Cleo Edison Oliver, Playground Millionaire

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. [em]Agent: Regina Brooks, Serendipity Literary Agency. (Jan.) [/em]