Operation Yes [Hardcover]

Sara Lewis Holmes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009 | Age Range: 8 and up | Lexile Measure: 730L (What's this?)

Ready? Line UP! FALL IN! And you'll fall for this timely and generous novel set on an Air Force base during the Iraq War, about an amazing teacher and the students she inspires.

No one in her sixth-grade class knows quite what to make of Ms. Loupe, with her short hair, her taped square "stage" on the floor, and the interest in improvisational theatre. After all, their school is on an Air Force base--a place that values discipline more than improv. But her students soon come to love her fresh approach; and when her dear brother goes missing in Afghanistan, and Ms. Loupe herself breaks down, they band together to support their teacher. What starts as a class fundraiser expands into a nationwide effort for all injured troops, and an amazing vision of community and hope.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[T]he most buoyant example of ensemble work since E. L. Konigsburg’s The View from Saturday (1996) and the best of Gregory Maguire’s Hamlet Chronicles.... Quick, funny, sad, full of heart, and irresistibly absorbing." -- Booklist, starred review

"Miss Loupe is the kind of teacher every kid dreams about, and the 'all for one, one for all' mentality that comes through as the students band together is inspiring." -- Publishers Weekly

"Sixth graders, military brats or not, will identify with this rich cast." -- Horn Book

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Author

[T]he most buoyant example of ensemble work since E. L. Konigsburg's The View from Saturday (1996) and the best of Gregory Maguire's Hamlet Chronicles. . . . Flicking among points of view with increasing speed, Holmes tracks the blossoming of Bo Whaley, an often-in-trouble kinetic learner who takes to improv like a duck to water; his just-arrived cousin Gari (who will without doubt grow up to be a professional campaign manager); and a supporting cast of gently caricatured classmates, parents, and faculty. Though only a small part is actually written as a script, the entire tale is purest stagecraft: quick, funny, sad, full of heart, and irresistibly absorbing." --Booklist, starred review (named as one of 2009's Top Ten Arts Books for Youth)

 "Operation Yes is filled with riches: caring, loving parents, a multileveled portrait of what it is like to live in a military family, sympathetic and well-developed characters, sorrows, laughter, growing up, and thousands of LGMs (you'll see). Contemporary realistic juvenile fiction of the highest order." ---Provo Library Review

 

Miss Loupe is the kind of teacher every kid dreams about, and the "all for one, one for all" mentality that comes through as the students band together is inspiring. ---Publishers Weekly 8/ 17/ 09

 

"Holmes tells her story---infused with details of military life---with heart and energy, and leaves didacticism at the door. Sixth graders, military brats or not, will identify with this rich cast." ---From the Horn Book review, Nov/Dec 2009 issue

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545107954
• ISBN-13: 978-0545107952
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #910,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sara Lewis Holmes is the author of the middle-grade novel, Operation Yes, which ALA's Booklist called "purest stagecraft: quick, funny, sad, full of heart, and irresistibly absorbing." It was named as one of Booklist's Top Ten Arts Books for Kids 2009. Operation Yes was a Cybils finalist in the Middle Grade Fiction category and the audio version won a 2010 Audie award for the best audiobook for kids, ages 8-12.

Sara is also the author of Letters From Rapunzel (HarperCollins) which won the Ursula Nordstrom Fiction prize. She has lived in eleven states and three countries.

Learn more at www.saralewisholmes.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Say Yes February 9, 2011

By Michael W. Pietrucha

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I knew when I picked up Operation Yes, that it was a children's book (9-12).

I knew as I was reading it that it was a children's book.

And somehow, as I got to the end, I forgot all of that and found that it wasn't ONLY a children's book. It was a thoroughly enjoyable tale about a small cast of sixth graders and their wonderfully unconventional sixth-grade teacher. Told, and told well, from the viewpoint of a sixth-grader, reading Operation Yes is almost like being back in a sixth grade yourself, minus the tripping over things and grass stains on the jeans.

The backdrop of the story, a fictional Air Force fighter base in a nation at war, serves both as a credible setting and a constant reminder of the outside world. In a fashion all too common on and around military bases, but atypical for the average group of 6th grade students, the outside world intrudes abruptly into the daily routine, sparking a decidedly unconventional response by students and staff.

Operation Yes not only illustrates some of Long War's effects on military families and communities, but does it with compelling characters, a delightful story, and an emotionally stirring finale. The book rings with authenticity, from the "click" of flightsuits in the clothes dryer (a flightsuit has 8 metal zippers of varying length) through the day-to-day activities common to fighter bases, to the family adaptations called for by remote assignments, constant moves, and recurring combat deployments. Thought-provoking reading; I can't wait for the movie.

Highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes! And...it was very good. March 14, 2010

By The Children's Book Reporter

Format:Hardcover

Miss Loupe is the new sixth grade teacher at a school just outside a Air Force base in North Carolina; Bo Whaley is the base commander's well-meaning, trouble-making son; Gari Whaley is Bo's cousin whose mother is deployed in the Middle East; the whole sixth grade class is a group of individuals who are waiting for something to turn their lives into something...meaningful. That something may be Miss Loupe's crazy ideas about improv theater and the practice of saying, "Yes, and..."--crazy smart ideas which show a group of disconnected kids how to make their lives and themselves a true piece of art.
Having spent a large part of my own childhood as a "military brat" (Sorry, dad...I know you don't like that term--neither does this book's author, seemingly, so you're in good company...), Operation Yes really resonated with me, and I feel it provides a fascinating look for civilian kids into a virtually untapped setting and group of characters. I did find the initial pacing somewhat slow; it took a while to get to a real "plan" on any character's part. The multiple POV's may have accentuated this; to me, what propelled the story was the relationships, rather than any one character or plot element. On that note, however, the relationships were exceptionally well developed and believable. I loved the way the theme was exposed, and the improv theater stuff--so cool and original.
On a final note, I have to offer my sincere thanks to Ms Holmes for so beautifully representing her character's muddled thoughts regarding war.... Long-time followers of this blog know how much it bothers me when an author uses her characters and plot as mere vehicles to forward an agenda; far to the contrary, I think Operation Yes offered a balanced, true presentation of how most kids stuck in the middle of it actually feel about war. Ms Holmes presents the facts, simple as that, followed by her character's reactions to them, and allows her readers to draw their own conclusions. So, thank you! Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this cast of characters! October 15, 2009

By L. K. Messner

Format:Hardcover

I teach 7th graders, and this was one of those books that made me laugh out loud during our class silent reading time. As a result, I ended up with a waiting list of kids dying to read my classroom copies of Sara Lewis Holmes' latest title so they could see what all the laughing was about for themselves. They won't be disappointed.

There's a lot to love about this book - the fact that it takes place at a school on a military base, the rich, wonderful and funny cast of characters (including a school librarian who's building a castle in the library and who curses by shouting the titles of famous children's books - love her!), and the sense of community and hope that the book provides. This is going to be an extra special book for kids in military families, but it's one that all kids will relate to and enjoy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too November 6, 2009

By TeensReadToo

Format:Hardcover

OPERATION YES by Sara Lewis Holmes is one of a number of new books just out that focus on issues relating to war in the Middle East. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are touching more and more lives here in the U.S., and many authors have taken on the challenge of including these current events in their new novels.

OPERATION YES takes place here in the States on an Air Force base. Bo's father is one of the commanding officers at the base, and Bo attends the base school. Not a model student, Bo is not looking forward to the new school year, but he has promised his father he will at least try to behave.

Miss Loupe is a new teacher at the school. One of the first things she shares with her students is the fact that she and her brother, Marc, once lived on the base and attended the school where she now teaches. Bo becomes fascinated with Miss Loupe's teaching strategies as he watches her actions on his very first day in her class.

All the students are surprised and puzzled as they watch her tape off a large rectangle on the floor of their classroom, and then drag in an ugly, old couch. The taped off area and the ugly couch soon become the center of their afternoon activities. Miss Loupe is a master of improv theater, and she is determined to get each of her students involved.

Something else new in Bo's life is the arrival of his cousin, Gari. Gari's mother, a nurse, has been deployed to Iraq, and Gari has come to live with Bo and his family on the base. She isn't happy about leaving her Seattle home and friends to trek across the country to the east coast, and it doesn't help that she is worried sick about her mother's safety in Iraq. Gari quickly begins hatching a plan that might either get her sent back to Seattle or bring her mother home....

Bo is also dealing with deployment issues. Just when he is starting to like school and his new teacher, it's possible that his father may be sent to Afghanistan at the end of the year, which would mean another in a long history of moves for the family. Bo doesn't want to hold back his father's career, but he would do just about anything to remain with Miss Loupe and participate in her theatrical experiments.

OPERATION YES takes readers into one teacher's unique classroom to witness students becoming excited about learning. Those same students face the emotional challenges of having direct connections with war and some of the toughest times for U.S. military personnel. This book provides needed subject matter for today's tweens and could be easily used to promote lively classroom discussion about war, service, and the relationships affected.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" Read more ›