Book cover of Operation: Happy

Book description

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…

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1 author picked Operation: Happy as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

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…

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Book cover of Follow Me to Africa

Follow Me to Africa by Penny Haw,

Historical fiction inspired by the story of groundbreaking paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey, Follow Me to Africa is a sweeping, dual-timeline story of intergenerational friendship, a meditation on the beauty of the natural world, and a celebration of the women who pave the way for those to come.

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