This is a beautiful historical fiction novel about a girl and her dog during WWII. Happy is a retired military working dog who finds himself in the service of protecting his new charge: Jody. Jody is new to Pearl Harbor and this dog is her wish come true. Jody has always made lists to cope with life. And with Happy and Hawaiian air, she starts a new bucket list. Hawaii seems to be the most perfect paradise ever. Jody has the best schedule: Happy walks Jody to school, he hangs out with her at her lunch and afternoon nap and walks her home. They explore the island. Things seem to be going pretty well.. until Jody's mom starts doom prepping. Jody and her sister Peggy grow more and more concerned with their mom's behavior and their dad's absences. When Pearl Harbor is attacked, Jody and her family are faced with sheltering in a bomb shelter and then evacuated to San Francisco. Jody's dad needs to stay behind, but Jody promises to lead team Zuper while her dad is not with them. Leading team Zuper turns out to be harder than expected in San Francisco where the risks and dangers are not as straight forward as bombs dropping. Can Jody and Happy keep their family together?

What I loved most: the alternating perspectives of Jody and Happy, Jody's quest for the fountain of youth in Hawaii, in the end - the author's note shares that the whole story is based on a WWII Pearl Harbor Bombing Survivor.

This would be a good story to partner with any WWII unit in any school.
For all the dog lovers who venture into these pages - know that the trigger warning about the dog being okay in this story is 100% accurate.

I adored the FMC and her dog, Happy. I found her to be a truly resilient young girl and the addition of Happy the dog was the icing on the cake. The alternating POVs were a great touch to the story! We see Jody and her sister go through many changes in the midst of the war. This is a story that middle graders and adults alike can embrace. I loved it so much that I ordered a copy for my 12 year old niece. I feel comfortable gifting her a copy and know that there is not subject matter covered that I wouldn’t want to expose her to. Would make a great addition to any child’s library and is a great opening to learning about WW2.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me access to this audiobook. I was so happy to listen to this with My nine year old daughter. We both love puppies and this is her first historical fiction book and it’s nine-year-old approved.. We love us some Happy.

Operation Happy is about a young girl and her dog named Happy. It is based on a real experience of a girl during this time. The book is enjoyable it doesn't just stop after Pearl Harbor but keeps the story going to how their lives were changed after the bombing. The writing is very age appropriate and the author did a great job of developing the characters. This book deserves a spot in my classroom library.

Operation: Happy
Review

This is a compelling story based on true events. This is based upon a family that was there during the bombing of Pearl Harbor as the father was a marine. It starts off slow and steady but reels you in as we follow Jody and her family from before Pearl Harbor happened to when they evacuate to California. The story is written from the POV of Happy, Jody’s dog and Jody, a 12 year old girl. The author conveyed intense emotions throughout the story and had accurate facts relating back to the war. My daughter and I listened to the audio version of this book and it sucked both of us in and led to many deeper questions. The details in the writing of this book made it very emotional and interesting. This is an amazing book if you have an interest in history or the idea of perseverance. There was tears, laughter, joy, and sadness as we went through the roller coaster of this book with the characters.

I loved how Peggy and Jody’s spirits and personalities were expressed and still talked about the tough things (mom’s depression) and how the girls struggled but overcame all of it.

This is one book I wish I could read again for the first time! Highly recommend this book!

This middle grade novel is based on a true story and memoir from a girl who lived through Pearl Harbor. Very unique as you don’t hear war stories from a kid’s perspective very often. I really enjoyed that and felt it added to the stories that have not been heard and voices that maybe had not been shared much with a lot of the other historical fiction of World War II.
The audio was well done with chapters going back and forth between Jody and her dog. I enjoyed the narrators and thought they did a good job. It was easy to listen to them.
I appreciated how the author brought in some good topics related to the experience of Japanese Americans and the mother's depression that could create some good discussion and starters for kids to do more research and learn.
I plan to purchase this book and read it with students and my own children. There are some heavier themes, but I think this will initiate some great conversations. I also believe knowing this history is so important!!

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this audiobook!

Thank you NetGalley and Zondervan for the ARC!

This is a historical fiction based on the life of a Pearl Harbor survivor. I love the characters, Jody and Happy. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the different narrators for each POV. Jody was strong and reliable, a great fill in for leader of their family while her dad fight in the war. This is a book I would listen to again with my 3rd grader son. I recommend to audiences middle grade and up.

There is always a hindering thought when a book includes a dog. I am always fearful something will happen and I will be inconsolable. However, this story includes the bravery of Happy, and showcases a story of resilience and how to stay strong when the world is falling down around you, especially during war.

I was thrilled when I recognized the voice of Brian Holden, a throwback to when I was obsessed with his theater group, Starkid. He’s a perfect narrator and kept this story light hearted and enticing.

Operation: Happy
by Jenni L. Walsh

The historical fictional story of survival and all the cost of world War 2 to a military family based on the real story of a pearl harbor survivor and her family. The author added a dog to the story and other aspects that not only added drama but showed the difficulty and struggles. Its a great story showing the girl's point of view but also the dog's. The characters show the loss of innocence and the personal sacrifice of the family for the protection not only of our country at this time but also themselves. World war 2 books have been popular in classrooms, especially with young boys. This is a positive story about that difficult time.

A wonderful story of strength and courage in the face of unimaginable challenges. Jody is a dynamic character who fiercely loves her family, including her dog, Happy.

I really enjoyed reading this book and the story if had to tell. I found it so interesting hearing about Living life on the military base leading up to the events of Pearl Harbor and experiencing it through the eyes of a child. This story is meant for young readers and I thought it did a good job capturing the event and characters feelings in an age appropriate way for the intended audience. The story did not end with Pearl Harbor, but continued with the family struggling through the aftermath of the events. The reader struggled to acclimate to life after and returning to a "normal" life. I felt a lot of emotions as I read. This book was an enjoyable reading journey, but one that would definitely bring up important talking points if I read it with my own children or class. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook.

I chose to read, ‘Operation: Happy’ based on the cover and WW2 story. Read as an audiobook which really added to the experience with a POV. This story is told from Jody, 7 year old girl, living in Hawaii at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. Going into this story knowing it is middle grade helps with the experience and was what I expected. I loved the perspective of Happy and provided a ‘lighter’ voice to the tragedy within this story.

This story absolutely hit the mark and had a unique story writing with the addition of Happy’s perspective. History is always important to pay attention to and I loved the perspective of Jody. Living through such a horrible experience and the raw emotions of what Jody and her family had experienced. I found that there wasn’t a lot of depth with any characters outside the 2 POV. Where we as the reader experience the internal dialogue and effects to the experiences around them. Jody’s responses seemed to be age appropriate and Happy’s perspective was lighter. Found this book to be a good reminder of loss and major events and how we might interact with one another. Jody’s response in moving seemed to be very mature and I was annoyed with the teacher in this setting.

Thank you to Netgalley, Zonderkidz, and Jenni L. Walsh for this ARC audiobook copy.

Thank you Zonderkidz and NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook arc in exchange for my honest review.

I think it will mean a lot to many kids, that the author lets us know, before the story starts, that we don’t have to worry, Happy is going to be okay. I loved that and the amazing narration!! I strongly believe that the incredible narration made this story even better. I wanted to start listening again from the start after finishing my incredible journey with Jody, her family and their unforgettable dog Happy! Especially the way you could hear Jody (trying to) stay positive, hopeful and happy by the tone of her voice, lifted this story up for me.

This is a historical fiction and a World War 2 story.

It’s 1938 and Jody (10 years old) gets a dog for Christmas!! Happy is a former sentry dog and his eyesight is a little off but he’s honestly the best dog ever… He loves her, makes her smile, protects her and makes her feel less alone during hard times and he’s always ready to go on any adventure with her.

Not only Jody but Happy gets a POV too in this story, which made it even better.

2 years after getting happy, Jody and her family move to Hawaii (Pearl Harbor). There’s a war going on in Europe, tensions with Japan are rising and this transfer is very sudden. Jody is used to moving because her dad is a commanding officer in the marines, but her mom doesn’t want to go.

Jody loves the island life but her mom remains nervous. It was nice to read about the situation slowly getting more worrisome, threatening and even dangerous from Jody and happy’s perspective. We get to read about how Jody makes a list of things she loves at her new home and a list of fun things to do with Happy while there’s an increasing amount of drills. Eventually real attacks, hiding and even an evacuation to San Francisco happen (without their dad who’s staying behind).

When Jody, her older sister Peggy, their mom and Happy move into an apartment there, it’s even clearer how strong and positive Jody is. Their mom sinks into a depression and the kids have to fend for themselves until things get really out off hand and that’s when they all learn an important lesson, it’s okay to ask for help!

I will never forget this story and although nothing bad happened to Happy, the ending did make me emotional with tears of relief and joy!

When Jody’s family and her ex-service dog, Happy, are deployed to Hawaii during the Second World War, they become survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbour. Her parents decide it’ll be safer if Jody, her sister, mother, and Happy move Stateside while the war in the Pacific escalates. With her mother suffering from depression, Jody and her sister have to look after themselves in their new home of San Francisco.
This is a heartwarming story of resilience and determination. Jody and her sister must learn how to look after themselves when ‘Sad Mom’ can’t cope with all that is happening, or risk being sent to an orphanage.
Told from Jody’s pov and Happy’s pov, the reader really gets to experience not only the anxiety of war but also the resilience required to survive and learning when it’s okay to ask for help.
Inspired by the true story of Joan Zuber Earle as told through her memoir, The Children of Battleship Row.
I very much enjoyed listening to the audio of Operation: Happy. I love historical fiction, especially WW2 stories and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. It made a change to read one about the war in the pacific, and a story with a dog always gets an extra star from me.
5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good middle grade historical fiction that is mostly set in Pearl Harbor, HI. We have a young girl, Jody and her dog who go through the traumatic experience of being bombed. Jody and her family were displaced after the attack and Jody's mother seemed to suffer from depression/PTSD. Jody and her dog Happy work together to keep their family going and intact. This is based off a true experience. The audiobook was a great listen.

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.

What a lovely story mixed with some history. As a dog lover, this really tugged at the heart strings. I also love the representation. This book there is a lot of comfort and charm this this story.

Operation: Happy centers on the story of 12-year-old Jody and her dog, Happy. At the beginning of the story, they have just moved to Ford Island in Pearl Harbor before the Japanese have entered WWII. At first the days of a girl and her dog are carefree, though Jody learns her dog is aging. Her world is turned upside-down by the events of December 7, 1941, but Walsh presents these from the perspective of a girl hiding from the Japanese aircraft and the falling shrapnel, rather than filling the reader's mind with images of the destruction aboard the ships in the harbor. The family is separated at this point as the dad must continue with his duties as a Marine, but to Jody's surprise (and mine), her mother stays with her father, leaving the girls with another military family through Christmas of 1941. Jody, her mom, and her sister are then evacuated to San Francisco, but life is not easier once they are relocated.

I appreciated the author's note at the end explaining how much of this story was taken from the real Jody's experience as recorded in The Children of Battleship Row by Joan Zuber Earle. Adding the dog to bring comfort to Jody helped lessen the stress of war, but this still isn't a book I would hand to just any middle grade reader. I have several students in military families (given the proximity of our school to Joint Base Lewis-McChord) and while many are interested in military stories, the stress the Jody goes through due to the absence of her father and the depression of her mother could easily be overwhelming to them. The right reader will appreciate all of the history in this book, but it will be a discerning teacher or librarian who shares this title with caution.

One final note: I listened to the audiobook version of this book (thank you NetGalley and Zonderkidz) and appreciated both narrators as they both sounded sufficiently young enough to be a 12-year-old girl and her dog. Having such different voices meant I didn't get lost when the perspective changed, though it did strike me as odd that Jody's chapters were first person while Happy's were third person.

As a previous middle school English Language Arts teacher, I have a lot of thoughts about this book.

Pros:
- It handles difficult subject matters with honesty and through the eyes of a middle schooler.
- Both deep and funny
- The chapters from Happy's perspective are adorable, cute, and engaging for this age group.
- The plot of holding things together while your parents can't is common in stories for this age group - and for a good reason. It's a common fear and much too common occurrence for kids.
- Great ending that wraps up loose ends and leaves the reader with a warm feeling.

Cons:
- At time the narrator felt much younger than her age and at times much older than her age.
- I worry that the assault on Peggy was glossed over without much support from her parents.

Overall, it's a really good book for middle schoolers. It has a dog, sibling and classmate conflicts, and parents being human - all things kids can relate to. It also has war and other items out of kids' control - another thing they can relate to.

I read some reviews that questioned of WWII and the assault on Peggy were too serious of topics for this age group and I have to heavily disagree. Middle school kids are incredibly resilient and curious. They already hear and see these kinds of things in the world. It's important that their reading material represents it as well and helps them learn and grow. Plus, it's a great cross-curriculum read (social studies and language arts).

Jody is from a military family in the 1940s. Her dad is in the Navy and they have just been assigned to relocate to Pearl Harbor. At first she is excited to be in tropical Hawaii, but with her mom convinced that something bad is going to happen and with the continuous air raid drills, Jody isn’t so sure this is paradise after all. Before long, Pearl Harbor is attacked and the family, minus her dad, are shipped off the island to San Francisco as refugees. Her dog, Happy, and her list of things to do help her cope with everything, including her clinically depressed mother and feeling like she’s all alone. This felt like it needed more information about the attack on Pearl Harbor and World War 2 in general, but it was a fairly safe tale for those readers who are not quite ready for the heaviness and gruesome details of the war.