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63rd out of 144 books
—
91 voters
How Oliver Olson Changed the World
Oliver Olson's teacher is always saying that one person with a big idea can change the world. But how is Oliver supposed to change the world when his parents won't let him do anything on his own—not his class projects or even attending activities such as the space sleepover at school. Afraid he will become an outsider like ex-planet Pluto, Oliver decides to take control of...more
Hardcover, 112 pages
Published
March 17th 2009
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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I was looking for a cute and carefree book to booktalk to a bunch of third graders. I came across this book on a list of best books of the year and I struck gold!
Oliver Olson is a third grader who has very overprotective parents. So overprotective that they want to do his homework for him, just to make sure he gets all the points he deserves. They are lovely parents and love him very much, just a wee bit overbearing.
Oliver's class is studying the solar system, which Oliver is really enjoying. H...more
Oliver Olson is a third grader who has very overprotective parents. So overprotective that they want to do his homework for him, just to make sure he gets all the points he deserves. They are lovely parents and love him very much, just a wee bit overbearing.
Oliver's class is studying the solar system, which Oliver is really enjoying. H...more
1. Junior Book, contemporary realism
2. Oliver Olson never gets to do anything. His parents help him with his homework and worry about him. He decides to do something different with his diorama and in the process changes his life.
3. This is a wonderful little book all about how even little decisions can make a big change. The book really gives a child confidence that they can make changes. They can get their parents to change the way they treat them (about some things). They can change the way t...more
2. Oliver Olson never gets to do anything. His parents help him with his homework and worry about him. He decides to do something different with his diorama and in the process changes his life.
3. This is a wonderful little book all about how even little decisions can make a big change. The book really gives a child confidence that they can make changes. They can get their parents to change the way they treat them (about some things). They can change the way t...more
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I’ve a little early chapter book radar in my left frontal lobe. Every time I’m handed a pile of books that little radar beeps out a series of signals in a desperate attempt to find that rarest of rare children’s titles: the early chapter book that’s actually really good. It’s a tough game to play. Nine times out of ten an early chapter book for kids wavers between easy readers and Harry Potter-sized tomes that are benevolent at best, dull and preachy at worst. But if you scout about and read eno...more
This is one of the Virginia Reader's Choice selections for grades 3-5 in 2011-2012. It's a chapter book aimed toward the lower reading levels in this grade grouping and a really good little chapter book at that. Most of the books I've come across for about 3rd graders are excruciating to read but this one just chugged along quite satisfactorily.
As my 5th grader was struggling with school project to build a model of a plant cell as we read this book, we both found the general argument that parent...more
As my 5th grader was struggling with school project to build a model of a plant cell as we read this book, we both found the general argument that parent...more
His class is studying the solar system and Oliver is supposed to make a diorama of the planets, but as usual, his overprotective, over-involved parents have taken over the project. How can Oliver convince them to let him succeed (or fail) on his own? Even more important, is there any way on earth (or any other planet) Oliver can convince his worrywart parents to let him go to the class sleepover?
This terrific short chapter book is thoughtful, literary, warm and real. Several thematic metaphors...more
This terrific short chapter book is thoughtful, literary, warm and real. Several thematic metaphors...more
Oliver Olson leads a sheltered and protected life thanks to his parents, who do his homework and make sure everything is clean and safe. Because of this upbringing, Oliver is timid and unsure of himself. When his class is assigned a project on the solar system and will have a sleepover with space-related activities, Oliver might find his chance to step outside the lines and become a slightly bolder version of himself.
This one was...fine. Harmless but little charm. I guess there was an important...more
This one was...fine. Harmless but little charm. I guess there was an important...more
It's hard to review early elementary chapter books because...well, even if they're great for that age and for what they are, they struggle to compare with a perfectly crafted, more complicated, "everyone should read this" book for slightly older kids OR with a gorgeous, distinct, kick-ass picture book. I dunno...this age NEEDS excellent transition books and I'd even like to write one one day, but they're just hard to really savor. This one was very well done, skips along merrily, had just the ri...more
Third-grader Oliver Olson has a most overprotective mother and a father who goes along for that ride, so Oliver has quite a lot to prove to his parents and himself. For starters, he would rather do his own science diorama, participate in the class' astronomy sleepover at school, and be free to present his own ideas. How can he make his parents see that he needs less interference without losing their respect? He sympathizes wtih the demoted planet Pluto, which he struggles to include his science...more
Jun 04, 2011
Marcia
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
MCBA, grades 2-5
Recommended to Marcia by:
MCBA
As the lowest leveled book on this year's MCBA list I was worried about this one. Would it be too babyish and not have enough appeal for those street-wise 6th graders? Fortunatley, it was a pleasant surprise!
This book was funny--maybe even funnier to an adult because the parents of Oliver Olson are so overprotective and controlling. All poor Oliver wants to do is his own homework! He wants to go to a sleepover! He wants to tie his own shoes!
The main character is a third grader and his class is s...more
This book was funny--maybe even funnier to an adult because the parents of Oliver Olson are so overprotective and controlling. All poor Oliver wants to do is his own homework! He wants to go to a sleepover! He wants to tie his own shoes!
The main character is a third grader and his class is s...more
oliver Olson was a sickly young child and as a result his parents particulary his mother are too caucions, overly protective and overbearing. He eats only the healthies of foods, is not allowed to go anywhere "dangerous" (which is any place) and his parents even complete his school projects! May be that would be okay with some kids but it is not okay with Oliver. The class has a solar system diorama project and an upcoming space sleepover at the school. Olson will not get to partake in either on...more
This book was cute, but I acutely felt that I was not the intended audience. I was able to guess the correct answers to the entire quiz on the back when I was only a third of the way through the book. Also, I would have liked to see more character depth for both the mother and the other students. It felt like Oliver's mom was just perpetually scared that he would make a mistake (his dad was like this for most of the story but did show some growth at the end), while his classmates were pegged as...more
A fairly gentle story about a 3rd grade boy learning about independence and standing up to his over-protective parents. A bit of humor, lots of discussions about Pluto and how to change the world, and gradeschool friendships. Nothing really rocks the boat here, and while Oliver grows and changes through the story, most of the characters stay fairly flat and serve their roles - girl who likes bunny, best friend who likes rocks, project partner who talks too much, over-protective mom. Fairly short...more
I was prepared to like this book quite a bit, and my son was as well. He is interested in the solar system so the cover appealed to him. Oliver is a young boy with overprotective parents who do everything for him, including his homework. When he is assigned a project to build a space diorama (yuck) he ends up working with a classmate for the first time and wonderful things end up happening.
The story was cute enough, the ending likeable, but I just felt like something was missing. My boys sat thr...more
The story was cute enough, the ending likeable, but I just felt like something was missing. My boys sat thr...more
When Oliver Olson was little, he was very, very ill. Now he's in the third grade, and his overprotective parents won't even let him build his own diorama, let alone attend a class sleepover at school. How can Oliver change the world when he can't even voice his own ideas? Funny, sweet, and sharp, this is an excellent title for younger readers. Perfect pacing keeps the gentle action moving through realistic situations. Mills resists the temptation to go over the top with her characters, keeping t...more
A good story for middle primary kids about a little boy who must first overcome his overprotective parents and lack of independence to be able to do ordinary things for himself: work on his own homework, work with school friends, participate in class events and let his own ideas be known.
A fairly didactic story, and lacking the humour to engage less motivated readers of this age, it might be best for very young but confident readers who are always looking for something new, and who could be insp...more
A fairly didactic story, and lacking the humour to engage less motivated readers of this age, it might be best for very young but confident readers who are always looking for something new, and who could be insp...more
Third grade Oliver’s biggest problem is his mother. She does everything for him from tying his shoes to doing his homework. Oliver is not terribly brave when it comes to experiencing the dubious wonders of a bouncy room, or having dogs jump on him and sniff in embarrassing areas, but he would really like a crack at doing his own projects. When his teacher assigns a diorama of the solar system to the class, Oliver’s parents jump in with boxes and Styrofoam in characteristic fashion. In a surprisi...more
Third grader Oliver Olson leads a well-protected life - too well-protected for his own liking since he is not even allowed to do his homework alone. Then a classmate wants to work on a project with him, and he might finally get a chance for a little bit of independence. Will he have the courage to stand up to his parents? I love the main message of this book, that "before you can change the world, sometimes you need to change yourself". A great chapter book for younger readers - with an importan...more
Part IV in my search for easy chapter books with boys as the main character.
This was probably my favorite so far. Oliver is a 3rd grader who suffers from overprotective parents. Through two school assignments that his parents normally would have done for him (a diorama of the solar system and an idea for a plan that will change the world) Oliver manages to take control of his life and show is parents that he can take care of himself in many ways. Oliver is a sweet kid, and kids will easily "get"...more
This was probably my favorite so far. Oliver is a 3rd grader who suffers from overprotective parents. Through two school assignments that his parents normally would have done for him (a diorama of the solar system and an idea for a plan that will change the world) Oliver manages to take control of his life and show is parents that he can take care of himself in many ways. Oliver is a sweet kid, and kids will easily "get"...more
Pretty ordinary school story from a writer who does nice ordinary books for kids. Nothing here to rock my world or theirs.
Parents who read this to their oh so precocious 3 year olds instead of letting their kids read it by themselves will fail to recognize themselves in Oliver's smothering parents--but sadly I know a lot of parents who fit this profile. You can spot them at any science fair with the project they did for their child and by their saying that "we" are in the fourth grade. Sigh.....
Parents who read this to their oh so precocious 3 year olds instead of letting their kids read it by themselves will fail to recognize themselves in Oliver's smothering parents--but sadly I know a lot of parents who fit this profile. You can spot them at any science fair with the project they did for their child and by their saying that "we" are in the fourth grade. Sigh.....
Quick read about a boy who desperately wants to break free from his over-protective parents. When he is assigned a diorama project on the solar system, he knows they will do all the work for him, just like always. He also knows there's no way he'll be allowed to attend the class space-themed sleepover because his parents are always too worried over "what might happen" to him.
Kids will choose this because it's a chapter book but it's really short. They'll keep reading because Oliver is a realisti...more
Kids will choose this because it's a chapter book but it's really short. They'll keep reading because Oliver is a realisti...more
Oliver Olson is a boy with overly-protective parents, who worry about everything and shield him from everything, including fun. WHile the characters in this story did have some realness to them, it was just an okay book to me. The book didn't really grab me and make me want to keep reading it. It was an easy read, but not a book that I would run out and tell my students that it is a "must read", although it is a 2011-2012 Sunshine State Young Reader Award winner.
Oliver Olson is not you average third grader. His parents smother him with attention and help because he was sickly when he was younger. It's all getting a bit tedious, but Oliver can't seem to speak up. When his class starts their study of outer space, Oliver finds that he has more influence than he realizes. Instead of his parents doing his project for him as per usual, he ends up working with the outspoken Crystal. When thinking of a world changing idea to submit to the senator, Oliver looks...more
Very cute story about a shy boy and his over protective parents. I really liked how Oliver gained confidence and his parents realized that they don't need to do everything for him all the time…including his homework. It also included some good information about the planets and why pluto is not considered a planet anymore. I also liked all the students were very supportive of each other. This is a very cute believable story that I think most kids will enjoy.
What I liked best about this book was its realistic depiction of Oliver's home AND Oliver's school life. Oliver's hovering parents are familiar to any teacher and probably to many kids and his ability step out on a path of his own (I'm resisting the opportunity to play with the idea of orbits and satellites) is impressive and believable. The facts about the solar system are a bonus in this unusually appealing story for the third grade set.
It is a sweet book, and took about 20 minutes to read! Kids will like it, since it is short. Oliver is a little guy with over protective parents. He just wants to work on homework all on his own and attend the class space project sleep-over. A little girl in his class, the one who always gets in trouble for talking too much, befriends him and their friendship helps Oliver gain the courage he needs.
Nov 05, 2011
Shaeley Santiago
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
elementary class read aloud
Recommended to Shaeley by:
#titletalk Read Aloud
Shelves:
upper-elementary,
realistic-fiction
Loved this school-related story about a fourth grade boy who is learning to think for himself and assert some independence from his parents.
Oliver's character is the male, fourth-grade version of Clementine in Clementine's Letter. I agree that this book would work well as a read-aloud in an elementary setting.
Oliver's character is the male, fourth-grade version of Clementine in Clementine's Letter. I agree that this book would work well as a read-aloud in an elementary setting.
I picked this up because Claudia Mills is one of those people I associate with the Betsy-Tacy books. She gave a presentation at one of the BT conventions, even. This is a charming, sweet book about Oliver and his helicopter parents. It's also about Neil Armstrong and space and Pluto and third grade. It's funny in spots, poignant in spots and very nicely done.
Ever since Oliver was sickly when he was little, his parents have been overprotective... they don't let him go on sleepovers and they want to do EVERYTHING for him, even his school projects. When the third grade class plans a space sleepover as the culminating event for their study of the solar system, Oliver thinks there is no way he'll be able to convince his parents to let him go. But take a chatty project partner, a planet that's no longer a planet, and a visiting senator, and he just might...more
Third-grader Oliver Olson has to make a diorama of the solar system, but his overbearing parents take over. This would be a good read-aloud for the classroom - good realistic "school story" - and one where some kids with helicopter parents could totally relate. Just wonder if any parents would recognize themselves in the book...
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Claudia Mills is the author of How Oliver Olson Changed the World, 7 x 9 = Trouble!, Being Teddy Roosevelt, and many other books for children. She was born in New York City in 1954. She received her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College, her master's degree from Princeton University, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University. She also received an M.L.S. degree from the University of M...more
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Dec 06, 2009 04:54pm