This article examines Göran Tunström’s youth depiction Maskrosbollen (1962) in relation to questions of norm, age, and development. The article analyzes both form and content, and investigates the novel’s relation to the genre conventions of the Bildungsroman, as well as its portrayal of youth. The article concludes that Maskrosbollen is an example of a new paradigm within Western culture where the youth depiction, the perception of youth, and the norms of becoming an adult are transformed.