Mac and Cheese are the class guinea pigs, and Oliver is their biggest fan. So he watches them to learn how he can be a good friend. But while snuggling might be fine for guinea pigs, Oliver’s classmates don’t like him getting into their personal space bubbles. With the help of his teacher and classmates, Oliver learns that being a friend means respecting personal space. "Every classroom would benefit from Oliver's learning throughout this book! Personal space is important and giving space is even more relevant and necessary now!" -- Jennifer Hottinger, @ignitingwriters Personal-space invaders are not popular--as narrator Oliver soon finds out. The author's note discusses how acceptable personal-space boundaries can vary culturally and individually. --Kirkus Reviews After observing the class guinea pigs snuggling, Oliver decides to move closer to the other kids in his classroom. Although he is simply trying to make friends, Oliver learns a tough lesson about personal space. The lesson about personal space is valuable. --School Library Journal Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader came about as I watched my children and some of my students learn to navigate personal space. Social skills can be tricky, and for very literal learners and children on the autism spectrum, learning how to be a good friend can be even more of a challenge. I took those thoughts and paired them with Oliver, a character who loves animals and observing their interactions--what would Oliver think when his teacher tells him the class guinea pigs are the best of friends? Would he see the guinea pigs snuggle, cuddle, and nuzzle and believe that's how he could show affection to a friend? Maybe. And if he did, might that make his relationships with his classmates awkward? Maybe. So how would he make things right? Well, you'll need to read the book to find out! I'm hopeful that Oliver's journey will be helpful for parents, teachers, and, most importantly, kids! Oliver hopes he can learn to be a good friend by observing how guinea pig best friends Mac and Cheese interact. But when Oliver tries to show his classmates guinea-pig-style affection, they think he's a personal space invader! Join Oliver as he discovers how to respect personal space. Jolene Gutiérrez grew up on a farm and now lives in a suburb of Denver with her husband, kids, three preteen dogs, and a prickly hedgehog. For the past 25 years, she's been a school librarian. She spends her days sharing children's books and her nights writing them. Having a child read a book she's written brings her great joy! Jolene is an active member of SCBWI and The Authors Guild and a Children's Book Academy graduate.  Find her online at jolenegutierrez.com.