Cleo Edison Oliver, Playground Millionaire

October 26, 2015
Frazier (Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It) opens a series by introducing African-American fifth-grader Cleopatra Oliver, who is so determined to be successful that she changes her middle name so her initials are C.E.O. Inspired
by her idol, a TV celebrity tycoon, Cleo (who, like her two younger brothers, was adopted by a white mother and a black father) dabbles in some ill-fated moneymaking ventures, including selling avocados from the family trees, and breaks
several household rules in the process. When Cleo’s teacher assigns a project
highlighting students’ passions, Cleo eagerly launches a tooth-extracting business, with the aid of her brother’s Nerf gun. Not surprisingly, that enterprise backfires, and Cleo is punished for removing her nemesis’s tooth—with a punch to the face—after the girl taunts her for being adopted. Underlying Cleo’s questionable financial schemes are poignant plot lines dealing with the toll that her entrepreneurial obsession takes on her relationship with her best friend, the emotional repercussions of being adopted, and the rewards and potential pitfalls of following one’s dreams. Ages 8–12. Agent: Regina Brooks, Serendipity Literary Agency.

January 1, 2016

Gr 3-5-Cleo Edison Oliver has a lot of fantastic ideas, and, thanks to the inspiration of business woman Fortune A. Davies, she is inspired to start her own businesses. From selling items from catalogs to setting up an avocado stand in her own front yard, Cleo has a lot of experience. So, for a class project, she offers up her wildest business yet: Cleo's Quick and Painless Tooth Removal Service! For a cut of the Tooth Fairy money, Cleo has her classmates covered, until an unfortunate barfing incident causes things to go haywire and Cleo learns that running a business isn't as easy as she thought. Cleo is a spunky, energetic, and highly ambitious girl. Always planning a new way to earn money and make her role model proud, Cleo manages to be an inspiration to young entrepreneurs. She and her brothers are adopted and African American, and the supporting cast is diverse as well. The plot is entertaining and relatable, with a happy ending that reminds readers that there are things more important than money. VERDICT A good purchase for libraries serving elementary-aged readers.-Paige Garrison, Augusta Richmond County Library System, GA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2015
Grades 3-5 *Starred Review* Energetic and enthusiastic, Cleo's passion for starting businesses sometimes gets her in trouble and strains her relationship with her best friend, Caylee Ortega. Fifth-grader Cleopatra Edison Oliver, CEO, is a bubbling fountain of ideas. Her tooth-pulling business is a good one, but taking a Nerf gun to school for the purpose is not. Making a YouTube video of her little brother, her first customer, without telling her parents, was also a mistake. Caught up in her business plans, Cleo ignores Caylee's family problems. It takes a chance comment by her idol, TV businesswoman Fortune A. Davies, to prompt the budding entrepreneur to make things right. Frazier adds depth to Cleo's family story by making Cleo and her younger brothers African American children adopted into a family in which the mother is white, allowing the author to explore some aspects of nontraditional families. Though this much-loved child is comfortable about sharing the facts of her adoption, a classmate's mean comment about her birth mother giving her away causes Cleo to lose control, surprising even herself with her blinding rage. The first-person narrative moves along quickly, and gray-scale illustrations head each chapter. Cleo brings a welcome burst of diversity to elementary fiction, and readers will be charmed by this utterly unforgettable character.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)