In the award-winning novel "Rico, Oskar and the Deeper Shadows," Andreas Steinhöfel humorously and empathetically tells the story of an unusual friendship. It becomes clear that being a little different isn't so bad after all. The accompanying material emphasizes Rico's strengths and addresses the phenomenon of giftedness. The varied worksheets also cover central themes of German lessons in the lower grades: tasks on character characterization, the genre of the crime novel, as well as the author and film adaptation, allowing for age-appropriate literary interpretation. Additionally, the sections "You as an Author" and "You as an Artist" provide creative approaches to the book that encourage a love for reading and writing.