I'm all for books that explain how things work, especially when those "things" are big and complicated. Like the whole universe. I love when authors tackle complex ideas with young readers in mind. I'm not sure that we needed the narrative construct to make this compelling, though. It was a little tiresome, after a while.

This is a fun take on introducing kids to science through a hybrid fiction title. Hand this to fans of Diary of a Wimpy kid who also enjoy science/space facts. Packed with humorous moments kids will gravitate toward this book.

Great introduction to astrophysics using a Diary of a Wimpy kid-inspired comic and storytelling style. Takes on concepts like black holes, time, and the Big Bang in a humorous, fun way kids can easily understand.

Electronic Arc provided by NetGalley

All of Oliver's friends are great at something. And Oliver, well, he gets easily distracted. But when a guest speaker visits their school Oliver is inspired and has decided that he will become an astrophysicist one day! The book begins by explaining how the universe began by using the Big Bang Theory. This book is full of illustrations that kids will enjoy and lots of silly humor.

🪐 This is an enjoyable, illustrated story full of facts about our universe! It is fun to read and quite informative.

☀️ The information, while technical, is delivered in a way that is interesting and understandable for the targeted age group. The information is incorporated into a great story and readers will learn about gamma rays, black holes, the sun, the planets (including Pluto’s demotion and a Uranus joke or two), and more!

🌎 There are two pages at the end of the book entitled “Things You Can Tell Your Parents at the Dinner Table That Will Impress Them”. It includes several little factoids for kids to show off their knowledge!

✨ The story is entertaining, but it is heavily science focused. I adore books that make learning fun, and this one fit that bill perfectly! If you have a child who is interested in the components of our universe, or in scientific topics in general, this book would be great for them. I believe it should be available in every middle grade classroom.

Thank you @Netgalley and @AbramsKids / Amulet Books for an eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Great introduction about the universe for students. The author does a great job of explaining the Big Bang, black holes, etc. In a way that kids (and adults) can understand.

Think Diary of a Wimpy Kid crossed with George's Secret Key to the Universe - a silly and fun middle school story that helps you learn some astrophysics concepts (on a very basic, kid-appropriate level, at least).

I got this one categorized as a graphic novel, which is a little bit of a misnomer - it's more in line with those semi-illustrated novels like Jeff Kinney's (or like Dork Diaries) which have been popular longer than my current student population has been alive.

There's definitely some laugh-out-loud content in here, and the book has an easygoing and readable pace, but it doesn't totally balance the two aims (telling a funny story and teaching scientific concepts) as well as it could.

I can see Wimpy Kid fans grabbing this one if Greg Heffley is totally occupied during checkout that day, but I'm not sure that Oliver will be as much of a hit with kids.