Nina Dashevskaya is a writer who knows how to reveal the most intimate things in the hero’s soul in a few words. Each of her books is like a collection of psychological advice, only a thousand times more fascinating, beautiful, and musical. In the prose of the Russian contender for the prize. Astrid Lindgren, the main thing is how the thought is expressed. What moves our lives forward? Chance meetings, unexpected discoveries, kind words - they suddenly make us shudder, look around and change something. The artist Knecht takes a new look at the hateful landscape “town hall - cobblestone street - pier”. Dominic overcomes his fear of heights and emerges from the shadow of his father, the great tightrope walker. Olya understands who the bouquet of flowers actually came from. And Prokhor, from the story that gives the collection its title, is transformed into a real musician who is capable of playing the great and unapproachable Mozart! The stories collected under this cover touch on one theme in different ways: you don’t always feel like you’re the first, but it’s much more important that you’re different, self-valuable. Comparing yourself with someone who seems to be more successful, talented, breakthrough is empty: who you were yesterday is the only tuning fork for you today. Prose by Nina Dashevskaya, two-time winner of the Book Award and author of the popular books “Willy” and “Around Music,” as always, is strikingly accurate: the writer seems to be pronouncing your own thoughts, your doubts, your fears. For many readers aged 12–15, the book “Second” can become that very chance meeting that will touch to the depths of the soul - and transform their lives.