Olive Blackwood Takes Action!
By (Author) Sonja Thomas
Simon & Schuster
Aladdin
12th August 2025
Reprint
United States
Children
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage general interest: Television, video and film
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Friends and friendships
Childrens / Teenage social topics: Activism / activists
FIC
Paperback
368
Width 130mm, Height 194mm, Spine 23mm
An anxious aspiring filmmaker bands together with an unlikely friend group to protect their beloved state animal in this stirring (Booklist) contemporary middle grade novel perfect for fans of Jamie Sumner and Erin Entrada Kelly.
Twelve-year-old Olive Blackwoods dream is to direct blockbuster fantasy movies, just like her dad wanted to before he died. She decides to apply to the highly competitive Rose City Summer Film Camp with the help of her best friend, Kayla. But Olive isnt sure how she can cast the movie when the mere thought of talking to a stranger makes her nervous.
Then a surprise project in Olives film class presents her best chance at going to Rose City: the group who makes the best documentary trailer will receive a recommendation to the elite program! But Olives hopes are quickly dashed when shes paired with the two worst students in class: loud Jo Willems has a flashy style of dressing just as intimidating as their outspoken opinions and David Moore is even quieter than Olive, fading into the background. It seems impossible for the three of them to find enough common ground to produce something noteworthy.
When Olive stumbles across an old lady chasing a beaver with a frying pan, shes disturbed to discover its legal to kill beavers in Oregonwhich has the animal on the state flag! Olive posts the video she took of the incident, and it goes viral. She wants to raise more awareness, and if she uses her documentary to do it, she could even get the coveted Rose City recommendation at the same time.
With the help of unexpected friendship, counseling, and a little everyday magic, can Olive make her voice be heard
Sonja Thomas(she/her) writes stories for readers of all ages, often featuring brave, everyday girls doing extraordinary things. Raised in Central Floridahome of the wonderful world of Disney, humidity, and hurricanesand a Washington, DC, transplant for eleven years (go Nats!), shes now keeping it weird in the Pacific Northwest.Ruled by coffee and cats, a few of her favorite things aredancing to music blasting in the living room, traveling to new places and buying a magnet before leaving, andsnuggling with her furry friend, Gabbie Lujust dont let her roommates three other cats know! Sonja is the author ofSir Fig Newton and the Science of PersistenceandOlive Blackwood Takes Action!.