REVIEWS OF OLIVIA BEAN, TRIVIA QUEEN

KIRKUS -- STARRED REVIEW
"This tale will have readers cheering for the resilient, resourceful Olivia."

"One question can best sum up 12-year-old Olivia Bean’s life: What is worse than having a 5-year-old brother who is obsessed with gross trivia and sharing your house with your mother’s boyfriend?
The answer: losing your dad, too. Her dad’s move across the country with “Stella the Stealer” and her daughter, Nikki, Livi’s former BFF, throws Livi’s life into turmoil. Trivia-loving Livi desperately misses watching Jeopardy! with her dad, a nightly tradition that is not the same with mom’s boyfriend, Neil. Despite his many promises to stay in touch, Livi’s relationship with her dad is nearly non-existent since he left. The chance to be on the kids-week edition of Jeopardy! seems to be the perfect opportunity for Livi to reconnect with her father. Can Livi find the confidence in herself to go for it? Gephart addresses Olivia’s situation with a combination of wit and poignancy that perfectly reflects Olivia’s determined yet vulnerable character. As she struggles to reconcile her myriad feelings toward her new situation, Livi must decide what defines her and her family—questions only she can answer.
This tale will have readers cheering for the resilient, resourceful Olivia."

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY REVIEW
"This tender, triumphant novel . . ."

"Olivia Bean is one stressed-out 12-year-old. Despite having inherited her father’s knack for trivia retention, she’s miserable at geography: an upcoming test has her tied up in knots. Dad’s no help—he moved to California with the mother of Olivia’s best friend (taking the best friend away, too). Now her mother’s boyfriend has moved in, and Olivia is being pestered by Tucker, the boy next door. Things begin to turn around for Olivia when Tucker (of all people) tells her that Jeopardy! is looking for kid contestants. Watching Jeopardy! with her father was a nightly ritual before he split, and if Olivia can ace the online test and the in-person audition to get on the show, she’ll be flown to California where her father will realize what he’s missing. Readers will figure out long before Olivia does that her father is a complete loser. The real draw in this tender, triumphant novel from Gephart (How to Survive Middle School) is Olivia’s successful progression through Jeopardy!’s hoops and the happy ending for one particularly deserving contestant."

THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS
"A tender, funny portrayal . . . will appeal to both the brains and hearts of readers."

Brainiac Olivia Bean has watched Jeopardy! every evening since she was a little girl, but the nightly tradition just hasn’t been the same since her father and fellow trivia-phile took off for California two years ago. When the show announces auditions for Kids Week, Olivia is intent on making the cut, not only to compete but, more importantly, to get a plane ticket out to the show’s taping in L.A. with the hopes of meeting up with her estranged dad. Now that she’s twelve years old, however, this is Olivia’s last chance to play the kids’ round, so she’s willing to accept help from just about anyone, including both the patronizing whiz kid next door and her mother’s annoying boyfriend, who also happens to be a pretty smart librarian. Mathletes, geography bee-sters, and kids who’ve answered the siren’s song of debate club will immediately relate to Olivia’s passion for knowledge (and the social ostracizing that sometimes accompanies it); just about all readers, regardless of their study habits, will recognize her struggles to fit in, particularly as the dynamics in both her family and school life shift. Gephart offers Olivia’s father little redemption when he fails to even show up for the taping, but Olivia’s determination in spite of his neglect will have readers rooting for her success. A tender, funny portrayal of a girl learning to appreciate both what she has and what she has to offer, this will appeal to both the brains and hearts of readers.

THE WASHINGTON POST
"You won't want to stop reading for several reasons."


For 12-year-old Olivia Bean, the best half-hour of the day is when the game show “Jeopardy!” is on television.

It’s the only time when Olivia feels she’s in control of her life. After all, her dad has moved away and is living in California with his new family. Her mom’s boyfriend has moved in. And she has to deal with 5-year-old Charlie, whom she calls “little bother.”

But when Olivia has a chance to try out for the Kids Week on her favorite game show, she sees a real opportunity to make her life better. If she got picked to be on the show, she could go to California and see her dad.

This is a book you won’t want to stop reading for several reasons. Not only are you wondering if Olivia’s family situation will improve, but you’re also on the edge of your seat to see if she’ll make it to the next round of “Jeopardy!” (Who is L. Frank Baum? What was the first Lifesaver flavor?)

What’s the name of a great read for fans of trivia and lovers of fun books?

The answer, Alex, is “Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen.”

— by Tracy Grant

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
"Local kids will smile when they see that Olivia lives in Philadelphia."


The quiz show Jeopardy! is special for 12-year-old Olivia Bean, and not only because she rules at trivia. She and her dad watched the show together every night; it was their thing. But her father recently left the family to start a new life with a new wife, and getting good at Jeopardy! has started to take on a grave kind of importance for Olivia. Written for a middle-grade readership, the novel has a simple, elegant way of saying the truth that should resonate with young readers: “Sometimes when I think about Dad and how much I miss him, I get a cramp in my stomach.” The book addresses a painful family situation, but the overall mood is light — and peppered with funny trivia. (“Grandma Scott used to say Charlie eats like a bird, but I know that’s not right because most birds eat half their body weight every day.”) Plus, local kids will smile when they see that Olivia lives in Philadelphia, goes to Phillies games, and mentions her favorite place to go out to eat: the Country Club Diner.

-- by Katie Haegele