Operation: Happy

Name: Operation: Happy
Brand: Arotahi Agency
SKU: 9780310178620
Price: 19.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

A World War II Story of Courage, Resilience, and an Unbreakable Bond

By Jenni L Walsh

0.0 (0 reviews)

4.24

( 601 ratings, 207 reviews)

Brief Description

Club Tome Book Award Winner, 2025-2026 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... Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$19⁹⁹

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Operation: Happy

$19⁹⁹

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Operation: Happy is a moving middle-grade novel for fans of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Kate DiCamillo, featuring a dog’s POV and inspired by the real-life experiences of a young Pearl Harbor survivor.

Description

Club Tome Book Award Winner, 2025-2026

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 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 practising first aid. Jody also learns that Happy is getting older and beginning to slow down. To cope, she makes a list of fun things they can do together. 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?

Operation: Happy is:

perfect for fans of historical fiction as well as animal lovers
a moving and historically accurate novel inspired by true events
ideal for readers of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Kate DiCamillo

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780310178620

Publisher: Zondervan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 July 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: ZonderKidz

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 213.0mm

Weight: 231g

Pages: 240

Collections

Children's Books Children's Fiction Children's Historical Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Historical Fiction Jenni L Walsh Young Adult

About the Author

Jenni L. Walsh worked for a decade enticing readers as an award-winning advertising copywriter before becoming an author. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a proud graduate of Villanova University, and lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, daughter, son, and various pets.

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