Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen

Gr 5–8—The pursuit of trivial information has been a primary focus of Olivia Bean's family life for as long as she can remember. In fact, her nightly viewings of Jeopardy! have become a brief respite from recent troubling events, including her parents' divorce and the abrupt departure of her best friend. When the game show announces its search for "kids week" contestants, Olivia swallows her self-doubt and takes the initial online quiz. Before she knows it, she's on the show. The taping takes her from Philadelphia to California, her father's new home, and offers her the chance to share her personal victory with her often-absent parent; however, he again proves to be unreliable. This forces Olivia to begin to redefine his place in her life. Gephart has crafted a convincing narrative about a child trying to make sense of the complex adult world. Her use of questions as chapter titles keeps readers tied in to the protagonist's Jeopardy! obsession while maintaining the plot's momentum. Olivia's narrative is sometimes muddied by the sheer number of issues being addressed, including divorce, friendship, first crushes, relationships with parents and stepparents, job loss and its effects, and the pursuit of self-confidence; however, the major conflict of the story line is resolved in a realistic manner.—Colleen S. Banick, Tomlinson Middle School, Fairfield, CT