Oliver has a lot going on starting his first year of middle school: new friends, new classes, new everything. But at least there’s one thing that still makes sense: SCIENCE! Determined to be an astrophysicist one day, Oliver explains everything he learns—like how the sun burps, how ghost particles fly through you, and the uncanny similarities between Mercury and cafeteria meatballs. (Also, there are time-bending black holes, exploding supernova stars, and aliens! Well, there could be aliens.)

Oliver finally feels like he’s starting to figure things out … but can he stay out of the principal’s office, or catch a break from his annoying sister? With laugh-outloud humor, Oliver’s Great Big Universe follows an eleven-year-old who’s taking on the whole universe—if he can survive middle school first.