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Pip: The Story of Olive
A story about fitting in and finding the strength to be yourself.Olive is an only child. She lives by the sea in a ramshackle old house with her mother, Mog—successful, busy, and hardly ever at home. Olive is very pale and very quiet and she doesn’t quite fit in. But she has a best friend, Mathilda, and that’s what matters. And then Mathilda decides to be someone else’s best friend.Just as life really can’t get much worse, Pip shows up. Brash, loud Pip, who is everything that Olive is not, and is about to cause Olive a whole heap of trouble—and open her up to a whole world of possibilities.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2008
6 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Kim Kane
32 books13 followersKim Kane was born in London in a bed bequeathed by Wordsworth to . . . ‘a writer, a painter or a poet.’ Despite this auspicious beginning, she went on to practise law.
Kim's picture book Family Forest was shortlisted for the 2011 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards. The Vegetable Ark was a 2011 CBCA Notable Book in two categories. Kim's first novel, Pip: the story of Olive, won the 2008 Barbara Ramsden Award and was shortlisted for the 2009 Australian Book Industry Awards and the Speech Pathology Australian awards.
Kim lives with her family in Melbourne. She writes whenever and wherever she can.
Kim's picture book Family Forest was shortlisted for the 2011 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards. The Vegetable Ark was a 2011 CBCA Notable Book in two categories. Kim's first novel, Pip: the story of Olive, won the 2008 Barbara Ramsden Award and was shortlisted for the 2009 Australian Book Industry Awards and the Speech Pathology Australian awards.
Kim lives with her family in Melbourne. She writes whenever and wherever she can.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 18, 2018
I like how olive has an imaginary friend.
May 26, 2009
This Australian import is an odd duck (or odd platypus, maybe) – in fact, its interesting blend of offbeat plot, eccentric characters (except for the rather grounded young heroine), and slightly quirky narrative voice reminded me quite a bit of North American author Polly Horvath (she seems to bounce from the US to Canada and back).
Olive is the only child of Mog Garnaut, a successful attorney whose energy, beauty and moxie are legendary, but who lacks traditional housekeeping skills, not to mention time to spend with Olive. It’s not that she’s unloving or unaffectionate – the reverse, in spades – but her job keeps her very busy.
Olive is a pale, small 12-year-old with long, pale braids (plaits, in Australian – and in fact the book brims with intriguing Australian terms such as mozzies, tuck shops, and the always startling rubbers). When her friend Mathilda, with whom she doesn’t have much in common but whose oh-so-normal life and mother Olive envies, ditches Olive for super-wench Amelia, Olive is thrown into turmoil. Suddenly school, never exactly fun, becomes a nightmare as Olive becomes a social disease overnight.
Right about then, the mysterious Pip enters her life. Pip looks like Olive’s twin – literally – but is much sassier, wilder, and more daring. Readers will soon notice, or at least I did, that no one seems to talk to Pip or even notice her, and yet her presence has a big impact on Olive, who refers to her as her sister. Together, they decide to search for their long-lost father, about whom they know (because Mog will say) almost nothing.
Pip is rather a mysterious presence and yet her spunky earthiness has an effect on Olive that allows her to finally stand up for herself, to her schoolmates and even to her mom. Readers will buy this, but what remain unanswered are the questions of where Pip came from – and why. The last short chapter seems to indicate that Pip had a real existence – outside of Olive’s own imagination and fancy, that is, but still – why did she come to Olive? Did Olive, in her great need for both a friend and some gumption, somehow conjure her up out of nowhere, or was Pip some sort of being, a good fairy, who sensed her need and came to help? Or none of the above? Although I do have to see the title as a sort of clue – Pip seems to have been Olive’s alter ego, the risk-taking part of her.
I didn’t worry about these issues overmuch while reading this book. Despite Olive’s apparent naiveté, the tone of the narration is rather witty and occasionally makes rather knowing jokes, often at the expense of Olive herself but mostly at the Amelias and Mrs. Grahams (Mathilda’s formidable mother) of the world. Mean girls are lost causes but nerdy loners often have hidden depths – something I could have told Olive but that she has to discover for herself (she knew she was skating on the edge of unpopularity but didn’t ever think of herself as in the same class as, say, the girl everyone knows only as Nut Allergy).
Recommended for its intriguing quirkiness and Australian slang to kids grades 5 – 7.
Olive is the only child of Mog Garnaut, a successful attorney whose energy, beauty and moxie are legendary, but who lacks traditional housekeeping skills, not to mention time to spend with Olive. It’s not that she’s unloving or unaffectionate – the reverse, in spades – but her job keeps her very busy.
Olive is a pale, small 12-year-old with long, pale braids (plaits, in Australian – and in fact the book brims with intriguing Australian terms such as mozzies, tuck shops, and the always startling rubbers). When her friend Mathilda, with whom she doesn’t have much in common but whose oh-so-normal life and mother Olive envies, ditches Olive for super-wench Amelia, Olive is thrown into turmoil. Suddenly school, never exactly fun, becomes a nightmare as Olive becomes a social disease overnight.
Right about then, the mysterious Pip enters her life. Pip looks like Olive’s twin – literally – but is much sassier, wilder, and more daring. Readers will soon notice, or at least I did, that no one seems to talk to Pip or even notice her, and yet her presence has a big impact on Olive, who refers to her as her sister. Together, they decide to search for their long-lost father, about whom they know (because Mog will say) almost nothing.
Pip is rather a mysterious presence and yet her spunky earthiness has an effect on Olive that allows her to finally stand up for herself, to her schoolmates and even to her mom. Readers will buy this, but what remain unanswered are the questions of where Pip came from – and why. The last short chapter seems to indicate that Pip had a real existence – outside of Olive’s own imagination and fancy, that is, but still – why did she come to Olive? Did Olive, in her great need for both a friend and some gumption, somehow conjure her up out of nowhere, or was Pip some sort of being, a good fairy, who sensed her need and came to help? Or none of the above? Although I do have to see the title as a sort of clue – Pip seems to have been Olive’s alter ego, the risk-taking part of her.
I didn’t worry about these issues overmuch while reading this book. Despite Olive’s apparent naiveté, the tone of the narration is rather witty and occasionally makes rather knowing jokes, often at the expense of Olive herself but mostly at the Amelias and Mrs. Grahams (Mathilda’s formidable mother) of the world. Mean girls are lost causes but nerdy loners often have hidden depths – something I could have told Olive but that she has to discover for herself (she knew she was skating on the edge of unpopularity but didn’t ever think of herself as in the same class as, say, the girl everyone knows only as Nut Allergy).
Recommended for its intriguing quirkiness and Australian slang to kids grades 5 – 7.
January 29, 2015
Pip: the Story of Olive is a book about a girl named Olive. She is very pale complected and lives by the sea with her mother. You are able to see how strong and independent Olive is because she basically had to raise herself since her mother is very around. Olive goes through a major heart break, but learns to over come it. I enjoyed this book very much because it really opens your eyes to how a young girls acts in a world full of crazy things. It shows you the type of stuff that some people go through and how they endure it. Olive has to try and find herself in this crazy and beautiful thing called life. Although she is very young, she is strong. And I believe that children should read this book. It's easy reading and I finished the book in a matter of days. The book goes through the life of Olive and how losing one friend doesn't mean that your life is over, it simply means that you need to pick yourself up and carry on and learn from the experience.
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July 6, 2012my favourite book! i find it stupid how people think this book is all about popularity. the part about her dad makes me cry every time..." the kids have their needs." :[ i still can't figure out if pip was ever real...kinda doubt it. i really can't wait 'till Kim Kane writes another novel for this age group! love it!
December 5, 2013
I hated this book. It didn't make any sense and it was utterly boring. I only read half of it because I had better things to do than waste time.
June 12, 2024
I found the book really relatable, I also happen to be a young girl who is battling with the struggle of loneliness. I found the chapter when Olive was dumped close to my experience when i was ditched by my only friend i had. This was due to her pleasing herself with a more "popular" or "cooler" best friend, which is exactly what happened to Olive. I've also been the odd one out. Just like Olive, I am also very skinny and i am interested in different things than most young people my age. I like the fact how Olive created an imaginary friend for herself, this portrays what young girls go through when they are battling with loneliness. Unlike young children who create imaginary friends for fun, Olive has does this without even realising it, it basically came as an automatic coping mechanism. I have read this book twice, once when i was content with my life and had many lovely friends, and didn't find it that amusing. I recently re-read it now that im struggling with being lonely, and found it much more enjoyable as i can relate to the main character Olive, so i highly recommend it to young girls dealing with the battle of loneliness.
August 24, 2021
Loved this. Cute, quirky read, very Australian with such realistic characters in Olive, Mathilda and Amelia! I loved that it was set in Victoria too which is my state however I wish the author had only used real places, instead of a mishmash of real and made up, just to make it feel even more real.
May 24, 2020
This is absolutely the worst book I have ever read in my 22.5 years of life
October 27, 2021
Excellent!
March 20, 2018
A great story about loneliness and friendships for kids aged 8-12
August 23, 2010
Olive is one of those characters that makes you want to climb into the pages of the book and hug. Olive is a twelve year old girl whose best and only friend dumps her in favor of a more popular friend. To make matters worse, she also turns on Olive and becomes intent on making Olive the second biggest outcast in her grade. To deal with her isolation, Olive invents an imaginary twin named Pip and finally Olive has a true friend, because honestly, she's better off without her former best friend.
What makes this book so powerful, from an adult's point of view, is that Olive is a very bright, talented and caring child. She is picked on simply because she's a little behind the other girls who have gone full speed into the notion of growing up. It's a particularly strong message in a world where kids are ever pressured to mature before they are probably ready. As a reader, you want so badly to tell her there's nothing wrong with her. In that way, it reminded me a lot of E.L. Konigsburg's Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth... but considerable less somber. Kim Kane does a wonderful job of keeping this story fun while still hitting the emotion keys just right.
An interesting side-note: Though I love the cover art, it seems oddly cheerful for the book and for a younger audience than the actual story is for.
What makes this book so powerful, from an adult's point of view, is that Olive is a very bright, talented and caring child. She is picked on simply because she's a little behind the other girls who have gone full speed into the notion of growing up. It's a particularly strong message in a world where kids are ever pressured to mature before they are probably ready. As a reader, you want so badly to tell her there's nothing wrong with her. In that way, it reminded me a lot of E.L. Konigsburg's Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth... but considerable less somber. Kim Kane does a wonderful job of keeping this story fun while still hitting the emotion keys just right.
An interesting side-note: Though I love the cover art, it seems oddly cheerful for the book and for a younger audience than the actual story is for.
February 10, 2014
This Australian offering is so Australian that I think it may be difficult for many children in the states. I got all the meanings from context but I certainly wasn't familiar with some of them. "The lock was unsnibbed and the door pushed open." "She sewed sequins onto trainers and wind-cheaters..."� "Even though Matilda whinged about not having any sisters" The story starts as the typical two best friends, one gets a better, more popular best friend and the other, Olive, is left miserably alone. While suffering alone (Mom is a very busy attorney and Dad ran off years before) Olive meets her previously unheard of twin, Pip. This is about the time I started checking the subject headings for this book. Pip looks just like Olive but is outgoing, adventuresome - trouble, all the things Olive is not. MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! Eventually they work together to find the dad, are quite disappointed, Pip disappears, mom has more time, Olive makes a new friend and Olive's old BFF gets dumped. All in all, I found it a bit depressing.
February 9, 2017
I enjoyed the premise of this book. It is one I read to my eight year old daughter. She enjoyed it. It was maybe a little complex for her as far as Pip went but I love the moral of the story, the family situations are highlighted beautifully. I also like the approach the author took regarding friendships.
December 19, 2009
Olive is an only child who lives by the sea in a house of antiques and junk with her quirky mother Mog. Olive doesn't always fit in, but she's always been happy with her best friend Mathilda. Until Mathilda decides not to be friends with her anymore, choosing the popular Amelia instead. When Olive meets her spunky and daring (but invisible) twin Pip, she is awed and impressed by her behavior that is nothing like Olive, but gets her into trouble at school. Pip helps her uncover the mystery of Olive's father, who Mom never speaks about and she only knows by the name WilliamPetersMustardSeed, but nothing turns out as expected. The story is a good glimpse at the changing friendships of elementary and middle school and how different people react to the situation and the mystery is engaging, the story loses direction at times.
September 25, 2009
Pip: The Story Of Olive
If you have ever seen the movie thirteen going on thirty you will defiantly like this book. In this story there are seven main characters Olive, Pip, Mug, Mr. and Mrs. Graham, Mathilda, and Martha. Olive is one of the main characters that show up in the story the most. It took place at school, the grahams house, and outside, Olive’s house and in the country. This story is how Olive is embarrassed about the way she looks. Later in the story Olive finds out that Martha is her twin sister. I liked the book because it was very surprising and it had lots of details and some unexpected details. It was a great story and I hope u get a chance to read it.
March 4, 2015
I had to look up words like chilli, wagging, and doona. I loved the exposure to new words. The book is an Australian tween book. Olive, the protagonist, goes through bullying, a busy mom, an unknown dad, etc.
There were a couple of small parts that I know have been cited as being inappropriate for tweens. I think it droends on the tween. If you read the comments on your tween's instagram acct, you likely won't find the book to be inappropriate.
Mathilda goes into a chat room. She's inappropriate. Olive is uncomfortable with what Mathilda types. Olive is the protagonist. She's a good kid. If anything, Olive can remind kids they can choose to NOT be like Mathilda.
Just my two cents.
The book is a keeper for any age. Sweet. Funny. Heartbreaking. Aussie.
Love it.
There were a couple of small parts that I know have been cited as being inappropriate for tweens. I think it droends on the tween. If you read the comments on your tween's instagram acct, you likely won't find the book to be inappropriate.
Mathilda goes into a chat room. She's inappropriate. Olive is uncomfortable with what Mathilda types. Olive is the protagonist. She's a good kid. If anything, Olive can remind kids they can choose to NOT be like Mathilda.
Just my two cents.
The book is a keeper for any age. Sweet. Funny. Heartbreaking. Aussie.
Love it.
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January 25, 2016What happened to Olive wasn't because she'd only ever felt half. It didn't even happen because her house was full of crap-knacks and clutter, because she called her mother Mog, or because she knew of a man named WilliamPetersMustardSeed. It wasn't because she had a peculiar relationship with the number two, or because her skin was the exact colour of chicken loaf. Although there was never any doubt that it was a shake-it-all-about hokey-pokey of all these things, what happened to Olive couldn't have happened without Mathilda Graham. Olive Garnaut likes things in pairs. But even with her own perfectly symmetrical family, birthday and bedroom, Olive has only ever felt half. How extraordinary, then, that one day Pip should appear..
June 15, 2010
I really liked this book . At first this book was a little confusing because this girl Olive imagines having a twin sister Pip who is Olive but the non shy one . The one who always speeks her mind , and doesn't care what other people think of her. I guess it confused me in the beginning because it doesn't actually tell you if Pip is real or not. But in the end the book it tells you really who everybody is . I would suggest reading this if you like fiction .
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July 25, 2011From Tracey - This is a really sweet little book about a girl who is being bullied
at school finding her *inner rebel*. Lots of messages for the tweenies
about finding themselves, finding their estranged parents and learning
how to tough out those tough days. Life is ever hard being a 12 year
old girl...and i think this very sweet book might make it a lil easier
at school finding her *inner rebel*. Lots of messages for the tweenies
about finding themselves, finding their estranged parents and learning
how to tough out those tough days. Life is ever hard being a 12 year
old girl...and i think this very sweet book might make it a lil easier
November 9, 2012
Great characters. Interesting setting. Exciting adventure looking for Olive's dad. Pip's existence is never explained, which could be frustrating for some readers. Sophisticated readers will understand that she was Olive's creation and never really existed to begin with, but Kane never actually explains it. Vocabulary's a little foreign. Great for older readers who like things a little quirky.
August 7, 2011
Cute in places, a little odd in others, this is a generally well written novel. Kane nails the nastiness of YEar 7 girls, although her use of voice seems inauthentic at times. The plot twists and turns (a bit much at times to be honest) its way to a satisfying conclusion, although elements of this will be obvious to most fairly early on.
September 4, 2009
I never really finished this book. It was not amusing at all. I can name about 20 things that was wrong with this book. First of all the introduction wasn't that good to me and let's just say that it didn't get any better from there.
December 9, 2010
Quirky and very confusing at times, but I liked it overall. It didn't seem like a children's book, but it felt too young for YA. It seemed like a charming book for adults who wanted to relive their childhoods. I guess I would classify this as a tween read if I had to.
December 20, 2024
DNF like 15% in. I usually give books more of a chance even if I'm not liking them to start off but I could NOT get past how dry and inhuman the dialogue sounds. It sounds like the author has never spoken to a real person before
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August 12, 2011A truly sweet gem of a story. I highly recommend it.
January 18, 2012
so far this book is okay...it only gets to the exciting part at about the middle so it is going kind of slow...
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January 11, 2023its a brillient book but im taking my time reading: im juggling 3 books!
August 30, 2014
Het was net niet helemaal waar ik op hoopte. De ontwikkeling van Olijf was echt wel heel mooi en er zaten ook echt prachtige gedachten in dit boek. Maar soms vond ik het een tikkeltje saai.
July 23, 2016
cute idea about a girl exploring and learning to be herself with the imaginary twin sister named pip.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews