk, gripping his lunchbox like a treasure chest-because inside is a legendary **triple-cheese sandwich** that deserves fresh air. And Fina Fuchs, the clever classmate with the notebook and the sharpest mind in school, has calculated the exact second the bell should ring. Three... two... one... **now**.

But nothing happens.

Instead of the familiar bell, the loudspeaker cracks and a deep, metallic voice announces an "administrative optimization of recovery phases." Sounds boring? It isn't. Because this is the moment **PROJECT ENDLESS RECESS** begins. The school officially declares that recess is no longer a break you enjoy when you want-it's something you must do. **Break is mandatory.** And when something fun becomes a duty, it suddenly feels... weird.

At first, the schoolyard explodes with joy. Kids cheer like it's the first day of summer vacation. Turbo invents five new recess sports in one minute, including lunchbox-throwing and railing-surfing. But Milo quickly notices the warning signs. New rules appear on big official posters. A serious inspector in a perfectly ironed gray suit-**Inspector Order**-walks around with a clipboard and a smile as thin as a mail slot. And then the strangest thing of all shows up: **floating break scanners** with blinking lights, humming over the children like tiny surveillance drones.

These scanners don't just watch. They judge. One of them even beeps in Turbo's face and demands: **"Smiling is insufficient. Please increase your joy by twelve percent."** Suddenly, kids are not playing because they want to-they're playing because they have to. They're laughing because they're told to. And every minute the loudspeaker repeats the same command: **"Please continue to take your break. Resistance to free time is pointless."**

Fina writes down everything under the headline **"TIME STRUCTURE ANOMALY."** In her logical way, she points out the nightmare hidden inside the dream: if a break has no ending signal, it stops being a break and becomes a permanent state. Milo asks the scary question no one else dares to ask: **If the bell never rings... who decides when school starts again?** And what if the children can't leave-even when they don't want endless recess anymore?

So Milo, Fina, and Turbo form their own secret mission. They want to find out what happened to the bell, where the **missing key** is, and who is controlling this absurd experiment-before the whole school gets stuck forever in a sticky loop of forced fun, constant scanning, and "regulated happiness."

**"The Break That Never Wanted to End"** is a **funny children's book for ages 8 and up** with fast scenes, playful chaos, and short, easy chapters that keep kids turning pages. It's perfect for readers who love **humorous school stories, mystery and teamwork, adventurous kids, strange rules, and hilarious situations**-a quick read that's entertaining, exciting, and surprisingly smart underneath all the laughter.