52. Operation Happy

Operation: Happy. Jenni L. Walsh. 2024. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [j historical fiction, mg historical fiction, animal fantasy]

First sentence: A dog is at the top of my wish list. I unwrap number three: a Monopoly board game. Then I pluck number five from under the Christmas tree: a Shirley Temple doll. And number two: a new Nancy Drew book. But number one is still very much missing. 

Operation: Happy is historical fiction--set around the Second World War--narrated by a girl, Jody, and her dog, Happy. Jody is used to moving frequently; her dad is a marine. Happy will be a constant in her life. No matter how many places, how many schools, how many friends she leaves behind--her and Happy together forever and ever. The family's newest home is [near] the naval base Pearl Harbor. Her mom--who is mentally and emotionally unstable--is fearful of the island. She has visions of great doom--even before they arrive on the island. Her daughters--Jody and Peggy--try to make the most of things. Sure Mom has horrible feelings about Hawaii but should they??? Jody may not share her mom's concerns exactly, however, she does begin to worry that Happy may die soon among other things....

This historical middle grade novel is set before, during, and after Pearl Harbor. It is told from both her point of view and that of Happy. 

My thoughts: I was NERVOUS. Dog on the cover: check. Set during a war: check. Possible foreshadowing in the first few chapters that the dog's health is declining: check. Would Happy survive to the end of the book? Would I be okay if Happy didn't???? Putting aside the dog issue, there is plenty of peril for the humans involved in this story. 

I am glad I read this one. I've been in a huge reading slump. I've lacked motivation to keep turning chapters. Maria and Operation: Happy are proving to me that I do still want to read.

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

51. Danny and the Homework Machine

Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine. Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin. 1958. 141 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Danny Dunn bent over a strange device that hung from the ceiling of his bedroom, directly over his desk.

Premise/plot: Danny Dunn loves to learn, experiment, invent. He's driven by curiosity. However Danny Dunn and his friends--new and old--don't like doing homework. In this "vintage" children's book Danny programs the Professor's computer [large, bulky, not user-friendly computer] to do their homework. This requires a LOT of programming, a LOT of extra work. He first has to teach the computer and then has to teach himself and his friends how to use the computer. Danny is under the belief that he is saving time by using a computer. The adults may be getting amusement out of this realizing that extra homework is what it really is.

My thoughts: This book does not age well....for better or worse. On the one hand, I do think vintage books can give you a glimpse into the past, a time capsule if you will. In this book and in the previous Danny Dunn book I've read, it's a glimpse into how THEY in the 1950s thought the future would look like. The first book I read Danny Dunn was about space and space travel. This one was about computers. It can be amusing to see how those living in the past imagined the future playing out. On the other hand, Danny Dunn's life is so out of place--so dated. I have a hard time imagining kids today reading about this super-ancient "advanced" computer that is "oh so miraculous" and "amazing." The story, the dialogue, the characters don't really age well. As an adult I was amused yet not particularly entertained. 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

50. Maria

Maria. Michelle Moran. 2024. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: 
Dear Mr. Hammerstein,
It may come as a surprise that I am writing to you, as it appears that the theater industry believes I am dead and can now make up whatever they wish about me. 

Premise/plot: Michelle Moran's newest historical novel is a fictionalized account of the creation of the Broadway musical Sound of Music. Maria von Trapp, on whom the musical is in part based along with her family, was not happy with the script or characterizations. She believed--and tried to convey--just how wrong, how inaccurate, how nonsensical the changes were. She hoped--in vain--that by telling HER story and providing detailed notes (etc) that the script would be changed. This is the story of those interviews. Fran (a fictional character) is meeting with Maria and sharing what she learns knowing that the story is essentially set in stone...the musical is due to open in a matter of weeks. This novel also reveals Mr. Hammerstein's illness--this would be the last musical he would write before his death. 

The novel goes back and forth in time.

My thoughts: I love, love, love the musical Sound of Music. I have read at least one biography of Maria von Trapp. I can't remember if it was a biography written by another or an autobiography or memoir. I knew I *needed* to read this one. I found it a great read. I definitely recommend this one. 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews