The Neverending Story

Shy, awkward Bastian is amazed to discover that he has become a character in the mysterious book he is reading and that he has an important mission to fulfill.

Michael Ende was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, in 1929. After attending drama school, he worked variously as an actor, playwright, director, and film critic. His first novel for children, Jim Knopf and Lukas the Engine Driver, published in 1960 in Germany, won much critical acclaim. In 1973, he published the award-winning children's novel, Momo. The Neverending Story was first published in Germany in 1979, where it was the number-one best-seller for three years. Ende lived in Rome until his death in 1995.