How Oliver Olson Changed the World
Oliver feels as excited as his classmates when their third-grade teacher describes the upcoming space sleepover. They’ll spend the night at school, see the stars and planets through a telescope, play space games, and watch a science-fiction movie. But Oliver knows he won’t be able to go because his overprotective parents don’t allow sleepovers. When Crystal, his solar system diorama partner, intervenes to help Oliver air his opinions, he begins to see a path toward independence. Mills creates believable characters who express the emotional nuances as well as the practical difficulties of Oliver’s predicament. The scene in which Oliver watches his mother and father start to make his diorama themselves offers a painfully accurate portrayal of over-involved parents. But perhaps the most notable achievement of the book is to show Crystal and Oliver changing their minds about an issue (whether Pluto should be called a planet) as they learn more about it. An engaging and thought-provoking chapter book. Grades 2-4. --Carolyn Phelan