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Gr 4-6–Walsh’s latest novel is an exciting middle grade caper with a unique twist: the adventure centers a potential bug heist. Liberty Jacobs is a young bug enthusiast who lives above her family’s insectarium in Philadelphia. Her love for bugs doesn’t exactly translate into her being the most popular girl in school, and her best—and only—friend has just moved away. The insectarium she loves is also facing financial woes. Still, Liberty remains hopeful about her role in the museum’s next chapter. When an unlikely friend arrives at the insectarium to help freshen up the space for possible investors, the adventure begins. Together, Liberty, her best friend (via FaceTime), and her new friend uncover a plan to rob the insectarium that is set to take place after closing time. The trio works together to figure out who would want to steal their insects. Inspired by the booby traps from the classic movie Home Alone, the trio hatch a plan to catch the crooks. Full of friendship, bug facts, adventure, and fun, this middle grade tale is also based on actual events. The mix of facts and fun will be sure to stick with readers for time to come.
VERDICT A buggy adventure with high jinks and teamwork galore, recommended for middle grade fiction collections.–Kelly Costanza Author of UNSINKABLE Jenni L. Walsh's THE GATSBY GIRLS DO MURDER, a locked-room mystery, pitched as in the vein of KNIVES OUT and CLUE, featuring the real-life socialites from 1920s Chicago who inspired THE GREAT GATSBY's Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker, to Jessica Tribble Wells at Thomas & Mercer, in a pre-empt, for publication in June 2026, by Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (world).
Operation; Happy was chosen as a 2025 Children's Book Council Teacher's Favorites Winner!
The Bug Bandits is Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!
 “Kids join forces to protect the denizens of Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Insectarium from thieves and financial ruin…The trio draws inspiration from Home Alone, and the story offers plenty of suspects to consider…The young crime stoppers’ escapades will hold readers’ interest.” Full review in April 1st edition of Kirkus Reviews  Ahh! ACE MARVEL SPY is an Amazon Editors' Pick!! I'm delighted; this is a first for me! And I'm so excited to see Alice getting some love!
Seeing the early response to this book has been so amazing and rewarding. I'm pretty new to tennis. When I saw Alice Marble's stats of being #1 in the world, of being in the tennis hall of fame, and having won 18 grand slams, I assumed she was a household name in the tennis world. But I've learned from some avid tennis players/fans that Alice Marble is a name that's largely been been lost to history. I'm sooo thrilled to be changing that. ACE MARVEL SPY is very much Carrie Soto meets a WWII Kate Quinn novel, so whether you're into tennis or you're just into good books (spoiler: Alice spends some time as an international spy!), I hope you'll check this one out. If you think you may read, I'd be so grateful if you'd consider preordering. Those early sales mean a lot and make a big difference! "Jenni L. Walsh captures the thrill of being on the court in a vivid and detailed portrayal of Alice Marble's rise to sporting greatness, as well as her struggles to fulfill her dreams both on and off the court. Ace, Marvel, Spyis a smashing success!" --Billie Jean King, sports icon and equality champion "All's fair in love and war--and tennis!--in Jenni L. Walsh's latest page-turning historical novel . . . Readers can't help but be inspired by this unflinching portrayal of a true American icon." --Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times Bestselling author of A Happier Life This book will have readers on the edge of their seats. Issue: November 1, 2024
Ace, Marvel, Spy. By Jenni L. Walsh Jan. 2025. 400p. Harper Muse, paper, $18.99 (9781400246748) Best-selling author Walsh (Unsinkable, 2024) delivers a page-turning delight starring tennis ace Alice Marble, who came from a modest background to reach the top of her sport. Her coach, Teach, wants Alice to focus only on tennis, with strict curfews and a prohibition on romantic relationships. But Alice doesn’t understand why she can’t have it all. She’d given up love for tennis before, so when she finds it again, she won’t let anything stand in her way. But tragedy strikes after the U.S. enters WWII. Alice is determined to help her country, and when the government learns that she has ties to an old lover who is possibly assisting the Nazis, they request her assistance. Can she avenge her tragedy by putting Nazis behind bars? Can she betray a man she once loved? Whether Alice is in a nail-biting tennis match or in a tight spot with her mission, this book will have readers on the edge of their seats. Be sure to read the author’s note about the fascinating, real Alice Marble. — Emily Borsa "Part memoir, part historical fiction, this book is a must-read for tweens..."
WALSH, Jenni L. Operation: Happy: A World War II Story of Courage, Resilience, and an Unbreakable Bond. 240p. Zonderkidz. Apr. 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780310159261. Gr 4-7–Set during the early stages of World War II, this account is told by 12-year-old Jody Zuber and her dog Happy. They come together on Christmas Day 1938 after Happy retires from battle service as a Marine canine. He is losing his eyesight at a time when Jody is starting to see the world for what it really is in her military family. In 1940, her mother is anxious about her father’s posting in Pearl Harbor when the Zubers move to live on Ford Island in barracks housing. Thus begins “Operation: Happy,” a 10-point plan designed to guide Happy through his golden years. This list steadily grows as Jody and Happy weather air raid drills, vaccinations, and, ultimately, the events of December 7, 1941. When all but Sergeant Zuber relocate to San Francisco after the Pearl Harbor attack, Jody does not see her active-duty father until the war’s end. Walsh’s novel depicts the family’s stateside experiences starkly. As Jody’s mom struggles with depression and her sister becomes more distant, Operation: Happy transforms into Jody’s plan to keep the Zuber family together. Part memoir, part historical fiction, this book is a must-read for tweens who are learning about this important piece of U.S. history. This is a poignant coming-of-age tale about military life, family, and friendship. Readers will be inspired by Jody’s effort to put on a brave face and touched by Happy’s love as they journey through difficult times with humor and tears. VERDICT: Fans of Jenni L. Walsh will not let this book sit on library shelves for long. –Sharon Sherman "An immersive work that’s full of heart and emotion."
OPERATION: HAPPY A World War II Story of Courage, Resilience, and an Unbreakable Bond Author: Jenni L. Walsh Review Issue Date: June 15, 2024 Online Publish Date: May 17, 2024 Publisher:Zonderkidz Pages: 229 Price ( Hardcover ): $18.93 ISBN ( Hardcover ): 9780310159261 Section: Children's Inspired by real-life experiences, this is the tale of a white girl and her dog who experience life in Honolulu during World War II. With 12-year-old Jody’s dad being a Marine, she’s moved a lot. Her two constants in life have been Happy, her “German shepherd-collie-husky mix,” and Team Zuber, her family, consisting of Dad, Mom, and older sister, Peggy. In October 1940, when they relocate to Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Jody becomes uneasy about her mom’s nervousness over being so near the battleships and about the war in Europe. After the vet says that Happy is in his golden years, Jody creates Operation: Happy, a list of fun new things they can do together. When the realities of war creep into their daily lives, the list becomes Jody’s way of coping with her fears. Then, on December 7, 1941, everything changes when bombs fall around them. Evacuated to San Francisco and separated from Dad, Jody and Happy use the list to find the courage they need to adjust to their new lives. This story of family, courage, and strength during harrowing times includes chapters told in Jody’s first-person and Happy’s third-person points of view. The raw emotions, which include tense, suspenseful scenes leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, are lightened by fun, humorous moments. An immersive work that’s full of heart and emotion. (author’s note, discussion questions) (Historical fiction. 9-13) WRITTEN BY JENNI L. WALSH
REVIEW BY J. LYNN ELSE This dual-timeline story follows the lives of Violet Jessop, who in real life survived the maritime disasters of the Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic, and that of Daphne Chaundanson, daughter of a famous actor who becomes an agent for the Special Operations Executive (SOE), French Section, during WWII. The book opens with young Violet, a White Star Line stewardess, preparing for the Titanic’s departure from Southampton Port. Despite her frightening experience on the Olympic, the tips she receives from passengers help support her mother and siblings. Daphne’s story opens in 1942 as she interviews to join a resistance movement. Angered by the Germans’ invasion of her home country, she sets out to break the German oppression. One connecting thread ties these two women, and two wars, together in tragedy. To me, one of the most difficult aspects of writing historical fiction is creating authentic character mindsets, and Walsh captures this aspect beautifully. Daphne is passionate about taking back her country and is modeled upon the experiences of the 39 real-life SOE women. For Violet, the Titanic’s a job. She knows details employees of White Star Line would know, like the proper way to secure a life vest under a coat despite the uncomfortableness of the stiff cork against the body. While history tells us what happened, through Walsh’s compassionate prose, we’re able to feel what happened as well. Sitting in a lifeboat, wrapped in shadows of the night, as a ship groans its last and plunges into the Atlantic to the setting of explosives in a German depot while guard dogs bark close by: these settings feel that much more authentic under Walsh’s deft pen. Unsinkable is a story of courage, resilience, and steering your own course in life. Recommended! Appeared in Issue 107 (February 2024) and online: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/unsinkable-2/ |
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