Cover of Oliver's Great Big Universe

Oliver's Great Big Universe

by Jorge Cham

Oliver's Great Big Universe by Jorge Cham is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Oliver's Great Big Universe is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 3–6
Age range
Ages 8–12
Pages
162
Reading time
about 3 hours (est.)
First published
2023
Genre
Middle Grade Fiction
ISBN-13
9781398520264
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About this book

Eleven-year-old Oliver explains the universe — black holes, dinosaurs, and middle school — in this illustrated, comedic notebook-style novel from PHD Comics creator Jorge Cham. Funny science meets everyday life. Nominated for the 2025-2026 South Carolina Children's Book Award (grades 3-5), administered by the South Carolina Association of School Librarians.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fiction title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on science and humor; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

science · humor · middle school

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Oliver's Great Big Universe?
Oliver's Great Big Universe is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read Oliver's Great Big Universe?
It takes about 3 hours to read Oliver's Great Big Universe (162 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 180 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Oliver's Great Big Universe?
Oliver's Great Big Universe appears on reading lists for South Carolina Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Oliver's Great Big Universe banned in schools?
Oliver's Great Big Universe does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does Oliver's Great Big Universe explore?
Central themes in Oliver's Great Big Universe include science, humor, middle school. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 3–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.