When Ernest’s mom goes missing, he gets help from an unlikely and unexpected source—manual typewriter Olivetti, who breaks the typewriter rules to help reunite the family with their mom. The story unfolds from the viewpoints of Ernest Brindle, a reserved boy who desperately wants to find his missing mother, and of typewriter Olivetti, who has had access to the very deepest thoughts of Ernest’s mother throughout the years. A moving story of love, loss, and family told from an unconventional angle. I'm looking forward to sharing it with the readers at my school.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of the book to read and review.

3.5 stars! This was a heartwarming book and had so many moving pieces that I enjoyed. I do think there may have been TOO many moving pieces, however.

The idea of sentient typewriters is such a cool idea and really drew me in. I loved reading from Olivetti’s perspective. But ultimately, I wanted more from that storyline.

This aspect, combined with the missing mother, Ernest’s personal struggles, Remi, Quinn…all ideas that were singularly great, but combined nothing felt fully completed or fleshed out.

Ultimately, I did enjoy this book! It was sweet and unique. Also, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. It had realistic characters that I liked and would have enjoyed getting to know even better. But at the end of the day, I just wanted a bit more from this book.

Heartwarming, with everything a good middle grade novel should have: a mystery, a touch of magic, some silly humor, a lovable main character. Olivetti is a winner.

The strongest part of this book, naturally, is Olivetti. The narration from the typewriter is fresh and fun, from its old-school wisdom to its hatred of books. The emphasis on memories is a poignant and clear message, which will be comprehensible for readers. Kids will definitely be drawn to the typewriter, even if they don't know what a typewriter is. Parents will appreciate the nostalgia, making this a strong book for families to share. Between Ernest and Quinn, there are also wonderful human characters to root for, and the dual POV of Olivetti and Ernest elevates the story.

The central mystery - where is Beatrice? - is very well done. It has so much pathos. The addition of Quinn, as someone outside the family, added a lot of life to the family.

Are there things that could be better? Sure. The other siblings are very one-dimensional, which feels like lazy writing. The side character of Remi could have been fleshed out more to give Olivetti someone to play off of, like Journey in A Rover's Story (I try not to compare books, but the description of Olivetti did compare the book to A Rover's Story, so I'm going with it). But that shouldn't stop a librarian from adding this book to their library. There is so much that is good about this book, the small nitpicks are just that: small.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is such a unique and sweet Middle Grade novel! Told from dual perspectives of a lonely child who feels like he doesn’t belong in his family and the now-neglected typewriter, Olivetti, who observes all from its desk, this story is a mystery about a missing person and also about the far-reaching effects of trauma within a family. Filled with charming characters, zany situations, and some very difficult realities, this book was a fun and heartwarming read.

I sometimes find that the Middle Grade books that appeal to me and/or other adults are not the same titles that appeal to children, and I do wonder if that will be true about this book. I think kids will be interested in the magical realism and mystery, but I don’t know if those aspects are strong enough to encourage readers to continue through the more sentimental reflections and nuanced scenes. I don’t think this book will be for everyone (no book is!), but if put into the hands of the right reader, I can see it being much-loved.

I will be purchasing this book for our elementary school library and will also be recommending it to 4th and 5th grade classroom teachers as a possible readaloud option, especially during the beginning of the school year when relationships and connections are new. Ultimately, I enjoyed this book, but I think adults will appreciate it more than children will.

Olivetti is a middle-grade dual narrative told by a typewriter named Olivetti and a quiet tween boy named Ernest Brindle. Olivetti used to be a true member of the Brindle family. He was a gift from Earnest's father to his mother Beatrice. All of the Brindle children grew up typing on Olivetti and Beatrice wrote many, many letters, stories, and poems on him. Even though Olivetti has been replaced by a laptop and the Brindles have all forgotten about him, he remembers everything. It turns out that typewriters are memory keepers.

When Beatrice sells Olivetti to a local pawn shop and disappears without a trace, introverted Ernest becomes determined to find her. Along the way, he must face painful memories and challenges that lie ahead for his family. He also discovers that Olivetti isn't an ordinary typewriter. His memories may help bring Beatrice home.

This is a sweet story of friendship, family, and navigating tough times with the help of those who love us.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of Olivetti.

This middle grade debut novel is told from the vantage point of a old manual typewriter and an introverted boy. I’m thinking, why did I request this book, because the premise doesn’t sound like it could be good. Well I was wrong because I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s such good story and so well told.
Here we go…
Being a typewriter is not as easy as it looks. First he’s surrounded by books that he claims are notorious attention hogs. 
Our beloved and witty Olivetti now sits alone due to have been replaced by a computer. He has been forgotten by the Brindle family, yes the one he's lived with for so many years. The Brindles are a busy family all except twelve year old Ernest, who would rather be left alone with his Oxford English Dictionaries. Olivetti remembers every word they've ever typed on him and it’s a lot of work keeping their memories alive.

Everything changes one day when Ernest's mom, Beatrice, drops him of at Heartland Pawn Shop and leaves him helplessly behind. What? She was his most frequent user. Now Beatrice has vanished and Olivetti believes he can help find her. He breaks the only rule of the typewriter, (who knew typewriters had rules) and types back to Earnest. In his typing, he reveals Beatrice's memories stored inside him.

The search is on, taking them across San Francisco chasing clues, and maybe committing a few misdemeanors. As the past comes racing back, Ernest is forced to face the reality of the “Everything That Happened”. The writer keeps “Everything That Happened” a well guarded secret until nearly the end ensuring the reader remains glued to the story. I just kept wanting to know what happened to her. This is great writing!
I liked the character of Quinn, who becomes Ernest’s new friend. She’s spunky, outspoken, resourceful, clever, independent, and a little bossy, the exact opposite of Ernest.

 This story will take you on an emotional rollercoaster where people you laugh, cry, and be curious. Warning… It has heartbreak in it, but it’s also full of hope and love.

I absolutely loved this story and think it Newbery worthy. I was taken aback by how much it affected me and captured my heart.

Olivetti offers a unique spin on storytelling by alternating perspectives between an Olivetti typewriter and an introverted adolescent boy, unveiling a heartfelt family mystery.

Olivetti’s narrative was so beautifully written, exploring what it might mean to be an outdated, albeit kitschy, inanimate object whose purpose is to put the thoughts and words of others to paper. The perspective of the typewriter was unique and charming, especially as it interacted with Ernest’s introspective character who often seemed to struggle to find words to express the complex emotions he battled throughout the story.

Olivetti offers a lot of heart, exploring some tough emotional topics while incorporating some mystery to help drive the plot to the resolution.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title early!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to access this eARC in exchange for an honest review! This was a charming read that I know I would have adored back when I was middle-grade age.

When I was younger, I was fascinated with the typewriter at my grandparents’ house. On one visit, I found out it was broken. And that afternoon, I poked and prodded and tore apart and replaced any piece that moved, and in the end, that typewriter was working again. To welcome it back to life, I spilled the lyrics of an original song onto a blank page, lyrics that involved metaphors of a “typewriter clacking musically”.

That wasn’t my last adventure with a typewriter though. I was given another old typewriter from my family, complete with used ink cartridges. I pried them apart and found that I could read many of the words left behind there in the empty space where the keys had pulled the ink off and pressed it to the paper. I don’t remember any of what I discovered, but I think I still have a box of those tapes somewhere.

As the world gets older, and we grow older within the world, we seem to grow beyond the ways we had once recorded our lives. Something is lost there, though. I miss the kind of creative I was when my ideas were relegated to boxes of colorful notebooks. And I imagine any member of the Brindle family who remembered their imaginative days in Narnia might feel a dull ache in their heart, certain there was no going back to Before.

But throughout the story, with a little help from their typewriter, Olivetti, they do find a way to reconnect with that before, even in the face of Everything that Happened (and is Happening). At the same time, a return to the old brings new friends and forges new connections.

Maybe it’s time for me to dig the typewriter out of my closet and see what comes out. Perhaps it will speak to me in unexpected ways.

My heart! I absolutely loved this book. I didn't know how much I needed a book where a substantial part of the story was told by a typewriter, but boy was it ever charming and one to tug at the heartstrings. It's focus on family and words and feeling like you don't quite fit in was done in such a special way. I couldn't stop turning the pages. The cover captures just how beautiful it is on the inside as well. Will recommend often and read again!

Olivetti is a sentient typewriter, but the Brindle family - Felix (father), Beatrice (mother), Ezra, Adalyn, Ernest, and Arlo (the kids) don't know it. He has been with them through their happiest moments and the bad Everything That Happened and everything they typed is stored inside his endless memory. Ernest pulls away from everyone except for his dictionaries because of Everything That Happened so when his mother disappears and Olivetti is gone, he jumps into the mystery to find them both with the help of Quinn, a new, persistent friend he didn't want but sorely needed. As they begin to unravel the mystery, Olivetti decides to break typewriter code and speak - type - to Ernest and Quinn. Beatrice is as important to him as to her family and he will do whatever he can, sharing all the things that have been typed into him, in hopes that a clue will be found to finding her. The family is a beautiful and heartbreaking mix of love and loss, of togetherness and grief, and as the stories unfold, their personalities unroll like the ribbon on a typewriter. The alternating first-person perspectives of Ernest and Olivetti guide the story from each new clue and mystery and flashbacks of the family's history to keep the pages turning a quirky, witty, and heartbreaking prose.

When I first picked up "Olivetti", I wondered if a magical realism story with a sentient typewriter as the main narrator would land with kids (who probably haven't touched a typewriter?)--but Millington clearly read my mind, because Chapter 1 opens: "It's possible you've never seen a typewriter before, either. Most young humans have not had the pleasure." Ultimately, this is a story about family bonds and the challenge of navigating difficult times together, but the added element of a sardonic autonomous typewriter helping to save the day adds intrigue and levity that breaks up the tension of the family drama. Olivetti's voice is spot on what I would expect from a disregarded typewriter: Direct, a little judgey, and peppered with years-long grudges (mostly toward computers and books). I found this to be a dang delightful read.

Olivetti
by Allie Millington

“Memories are like heartbeats. They keep things alive. They make us who we are.”


The day his mom, Beatrice, went missing, Ernest Brindle realized he hadn’t spoken to her for seven days. They had argued over an appointment with yet another therapist. He’d told her that he didn’t want to talk to anyone, not even her. Why didn’t she understand that all he was trying to do was forget the “Everything That Happened.” Now she was missing, and it was all his fault!

Olivetti has been displaced by that attention hog, the lap top. He was once a beloved typewriter and sat in the place of honor on Beatrice’s desk. Olivetti was a trustworthy keeper of stories, memories and secrets, and now he is all but forgotten. But when Beatrice disappears, Olivetti may be the key to discovering where’s gone.

Ernest and his family are a bit of a mess. They’ve been through a rough time and in the aftermath, they are not as close, are preoccupied with their own pursuits and have forgotten who they were as a family. The Brindles will have to band together, along with the trusty Olivetti and their friends to find Beatrice.

I was so happy to have read Olivetti for Middle Grade March. It managed to be both heartwarming and charming as it navigated big issues. The book speaks to the comfort and resilience possible in both biological and found families. It is an ode to the power of the written word and story. Some readers will have a hard time buying into Beatrice’s disappearence, but go with it, it’s worth the ride.


Many thanks to the author Allie Millington, @MacKidsBooks and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy books that have a non-living character voice it's thoughts and opinions. My students, however, are not so thrilled with them,

Olivetti was a fantastic book. I read it in one sitting. The book's premise and personification of a typewriter (i.e. Olivetti) with Ernest, the 12-year old that rather be reading his dictionaries than being social, is wonderful. This book has a bunch of fantastic literary elements that would be great to adapt to a book study in the classroom (probably fourth grade and above). Olivetti has a bunch of emotion, adventure, and heart. 5/5 stars. I will be reading more from Allie Millington.

If you're looking to celebrate Middle Grade March I suggest 𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈 (Pub 03.26), a debut that will warm your heart.

"𝘛𝘺𝘱𝘦𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘶𝘹𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘈 𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴."

Olivetti is not only a beloved typewriter, he is also the keeper of stories, the holder of memories. This unique story reminds us of the importance of writing and the strength in families- both biological and found.

*Millington did such a wonderful job of making an inanimate object burst with life and personality.
*Charming, wry, and heartfelt.
*This cover- stunning!!

A preteen boy and a typewriter that can communicate team up to find the boy’s missing mom.

I thought this one was so sweet! It was fast-paced and easy to read! I think it also deals well with the topics of family illness and the trauma that creates. Would definitely recommend!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to netgalley and Macmillan childrens for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I will be rating it 3 stars because I don’t think the writing is bad. I also love the cover and the concept. I just really had a hard time connecting with the characters and understanding their actions. I don’t feel like the adults were making good choices and it was just hard for me to read.

I hope others really love this book!

I absoutely loved this book! Olivetti is a typewriter who communcates with Ernest and then later with the rest of the family. He shares all that Ernest's mom has typed into him by typing it all back when paper is inserted. What I loved most was the descriptive language and Ernest's focus on the dictionary thinking words in alphabetical order to express his feelings. There is some sadness in the story referring to the "Everything That Happened" that is slowly revealed and explains why ernest is so quiet and withdrawn socially. But the ending is satisfying and hopeful. Thank you Netgally and Feiwel and Friends for the egalley.

Olivetti is a typewriter who has lived with the Brindle family. Olivetti has a special gift for remembering what is typed on him. The Brindles are busy, and Olivetti is often overlooked in favor of the computer. One day, Mrs. Brindle uses Olivetti to type something, but then she drops him off at a pawn shop and disappears. The family must get the help of Olivetti to figure out the mystery of their missing mother.

I don't believe I have ever read a story from a typewriter's perspective, especially one as witty as Olivetti. The other characters stood out as well. Ernest is an introverted boy who has a lot on his plate. These two characters were a great combination, and I enjoyed reading about their adventure together to solve the mystery.

I do think this book is geared more towards middle grade/young adult.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Simply wonderful! This book has something for everyone. There's a mystery ; there is a charming love of words; there is a heart-wrenching family drama. Millington writes with confidence and purpose. Every aspect of the story has been carefully planned but also flows organically. I promise this is not just for middle grade readers. This is for adults too. A story that will stick with you. Destined to be a classic. Now I really want to go out and buy a vintage typewriter!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All opinions in this review are completely my own.