Oliver's Great Big Universe (Oliver's Great Big Universe #1)

by Jorge Cham (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Cosmos meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Oliver's Great Big Universe, an original illustrated middle-grade fiction series that blends science with narrative from the Emmy Award-nominated creator of PBS's Elinor Wonders Why.

I know what you're thinking. What makes an average 11-year-old kid qualified to tell you anything about the universe? Am I famous scientist? No. Am I a super-genius at everything? Not really. Oliver has a lot going on starting his first year of middle school--new friends, new classes, new everything. But at least there's one thing that still makes sense: science!

Determined to be an astrophysicist one day, Oliver explains everything he learns--like how the sun burps, how ghost particles fly through you, the uncanny similarities between Mercury and cafeteria meatballs, and most important, how the Big Bang is basically just like a fart in the school hallway. (Also, there are time-bending black holes, exploding supernova stars, and aliens! Well, there could be aliens.) Oliver finally feels like he's starting to figure things out . . . but can he stay out of the principal's office or catch a break from his annoying sister?

With laugh-out-loud humor and cartoon-style illustrations from the bestselling writer and creator of PHD Comics, Jorge Cham, Oliver's Great Big Universe is a STEAM-themed, diary-style series following an 11-year-old who's taking on the whole universe--if he can survive middle school first.

Select format:
Hardcover
$15.99

Kirkus Reviews

Starred Review
An irresistibly entertaining introduction to astrophysics.

Review quotes

"Funny and heartwarming! This book will get the entire family laughing and learning together."— "Kazu Kibuishi, creator of the New York Times bestselling Amulet graphic novel series"
Jorge Cham
Jorge Cham is the bestselling, Emmy-nominated creator of . . . many things: from the hit PBS kids' show Elinor Wonders Why to the bestselling nonfiction book for adults called We Have No Idea, along with the smash podcast Daniel & Jorge Explain the Universe and the popular webcomic PHD Comics. He is, without a doubt, an expert on explaining things about the world in interesting and fun ways. He obtained his PhD in robotics from Stanford University and was an instructor and research associate at Caltech from 2003 to 2005. He is originally from Panama.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781419764080
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Amulet Books
Publication date
September 20, 2023
Series
Oliver's Great Big Universe
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV029000 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | General
JUV036000 - Juvenile Fiction | Science & Technology
JUV053000 - Juvenile Fiction | Science Fiction
JUV035000 - Juvenile Fiction | School & Education
JUV008140 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Science Fiction
Library of Congress categories
Schools
Middle schools
Science
Diary fiction
Middle school boys

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