Book Review

Tuesday, May 5, 2009 Finally, here's the book review I promised. I love this book!

How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills. www.fsgkidsbooks.com
Oliver Olson’s third grade class has embarked on a five week study of outer space. When the teacher asks how many of the kids would like to walk on the moon, all the boys and girls raise their hands, all except for Oliver. Oliver knew that ". . .his parents would never let him walk on the moon. The moon was too far away. It was too cold. It didn’t have enough gravity. The rocket might explode. Rockets exploded all the time." Oliver Olson’s parents aren’t just extremely overprotective, they also have grand ideas for him about his diorama of the solar system. Worse, Oliver’s sure that he’s doomed to be like the ex-planet Pluto, always an outsider. He knows his parents will never give him permission to go to the space sleepover either, but Oliver’s chatty classmate, Crystal has ideas of her own. Soon the two are working together on the project and a protest with little Pluto holding a sign saying "Let me in!" on the outside of their diorama. Written with gentle humor and charm, Mills captivates the reader with the wonderfully winsome Oliver and his new sidekick Crystal. Readers will cheer as Oliver comes into his own, proving in unexpected ways that he has ideas that can change more than just the world. Not only does Mills write with irresitible charm, she has wonderful not-to-be missed insights into kid nature. I hope you'll share her books with all the young readers in your life.