Olivia Kidney and the Exit Academy by Ellen Potter

      Upon opening Ellen Potter's novel Olivia Kidney and the Exit Academy I became instantly attached to the main character, as I could see some of my reflection in her.  Olivia Kidney, the young girl and main character of this story, is about to move into her new home, a shabby brownstone building in New York City.  Just weeks before, her father, a handyman, had received an anonymous note asking him to take on the job of a live-in handyman for Ansel Plover.  Entirely disinterested in the thought of moving to a new home and becoming the new kid on the block yet again, Olivia begrudgingly drags her suitcase up the stairs to the front of the brownstone.
      Much to her surprise and liking, the world within the building stands in sharp contrast to the world beyond its walls. As she and her father climb the stairs and arrive at the second floor, they discover a lagoon in the center of the room.  Yes you read right, a large body of water has enveloped the entire second floor.  Personally I had to re-read this section of the novel to ensure that I had in fact understood it correctly.  Olivia and her father make their way across the lagoon in a small boat and up a metal staircase to their new rooms.
       Within these first few pages readers are bound to continue reading and never put the book down.  Those who do continue will soon find that Olivia has a special way of communicating with her brother who recently passed away.  As the story further unfolds, hidden secrets of Ansel's brownstone building will be unveiled and it even becomes evident that Olivia's father is doing every possible activity except for handy-work.  Soon you will become weary of Ansel, especially when Olivia stumbles across his late night auditorium rehearsals. 
         Ellen Potter's writing style is absolutely wonderful for young children who may easily become distracted during reading.  Each page is festooned with countless details and descriptions making it so that the story comes alive in a reader's mind.  In fact, I found the few illustrations in the book a bit distracting because I had already crafted my own characters.  Though that is my personal opinion and it's quite likely that a younger child may greatly appreciate the comic-like illustrations of Peter Reynolds.
          Though I certainly enjoyed the book and would encourage my own students to read it, I would suggest that they come to me with any questions while reading.  The end of the text slightly delves into the topic of death and after-life, a topic that could easily cause uneasiness or controversy.  However, Ellen Potter discusses the fact of life lightly and with comic relief, making it more appropriate for young readers.   
          You must be itching to find out why this book is called the Exit Academy?  Before you dive head first into this book I suggest you first try Olivia Kidney, the prequel to this tale, if you have not already read it.  You have already read these books and want more, you say?  I suggest you check out other books by Ellen Potter, like Pish Posh, Olivia Kidney Secret Beneath City, Olivia Kidney Stops for No One, and Slob.