Operation Happy is such a delight to read. It warms the heart while at the same time keeping you intrigued throughout the story to always need to hear what happens next. This is a historical fiction that will make an amazing edition to any library, whether that be at home or school or traditional library.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book. I love the character's resilience and bravery. The dog is a "happy" addition. I also like how the point of view switches between Jody and Happy. Overall, great read.

Dog fans will love this historical fiction set partly in Pearl Harbor before and during the Japanese attack, narrated at least some of the time by Happy, a retired military dog. Happy enjoys his new life as a family dog - still protecting, as dogs do. While they make a game of getting to the bomb shelter quickly during air raid drills, Happy's presence makes everyone feel a bit more comfortable when the drills aren't for practice. Happy's job is even more important when mom and the two daughters are transferred to San Francisco for safety while dad, a marine, stays behind in Hawaii. A great picture of the Pacific coast homefront during WWII and a sweet story about dog love and loyalty. I added this one to my summer recommendations.

As a historical fiction lover myself I thought this would be a fun one to read with my daughter. She loves dogs so it seemed perfect. I love that right out the gate you know that Happy will be fine in the end because so many books with dogs don’t end that way. Happy made for a fun spin on sharing about the events of Pearl Harbor.

Since I do enjoy historical fiction, it’s always from the adults perspective so it was interesting reading this from a child’s perspective. Some hard topics are discussed throughout this book which is the nature of a historical event of this magnitude so I do think you need to be aware of your child’s emotional maturity to handle such topics.

Overall, this was a good read!

I read this book for consideration for inclusion in a curriculum package for Curriculum Associates.
Thank you for the e-arc, we greatly appreciated the opportunity to review this pre-publication.

Walsh does an excellent job of combining a child's personal conflict with world issues. We see the impact of constantly adjusting to new environments and the uncertainty of war combined with the necessary changes that come with aging. Fear and anxiety are palpable but manageable in this narrative. Most notably, the book includes the attack on Pearl Harbor in a real and present manner. We experience the chaos, the smoke and danger, the grim reality, without it ever becoming overwhelming or graphic.

Excellent book about the bombing of Pearl Harbor - and its aftermath - for more sensitive readers. Based on real events and people, this book focuses on Jody and her family, including her beloved dog Happy. Jody's dad is stationed at the Pearl Harbor naval base in 1940, and Jody pays little attention to the war happening way over in Europe - until it comes to their island. While the bombing scenes are intense, they are brief. Soon, Jody, her mother, her sister, and Happy are evacuated to California and find that their fight has only begun. Happy serves as comfort and inspiration for Jody, who feels more alone than ever.
With themes of family, courage, problem-solving, hope, friendship, and forgiveness, this is highly recommended for 3rd grade and up.

I read Operation: Happy one with my 8-year-old daughter and we really enjoyed it. She loves dogs so when I saw this cover with a dog, I knew that it would be a hit for her. This book is geared more towards middle school age, but my 3rd grader did great comprehending the story and knowing what was going on. We had wonderful discussions regarding the things we read about in this book. It is definitely on the heavy side with it being based around war, but it's done very appropriately for children and isn't frightening. Kids who love history will really enjoy this one.

Thank you NetGalley, and Zonderkidz, for an ARC in return for my honest review.

What a beautiful story that will touch your heart! Excellent book for literature circles! Students will have many opportunities for discussion about family, war, and friendships.

This was a wonderful read aloud for our family! A beautiful story about an important time in history that is perfect for children just learning to understand.

Happy was just who Jody needed to help her through the many challenges that she faced growing up in a military family. He brings joy and companionship into her life. When disaster strikes Pearl Harbor and then her family, her missions with Happy help her to cope and survive.

Jody was just who Happy needed to give his life purpose and a continued sense of responsibility. As a retired army dog, he's happy to be "on mission" with his girl and help her to stay safe in a very dangerous time. Though he's getting a little gray, he's still ready to work and play hard.

This book just made me happy. Sorry, it's punny, but very true. I loved the characters and hearing the story through two different voices. Happy's voice was so entertaining. The book deals with tough subjects in an optimistic, yet realistic way. Even though it is middle grade fiction, I know I enjoyed it as much as my students will.

Great story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Zonderkids for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

An interesting junior read, that nicely dramatises Pearl Harbor for us, as well as what comes after, all seen through the eyes of a military family's daughter and her love for the old faithful, Happy the retired guard-dog. We see the flip of that, too, as every five chapters or so the narrative jumps to be closer to his POV, although the view isn't great with his failing eyesight and old age. You could say the build-up to the Japanese attack was a little too long, but this allows the girl/dog love to be proven by action and not exposition, and the assault is underplayed anyway, seen through our heroine's naivety.

The second half, set in San Francisco, is a bit more soapy, but as our cast become displaced it's surely the point of this that they were aliens in just the next state over, that the times were bad even if the country never saw war on its soil, and that whatever happened the link with Happy was a perfect help and grounding. So it's a bit awkward to read at the end that this is based on a true story, but the mutt isn't. Yet there's a flip-side to that too – it seemed ridiculous the family were just disembarked at San Francisco and forced to get on as they did with no military help. If that is also true – that being a Marine family counted for so damned little in this time – it's an extraordinary eye-opener. If it's not true, like I say – soapy, but not unreadably so, as this is a firm four stars.

This is a very lovely and heartwarming book. It follows the story of a little girl and her dog as they navigate hardship new trauma and new friendship. The girl, jody, makes a list every where she goes of things she wants to do. after the attack on her temporary home in hawaii, that list turns into a coping list without her realizing. this is a sweet story for all ages and I really enjoyed it!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
Operation: Happy is an engaging and relaxing historical fiction book based on a true story.
We follow two POV; Jody whos twelve-years-old, and her dog Happy. Happy came to love with Jody and her family after being retired as a military dog. The family travel around alot due to her father being in the Marines. Set during the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, we follow this family through their experience of the attack and being narrated from two different points of view; a human and an animal, was really captivating and unique.
The first part of the book is their life before the attack, and the second part is the attack and the aftermath.
I thought it was fantastic at the beginning of the book that the author let's the listener know that Happy doesn't die as that would have been very traumatic for even myself as an adult to have read through. This was a beautifully told story and very eye opening to what the children, families and even animals were subjected to during this war.

Operation: Happy tells the story of the Zuber family, stationed on Ford Island during World War II. Jody, the family’s younger daughter, is the proud owner of Happy, a former Marine dog re-homed after his retirement. The story is told from the alternating points of view of Jody and Happy, who are enjoying their life together in Hawaii, even as Jody notices her mom acting more and more nervous and unsettled and with air raid drills occurring more frequently. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Jody and Happy are sent to safety in San Francisco along with her mother and sister while their Marine father remains behind. This leads to great strain on the family and Jody must step up with Happy’s support to help her family survive. Jody and Happy are a fabulous duo. Jody’s bravery and resilience in the face of challenges are admirable and drive the story. Happy’s unwavering support for Jody helps her to cope when things seem especially dark. Operation: Happy provides an accessible and informative perspective for middle grade readers interested in World War II and the surrounding events.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC to read and review.

I loved reading this story! It was so different from what is on the kids fiction shelves. This story takes place during Pearl Harbor. This family was living in Hawaii and moves to California to be safer. All while one of the kids in the family have a new dog that used to be a working dog. I fell in love with these characters very quickly. It was cool to see the different chapters - one her side, the next the dogs perspective. As I was reading it seemed to be going to a sad ending but it pulled through in the end. It really was a great story. The best part is that this was based on a true story and that there is even more to the story if the reader wanted to keep it going. I gave it 4 stars because it was such a great story, great characters, great morals but I couldn't give it that last star because it ended very abruptly. I wanted it to be tied with a bow at that end but it left open ends. Granted that is so you go read her true story its based on but I really wish it wrapped up here too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this middle grade novel.

I really enjoyed this book, and think many students will like it. The dog is central, which is always a huge bonus for many middle grade readers, and Happy does a great job taking center stage.

About this book:

“A girl, her dog, and the list that saved them...
As World War II enters her backyard, a young girl tries to keep her family together and cope with the war 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 Hawaii being so beautiful and her loyal dog Happy by her side, it’s easy to find things to add.
But Jody’s mom is convinced the island is dangerous and starts constantly practicing first aid. Jody also learns that Happy is beginning to slow down. To cope, she starts a list of fun things they can do together, like journeying to a Fountain of Youth. “Operation: Happy” gives her something to focus on beyond the scary new experiences, like air raid drills and Yellow Fever vaccinations.
Before long, everyone’s worst fears come true: Pearl Harbor is attacked. In the aftermath, Jody’s father must stay behind as the rest of the family is evacuated, and Jody promises him she will keep everyone together. But things are hard in San Francisco, where she feels like an outsider. Worse, her mother has become depressed, and Jody worries she and her sister will have to go to an orphanage. With Happy by her side, Jody hatches a brave plan to keep the family safe … Will Operation: Happy see them through?”


Series: Seems to be a stand-alone novel.


Spiritual Content- A couple mentions of those in the Bible; A mention of thanking Jesus; A mention of God blessing the Marines; A mention of Bibles; A mention of church going; A mention of Sunday School; A mention of Jewish refugees;
*Note: “My god” is said by Jody’s father; Mentions of the rumored fountain of youth & Jody wondering if it will work on dogs (*Spoiler* When she sneaks out with him to go to the cave, she thinks that the “magical water” must be working because Happy looks better *End of Spoiler*); A couple mentions of smiles that could rival the Wicked Witch of the West (including Jody having one and it noting “I smile, a little wicked witch coming out of me”); A couple mentions of people acting crazy during a full moon.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘crap’, a ‘dang’, a ‘darn’, a ‘doggone it’, a ‘duh’, a ‘holy mackerel’, a ‘my god’ (said by Jody’s father), a ‘shut it’, a ‘worked our tails off’, two forms of ‘dumb’, and two ‘shoot’s; A mention of a cuss word (said by Jody, which typically would have her mother get a bar of soap); A bit of sarcasm & eye rolling; Gunfire, Going through gunfire and bombs, Bombings, Explosions, Blackout drills, Air Raid drills, Fires, the aftermath of the bombing, Screams and crying, & being scared (up to semi-detailed to detailed); Recalling the bombings & gunfire (barely-above-not-detailed); Jody and her sister are given the jobs of loading machine guns and loading the guns’ belts; Jody’s mom is very concerned about their family moving to Hawaii (Pearl Harbor; Her mom had a dream and Jody says she’s “spooked” and scared, which makes Jody nervous and concerned); *Spoiler* Jody’s mom wants to send her and her sister to the mainland; Jody and her sister are taken to another place after the bombing to stay with another family; Jody is very concerned and scared for her parents and being away from them; A bit later, Jody, her sister, their mother, and Happy leave to go to the mainland *End of Spoiler*; *Spoiler* Jody is worried that her and her sister may be taken away from their mother due to her being unable to take care of them because of her sadness/depression; Jody’s friends suggests for her to forge her mother’s signature on a school paper as Jody is concerned about her mom not being able to do it; Jody does forge the signature on her paper and is concerned that she’ll do it again and again if it’s to help her family, so she contacts her father *End of Spoiler*; *Spoiler* Because of her mom’s sadness, Jody plans to deceive her teacher about her mother being at an event, which Jody feels guilty about because Marines aren’t supposed to deceive, but wonders if “maybe it’s okay for a really, really good reason?”; The plan gets shaky when her mom actually shows up after Jody points out a friend dressing up as her mom to her teacher (this is not noticed by the adults nor is there is any repercussion for this) *End of Spoiler*; Jody orders Happy to attack a man who was going to causing harm to someone (See Sexual Content Spoiler, barely-above-not-detailed); Jody sneaks out (when not with her parents to get something for Happy); Jody, her sister, and their friends throw mangos at each other (food fight style) & Jody and her sister lie to their mother about it (because they don’t want to get them or their friends in trouble; Jody adds that they’ve never been the type of sisters who “blissfully work together or keep each other’s secrets. Until today, that is.”); Jody lies (to her mother and a new friend); Jody eavesdrops on her parents (multiple times; she doesn’t tell her sister for fear of being ratted out); Happy recalls his eyesight getting worse, overhearing the humans talk about the dangers of it, and is sad to be apart from his human; Set during pre-Pearl Harbor bombing, post-Pearl Harbor bombing, and World War II, & all about many mentions of all of it (the war, bombs/bombings, explosions, blackouts, sirens, fires, ships and submarines being destroyed, planes being shot down, gunfire, torpedoes, attacks, injuries, and deaths; up to semi-detailed); Mentions of other wars; Mentions of injuries, blood/bleeding, & illnesses; Mentions of a girl living at an orphanage while her father is fight overseas (her mother passed away years before); Mentions of children being taken away from their parents due to negligence; Mentions of eavesdropping; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deception (including Jody says that a Marine shouldn’t deceive);A handful of mentions of tattoos (a sailor teases Jody about getting her own and Jody thinks that her mom would rub a tattoo clear off of her body); A few mentions of Happy attacking intruders & their pain (told to do so); A few mentions of jails/prisons; A few mentions of throwing up & vomit; A few mentions of dog poop (barely-above-not-detailed); A couple mentions of cigarettes; A mention of jealousy; A mention of a bully; A mention of graffiti;
*Note: See Sexual Content Spoiler Note about an attack on a young teen girl; Jody and her older sister have some moments of bickering/attitudes and teasing towards the other, but it’s pretty light (her sister keeps a diary and Jody doesn’t read it, despite that being hard for her; *Spoiler* Later, Peggy is upset at Jody thinking that she’s read it and throws a mango at her, but Jody didn’t read it as she couldn’t find it; Their mother reads it twice, though, and apologizes towards the end *End of Spoiler*); Jody’s mother has signs of depression & sadness (*Spoiler* it starts about half-way through after leaving Hawaii; Jody mentions her mother being detached, uncommunicative, always wanting to sleep, and it being like she’s disappearing inside herself at night, but she comes back to her old self in the late morning; Jody is worried that someone might take her and her sister away from their mother due to it; Jody is afraid that she’s losing her mother and her sister; Towards the end, her mother makes improvements of getting better despite it being hard *End of Spoiler*); When seeing a Japanese maid, Jody thinks she’s the only one spooked by her despite the Pearl Harbor Bombing recently happening (her mother tells her that the maid could be a spy and to say nothing around her; The maid tells Jody that not all Japanese are bad); Mentions of Japanese-Americans being taken to camps (including children and a girl at Jody’s school), them being treated like animals by their own country, & some thinking that they can’t be trusted (Jody doesn’t think that is fair or right); Mentions of Happy being sluggish and getting older (Jody’s mom takes him to the vet for a once-over and the vet says he’s in his “golden years”, which we see in Happy’s point of view of the whole vet trip; Jody has never thought about life without Happy and hugs him tight and plans to make the most of whatever time they have left together); Mentions of celebrities (Shirley Temple, Amelia Earhart, the Andrew Sisters, and the Ink Spots); Mentions of books, authors, & fictional characters (Nancy Drew, Gone With the Wind, Under the Lilacs, Jo’s Boys, and Little Women); A handful of mentions of the yellow-fever vaccine, everyone on the island having to get it, & deaths of those who had yellow fever, malaria, and other diseases rather than combat; A few mentions of a car brand; A few mentions of movies (The Little Princess, Gone With the Wind); A couple mentions of brand names & items (Monopoly and Kleenex); A mention of Girl Scouts; A mention of rivalry between the different armed forces (such as a Navy father putting his family before his duty, which a Marine like Jody’s father wouldn’t do); A mention of someone moving zombielike; A mention of passing wind (gas).


Sexual Content- A few mentions of Jody’s older sister (age 13) having crushes;
*Note: *Spoiler but important note* Jody’s 13-year-old sister, Peggy, is cornered by a man in the basement and Happy attacks the man at Jody’s command; It’s not said what happened besides Peggy being attacked and being incredibly scared; Their mom is out of it and doesn’t react except to gather Peggy in her arms on the couch while she sobs; Later, the man is called “unwell” after hesitation implying a different word would have liked to have been used by Jody’s father *End of Spoiler*; A handful of mentions of butts (a bruised one, butts in chairs, and freezing one off); A mention of a vet probing Happy’s “eyes, ears, belly, and other places”.

-Jody Zuber, age 11-12
-Happy the dog
1st person P.O.V. switches between Jody & Happy
Set in 1938 & 1940-1942
240 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Two Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars

I went into this book thinking “please don’t make me cry, please don’t make me cry, please don’t make me cry” because, well, it’s a dog book and those have a high tendency to make me cry on average. I was relieved by the author’s dedication to dog lovers noting that Happy would be fine, but I still was nervous because “fine” doesn’t always mean the way I want it to be. I do admit to tearing up at times because of the unconditional love that Happy shows (as early as page eight). I don’t typically care for books with the point of view of an animal, but this one was really cute. Happy is a great dog—the goodest, really.

I feel like a had a pit in my stomach for the majority of this book, in all honesty. There’s something about reading about a major event in history through a middle-grader’s eyes that makes the event feel even more solemn to me. Maybe it’s because I can fill in the blanks with more historical details or just seeing a traumatic event happen, but it’s a different level compared to reading historical fiction told from adults’ perspectives.

This story is inspired by a real-life Pearl Harbor survivor named Joan Zuber Earle and her book telling the accounts of it all and the aftermath. Reading reviews of that book, it sounds like a lot of parts of this book actually happened to the real-life “Jody”, which makes me wonder what was fictional and what was real.

While published by Zonderkidz, there’s very little faith content shown in this book. I’m very sad that God’s name was taken in vain in my advance reader’s copy. I hope it’s not in the final edition of this book, but won’t know until I see or hear elsewise. Until then, I’m noting this use of language and hesitant to recommend this book to those under the age of 12 because of it, the war details, and the Sexual Content Spoiler note. I honestly have mixed feelings on this book and may end up dropping ratings if the use of God’s name in vain is in the final print edition of this book. If you look at this book as a secular-published mainstream book, then I think many would find this book a good resource and great for homeschool families especially. As a book published by a Christian publishing house, it’s disappointing for that alone.

[4/16/24 Update: God's name is taken in vain in the final edition of this book with an adult saying, "My god, that ship is listing," right when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. All rating have dropped a full star because of this.]

Based on the page number, I was expecting this book to continue for a couple more chapters, so I found the ending to be very sudden. Rereading it a couple times though, I found it to be a decent, open-end ending. The war is still going on, but Happy is alive and that was very important to me.



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Zonderkidz) for this honest review.

This is a beautifully written story of a family's resilience during WWII. “Improvise, adapt and overcome” a marine motto that the Zuber family lives by, helps them as they are caught in the middle of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The title of this book is a little misleading–it is not a very happy book. However, it is a very well written book that deals with family struggles in a real way. The dog’s name is Happy and even though there is some foreshadowing, the dog does not die!!! There are a lot of tough themes in this book based on a true story (war, family separation, depression), so I am extremely happy that the author gave us a happy ending for Happy! I’m sorry if this is a spoiler, but I did not enjoy that thought hanging over my head as I read it, and since it is meant for a younger audience, I wanted you to know that Happy is alive and well at the end of the book. Also, I thought the author handled the lives of military families in a very real way. As a military spouse, the story seemed very realistic. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 only because I don’t enjoy realistic fiction that makes me sad. If you like heartfelt stories, you will love this book.

I LOVED this book and admit to crying during the book. This book is perfect for those who also like Lauren Tarshish's "I Survived" series. This book gave me greater insight to military children's lives on base during WWII/military operations along with the main character also dealing with the super emotional situation involving pet loss. I am absolutely going to place a purchase request for this title at my library.