I wish, really wish, that there had been books like this when I was growing up. I grew up military and then married military- sure there may have been the odd military kid in a story here or there, but I don't recall a book consisting of primarily military families, all portrayed in the normality of their lives. I LOVE that being a military brat, living on base, and facing moving, deployed parents, missing loved ones and the sense if community present on base are shown in this novel as normal. For those that live it, it is normal and it's refreshing not to have the military kid be "the weird one". Holmes's story about the difference teachers, students, and communities can make when they open up and say yes is heartwarming and inspiring without being sappy or forceful. **Spoiler Alert!!**Bo: He is a teacher's pet and is Gari's cousin.Gari: She's Bo's cousin, who has to move to live with Bo.Mrs. Loupe: The new sixth grade teacher that is a fun teacher.Trey: Bo's best friend.Melissa: Bo's classmate that helps with the rebellion.In the beginning, Mrs. Loupe is introduced. The class is wondering why she is putting tape on the floor. She tells them it is a stage, and starts teaching them improv. Gari finds out that she has to go live with her cousin because her mom was called back to be a nurse in the army. She is upset about that. She wants to get some sort of disease so her mom will stay home and not go to the army. Bo is not happy about it either. Gari called her friend and told her the bad news. She was, at the time, Her friend's campaign manager for class president. Gari said they could work something out so she could still be her manager away from home, so she would win. Bo didn't tell anyone about Gari coming. He figured they would ask him lots of questions about her. The class was afraid Mrs. Loupe would act weird again after lunch. She did, and the class was not surprised.Mrs. Loupe had a tattoo that the boys were drawing at lunch. Hog Heaven was a favorite restaurant at the school. Their fifth grade teacher, Mr. Nix, was mean, in Bo's point of view. Mrs. Loupe asked Bo and Trey to help her with something. That's when they found out about the Ugly, Ugly Couch. It had stared in a movie. Gari says she can stay with her friend, Tandi, but her mom wants her to stay with family. Gari doesn't really love her mother right know. Mrs. Loupe told them about her brother, Marc, who was away fighting in a war. He sends them something to do for improv. Mrs. Loupe tells them that everyone in her family took up wars except for her. She hasn't spoken to her father in years. She teaches them how to fall on command. Mrs. Loupe teaches them that cracks are important, and gives them and assignment to find cracks. Marc asked her to collect things for the kids in Afghanistan. They love the assignment because it helps them think of things to bring in for the kids. Bo's dad made a deal with him. If Bo was better in school, he would get to met the Flying Farmer, who is Bo's favorite person at the air show. Gari watches her mom pack for the trip to the army. She has to help sometimes. Her mom is making sure she sends pictures from North Carolina, where she is going to live. Gari is trying to get her mom not to go, but she refuses. Mrs. Loupe closed the Taped Space. She told the class to not let her go in. They all shouted out things trying not to let her go in. Mrs. Heard said they had to get rid of the Ugly, Ugly Couch before the School Commission came. Everyone was talking in protest. Mrs. Loupe said she would ask Mrs. Candy if they culd put the couch behind the reading castle in the library. Before Dillon left, Mrs. Loupe said he could sign his name, along with others, on the bottom of the couch. Mrs. Loupe said they were going to have a improv camp next summer. Bo stopped listening after that. Bo was going to be gone next summer. Gari's mother gave her a Army figure that her Army commander had given her before she left. She left so she could take care of Gari. Gari didn't want to cry in front of all of the people at the airport, so she didn't say anything. Gari starts to come up with a plan b.Bo tells Gari how "stupid" Mrs. Loupe's class is, even though he truly loves it. Gari is upset that she has to go to school on Friday. She went into the classroom looking for her new class, but they weren't in there. She fell asleep on the Ugly, Ugly Couch. Mr. Nix's class came in and found her on the couch. During the fire alarm went off, she went outside with Mr. Nix's class to wait for the all clear. Mr. Nix told her to go to the office and report that she had been found without a class in an empty classroom. She turned the wrong way and ended up in the cafeteria.When she got to the office, she called her aunt. Her aunt told her to just try to hang in there. Bo made her throw up. When they got home, Bo got in trouble. One night, Bo wanted to go to Hog Heaven, but Gari said she wasn't feeling good and she was a vegetarian, so she politely refused. Her aunt said they had vegetarian options. They went.In the abandoned bathroom in the kindergarten hall, Gari started her act of rebellion. She super-glued plastic army figures on the floor and put red paint by them and put it in the toilets. She wrote her name on the windows and doors with paint. No one noticed.One day, after the school commission came, Mrs. Heard came in with bad news for Mrs. Loupe. She ran out of the room, crying. She dropped her loupe outside. The kids asked what had happened. Mrs. Heard told them that Mrs. Loupe's brother was reported missing.Gari finally told Bo about what she did. He told Trey and Melissa. They started a program. It went viral. One soldier was $1. Their goal was $1,000,000. It went across America. They reached their goal. The Military found Mrs. Loupe's brother. He was hurt. Some of his partners died.When Mrs. Loupe came back, they put on a play in the cafeteria. It was and improv play. Gari was a new Army recruit. She didn't have a speaking role. She pretended that she didn't know what she was doing. It was a good play.At the end, it talks about her next year. She did the same things that she did at the beginning of last year. They talked about Bo and Gari. That was the end of the book.This was a very good book. I recommend it for anyone who likes plays or the military.
What do You think about Operation Yes (2009)?
I thought this was really good. I'm getting Fisher to read it next before we start WWII stuff.
—Filthyape
Well I really didn't like it because it was too slow in the beginning and never really got good
—daisiewasie
