Cleo Edison Oliver: Playground Millionaire

Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic Inc., 2016
Illustrations by Jennifer L. Meyer


 

 

Cleo has great business ideas and tremendous energy, just like her inspiration, the famous Fortune A. Davies. For a school Passion Project, Cleo comes up with her wildest idea yet: pulling teeth for a cut of her clients’ Tooth Fairy money. With the help of her friend, Caylee, a Nerf gun, and her patented Persuasion Power™, Cleo’s Quick and (Nearly) Painless Tooth Removal Service starts to take off.

But nothing in business (or fifth grade) goes smoothly. And when a mean classmate makes fun of Cleo for being adopted, everything comes crashing down. Will she be able to rescue her business, salvage her friendship with Caylee, and find the true secret of success?

With Cleo Edison Oliver, NOTHING is impossible!

 

"If I had a dollar for every time my parents said I'd rule the house if they let me, I'd be rich already! But clearly, I am not in charge yet. Today I got in trouble for something, and my mom took away my business for a whole day. Did you ever feel like your parents didn't understand you? What did you do?"

 

– Cleopatra Edison Oliver, in a letter to her entrepreneur idol, Fortune A. Davies


 

Cleo brings her entrepreneurial spirit to schools around the country!


 
Frazier offers a rare, clear-eyed view of adoption, understanding that even the best are founded on loss as well as love and that assimilating this bittersweet, difficult truth is a lifelong journey. A funny, compassionate tale.


Kirkus Reviews
An utterly winning heroin… Cleo’s unabashed enthusiasm for her business enterprises will ring true with kids who’ve caught the entrepreneurial bug, and her mixed feelings about her adoption and her reluctant realization that she has failed her friend are both credibly and sensitively handled… The multiple strands—entrepreneurism, adoption, friendship—will ensure that this attracts a broad swath of middle-graders.


Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Cleo is a spunky, energetic, and highly ambitious girl ... 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.


School Library Journal
Award-winning author Sundee Frazier brings us an adopted, spunky, bright little girl with a multiracial identity who is trying to find her place in her school and in her adopted family… She drags her classmates, BFF, loyal dog, and loving adults into the adventure. Great life lessons are learned and no animals or children are harmed. A good, funny, touching read.


School Library Connection
Cleo brings a welcome burst of diversity to elementary fiction, and readers will be charmed by this utterly unforgettable character.


Booklist
…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.


Publishers Weekly

To see how Cleo's "quick and nearly painless" tooth-pulling method works, watch this. And if you’re going to try it, get an adult to do it with you!

CAUTION: HIGH VOLUME