Childhood

"Childhood" by Leo Tolstoy is a story that takes you back to the late 1800s, showing the sweet and important early years of a boy's life. It's all about how he gets along with his family and the people who take care of him, and how he thinks about love, being innocent, and growing up. The main character, Nikolai, deals with his feelings, friendships, and the confusing parts of being a kid, which all help him figure out who he is and how the world works. At the start, we see Nikolai on his tenth birthday morning, dealing with his tutor, Karl Ivanitch, and his loving mom. He's mixed up about Karl, feeling both affection and annoyance, showing the many different feelings kids have. Through simple but important times, like when he thinks about friendship and when his mom comforts him, the story shows the big ideas of being close to people and staying innocent. As things happen, we see how warm and complicated family life can be, getting Nikolai ready for his journey of growing up, learning new things, and the happy and sad parts of being a child.