Spoiler alert: Although Operation: Happy takes place during some of the darkest days of WWII—think Pearl Harbor, late 1941—Jenni L. Walsh’s story does indeed have a happy ending.
The daughter of a military officer, twelve-year-old Jody has been raised to embrace a sense of change and adventure. It’s not always easy to adapt to new places and cultures, so it helps have her sweet pup nearby. Happy might be getting older and slowing down, but he and Jody can still enjoy simple things together (like playing sardines and conducting the ultimate treasure hunt) to distract themselves from scary air raid drills.
Happy is the beating heart of Jody’s story of resilience and courage, saving the day more than once. (And did I mention that he smiles, too?)
As World War II enters her backyard, a young girl tries to cope with the war and keep her family together by completing a bucket list with her best friend: her dog Happy. Featuring a dog's POV and inspired by real-life experiences of a young Pearl Harbor survivor, this historical middle-grade novel will inspire readers 8-12 to find courage in any situation.
It's 1940, and Jody is moving with her military family yet again-this time to a small naval base in Pearl Harbor. She's always created a "top ten" list for each new home to help her adjust, and with…
Dan Gemeinhart’s intrepid Ella—aka Coyote Sunrise—is back! In Coyote Lost and Found, Coyote and her unflappable father dust off Yager, their tricked-out school bus, for another epic adventure. They leave their home in Oregon with Maine as their destination; along the way, they’ll stop and scatter Coyote’s mother’s ashes in a special, yet-to-be-determined location.
Like The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, Gemeinhart’s sequel is both laugh-out-loud funny and dead-serious, bravely confronting tough topics and weighty themes. A delightful cast of characters rallies around Coyote during her emotional escapade, including Ivan, her beloved cat—and Fig, a long-haired Chihuahua owned by Coyote’s dad’s new girlfriend (gulp).
Coyote’s furry friends are just as sweet as she is, and it’s hard to say goodbye to them all when the story comes to an end.
It's been almost a year since Coyote and her dad left the road behind and settled down in a small Oregon town . . . time spent grieving the loss of her mum and sisters and trying to fit in at school. But just as life is becoming a new version of normal, Coyote discovers a box containing her mom's ashes. And she thinks she might finally be ready to say goodbye.
So Coyote and her dad gear up for an epic cross-country road trip to scatter the ashes at her mum's chosen resting place. The only problem? Coyote has…
Something Like Home, Andrea Beatriz Arango’s luminous novel in verse, centers on Laura, a young girl who faces the unthinkable: being separated from her parents. Her mom and dad are addicts, and when they enter rehab, Laura is sent to live with her estranged aunt as a foster child.
Laura adores birds and her Rubik’s Cube, but she loves her parents more than anything. Not only does she have to learn to live without them, but she needs to navigate a new school, make friends, and connect with her emotionally detached Titi Silvia. Enter Sparrow, the abandoned puppy Laura finds on the side of the road. She brings Sparrow home and decides to train him as a therapy dog.
Spoiler: Sparrow is the glue that finally binds Laura and her aunt, and he lends much-appreciated sweetness and levity to an otherwise heart wrenching story.
The Pura Belpre Honor winning novel in verse, in which a lost dog helps a lonely girl find a way home to her family . . . only for them to find family in each other along the way. From the Newbery Honor winning author of Iveliz Explains It All.
"Trust me: this book will touch your heart." -Barbara O'Connor, New York Times bestselling author of Wish
Titi Silvia leaves me by myself to unpack, but it's not like I brought a bunch of stuff. How do you prepare for the unpreparable? How do you fit your whole life in…
I love animals, which comes as no surprise if you read my debut middle grade novel, Crossing the Pressure Line.
Clare Burch, my main character, confronts the loss of her sweet grandfather while attempting to honor the special request he made a long time ago. Her exhilarating coming-of-age summer centers on new friends, unexpected adventures, fierce goals—and her adorable wiener dog, Roger.
To my delight, Roger continues to be a fan favorite among readers. I was even asked to include him in my second novel, Marvelous Jackson—so I did!
I'm writing my third manuscript as we speak, and once again I'm incorporating a furry little creature. This time it's Cupcake, a tiny white fluffball of a kitten. (Oh, the trouble she creates!)
Not only do I love writing about pets, I love reading about them, too—which makes it easy for me to identify my favorite middle grade novels of 2024.
