The first thing Olivia thought when she walked into the apartment was that she had stepped out into thin air and was standing in the middle of the sky. It took her a moment to realize why she had this sensation. Everything was made of glass. Everything! Even the floor. You could look down and see the apartment below.
          "Close your mouth or someone might yank out your tonsils. Now, go have a seat on the couch and I'll fix some tea." The couch was not made of glass, thank goodness, but it was made of perfectly see-through plastic, like a giant soap bubble. It squeaked a little when sat on it, but turned out to be perfectly comfortable. She put her feet up on the glass coffee table.
          "Do the people downstairs know you can see them?" Olivia asked.
          "No. And it's none of their business," the old woman replied.

          The winner of Parenting magazine's 2003 "Books of the Year" and Child magazine's 2003, "Best Children's Book Award," Ellen Potter introduces us to 12-year-old Olivia Kidney and her father as they move into yet another new home in a new apartment building (her father is possibly the world's worst building super). Olivia immediately encounters odd characters and odder settings, with apartments made entirely of glass, rooms that look like jungles and a strange and mysterious young boy named Branwell. During her adventures, she begins to deal with the grief of losing her older brother, forms a closer relationship with her father and discovers some strange new talents of her own, all done with a sense of whimsy and humor that touches the reader as much as it entertains them.
          Ellen Potter is the author of the Olivia Kidney series, Olivia Kidney and Olivia Kidney and the Exit Academy and of Pish Posh, featuring the young heroine Clara Frankophile. She joins Crystal Sarakas on Off the Page to discuss Olivia and her adventures, and to talk about the adventures and delights of writing for children. To take part in the conversation, call during the live 1:00 PM broadcast to 888/359-9754 or post a comment HERE... or directly to WSKG.Radio@Gmail.com.

Next time on OFF THE PAGE, with Election Day drawing near we hear the ideas and advice of a political expert -- William Shakespeare. In her book “The Political Will”, Laura S. Conte of Vestal goes step by step through an electoral campaign with commentary from the Bard (“In the fatness of these pursy times, virtue itself, of vice must beg” -- Hamlet) and from her own experience in the political world. She joins Bill Jaker on OFF THE PAGE Tuesday, September 5th LIVE at 1:00 PM, repeating at 7:00 on WSKG Radio.