Operation Yes

Operation Yes is a middle grade novel about a group of 6th graders who work together to solve a probelm. In this story, there are actually several problems that the kids end up trying to solve and they come together quite nicely. The cast of characters are a nice mix of the usual suspects: over-achievers, shy kids, popular ones. As in life, each of the kids is struggling with some sort of family issue, such as Gari’s single mom who gets deployed leaving her in the care of her cousin Bo, who is worried about having to move again when his dad gets his next assignment. These two, and several others, are connected by a quirky unconventional teacher, Miss Loupe (Everyone loves a quirky unconventional teacher, right — “Carpe Diem!“). Just as the reader would hope and expect, this teacher ends up inspiring them to action.

Set in a military town in a school that is made up of the kids who live on base and in the area, the military base is a strong setting that presents itself as a central theme throughout Operation Yes. The story couldn’t be told without it. It’s told in such a way that those who have been in a military family or have moved frequently will relate, and those who haven’t will learn some understanding.

I enjoyed this book. The way things came together in the end helped it get closer to great, from my “pretty good” impression earlier. My 12-year-old daughter listened to this book as well, and she loved it, and since she’s the target audience (and usually a harder sell on a more character driven kind of novel), she’s the one you should listen to.

AUDIO NOTES:
Audiobooks are great for kids and tweens and teens. They appeal to bookworm girls (like Amanda and me) who get to enjoy a story in a different format, but I do think that a well-read audiobook would entice even the most reluctant reader into storyland. Audiobooks are also great for traveling, especially for those who get carsick when reading. The MP3 CDs from Brilliance contain the entire book on one reasonably-priced CD (just slightly more than a hardcover book), which makes it a breeze to upload to an MP3 device. Certain CD players also read this type of disc, but others don’t.

Our school and public libraries carry a good selection of audiobooks, so try them out on your kids if you haven’t already!

Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes was originally published in 2009, but is just recently available on audio from Brilliance Audio. I’m so glad that more books are being released with audio versions from the get-go, and that others such as this one are being created.

It’s hard for an adult to narrate a book which is supposed to be in the voice of a child or a teen. Jessica Almasy did a great job differentiating the various characters’ voices, and did a fabulous job bringing personality to the adults, but I did think that the kids’ voices just seemed a little slow-witted instead of just young.

Jennifer Donovan blogs at Snapshot about her life in Texas with her 12-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.