Millington, Allie. Olivetti. Feiwel and Friends, 2024. 978-1-250-32693-5. $17.99. 256 p. Grades 4-8.

The old Olivetti typewriter holds a special place in the Brindle’s home. It conveyed the proposal from Mr. Brindle to his wife. It is a creative plaything in the household. It holds the secret thoughts of Mrs. Brindle, who is now missing. Before she disappeared, leaving her four children and husband, Beatrice Brindle tearfully pawned her treasured typewriter for $126. Now her son, seventh-grade Ernest, feels deep remorse for not speaking to his mother in weeks. He has taken his notebook to their apartment building’s roof pondering his part in his mother’s disappearance. When he finds the typewriter in a local pawnshop, he takes it and makes a startling discovery: the Olivetti magically communicates critical information. He resists the help of the sympathetic daughter of the pawnshop owner, but eventually allows her to share in the family’s bewildering search for their beloved mother. Olivetti becomes a character itself and narrates its own chapters, alternating with the human ones. There is a reason Beatrice Brindle left her family: her cancer has recurred, and she doesn’t want to burden her family. Olivetti is a precious tale highlighting family, friendship, grief, and hope. The language and back and forth plot make the book interesting, and students who experience family illnesses may identify with the Brindle’s struggles. The author describes the family as “copper colored.”

THOUGHTS: Typewriters to students today are antiques. The plot idea of a talking typewriter sharing important clues that lead the Brindle family back to their mother is unique. Olivetti is a quick read, albeit swathed in sadness. Debut author Allie Millington keeps moments light while dealing with a heavy topic.

Realistic Fiction

The Brindles once were a happy family. They enjoyed books, building blanket forts, using their imaginations, and writing stories on their beloved Olivetti typewriter. With two caring parents, the four Brindle children were thriving until news of their mother Beatrice’s cancer diagnosis upended their lives. Beatrice survives, yet everything has changed. Felix, their father, has taken an office job and is never around. Worse yet, when he is home he is glued to his electronics. Beatrice has packed away her typewriter and now uses a laptop. The children grow and pursue their own separate interests. Increasingly, Ernest feels more and more isolated. Anxious and socially awkward, Ernest feels like no one understands him. Even his own family pokes fun at his obsession with dictionaries and his desire to spend time alone on the roof of their apartment building. Ernest’s relationship with his mother has become one filled with nagging and bickering. When Beatrice suddenly and mysteriously goes missing, the family is thrown into chaos once again. Convinced Beatrice has left because of their fighting, Ernest pastes missing person notices around town. When he stops at the local pawn shop to hang a poster, Ernest discovers that his mother sold her beloved Olivetti typewriter for $126 right before going missing. Distraught, Ernest steals the typewriter and discovers that Olivetti is magical. Olivetti can not only communicate, he can remember every word, every sentence, every paragraph ever typed on his keys. Together Ernest and Olivetti, (with the help of a new friend, the town librarian, and the building maintenance man) solve the mystery of Beatrice’s disappearance, reunite the family, and learn that any crisis can be overcome with communication and love.

THOUGHTS: Though delightfully quirky, this story tackles many tough topics earnestly through alternating chapters revealing the perspectives of both Ernest and Olivetti. Millington not only explores how communication evolves as family dynamics grow and change, but also examines how technology can both enhance and hinder how families communicate.

Magical Realism