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260th out of 734 books
—
1,251 voters
Operation Yes
by
Sara Lewis Holmes (Goodreads Author)
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 schoo...more
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 schoo...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
September 1st 2009
by Arthur A. Levine Books
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Operation Yes
Sara Lewis Holmes
Realistic Fiction
This is a story about kids that live on a military base and attend school there. Bo’s Dad is the commander on the base where Bo’s family lives. The base is in the US, so for now, Bo doesn’t have to worry about his Dad. But Bo lives with the reality that this could change, his Dad could be deployed to Afghanistan at any moment. Bo’s cousin Gari is also a military kid. Gari’s mom is a military nurse and has been sent to Iraq, so for the time being, Ga...more
Sara Lewis Holmes
Realistic Fiction
This is a story about kids that live on a military base and attend school there. Bo’s Dad is the commander on the base where Bo’s family lives. The base is in the US, so for now, Bo doesn’t have to worry about his Dad. But Bo lives with the reality that this could change, his Dad could be deployed to Afghanistan at any moment. Bo’s cousin Gari is also a military kid. Gari’s mom is a military nurse and has been sent to Iraq, so for the time being, Ga...more
This is a story about kids that live on a military base and attend school there. Bo’s Dad is the commander on the base where Bo’s family lives. The base is in the US, so for now, Bo doesn’t have to worry about his Dad. But Bo lives with the reality that this could change, his Dad could be deployed to Afghanistan at any moment. Bo’s cousin Gari is also a military kid. Gari’s mom is a military nurse and has been sent to Iraq, so for the time being, Gari is living with Bo’s family.
Bo and Gari are b...more
Bo and Gari are b...more
Ms. Loupe, the new sixth grade teacher, is unconventional and quirky. Her students, many of whom are the children of military personnel stationed at the nearby air force base, are accustomed to change with students moving in and out as their parents are deployed but they find Ms. Loupe an unexpected and, for once, refreshing change. She hopes to convince her students that a) art needs a frame; b) art is arranging objects to create beauty; and c) theater is the art of saying yes. Of course this i...more
Bo (Bogart) didn't have a very successful year in fifth grade. So, he isn't looking forward to sixth grade too much. He isn't looking forward to continued visits with Mrs. Heard,the principal. All that changes when Miss Loupe enters the pictures and introduces students to "the taped space" and the art of improvisation. Miss Loupe also introduces students to her brother Marc who is serving in Afghanistan. This creates a special bond for the students in room 208 because most of them (including Bo)...more
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"Miss Loupe could make them see things that weren't there too. She could make you believe that a couch was worth talking to, that cracks were infinitely important, and that anything that happened between four lines of slightly dingy masking tape was as real as a scar on your leg. (Holmes pg. 175)"
From the minute I started reading this book, I fell in love with Miss Loupe's character. She reminds me of the teacher we all aspire to be when we start our careers. Reading about the way that she gets...more
From the minute I started reading this book, I fell in love with Miss Loupe's character. She reminds me of the teacher we all aspire to be when we start our careers. Reading about the way that she gets...more
Living on an air force base with a star general for a dad is not easy for Bo, especially when he finds it hard to stay out of trouble at school. But when a new teacher, Miss Loupe, arrives and shakes things up with a whole curriculum based on improv and theater games, Bo realizes that he might be excited about school for once. His cousin Gari, on the other hand, who came to live with Bo's family when her mom got shipped out to Iraq, is not at all excited. As Gari schemes a way to get sent back t...more
Here's the thing: I don't really like the military and I don't really like improv theater, so I'm biased, and this book didn't really help me understand or appreciate either of those things. Also, I didn't really get how Miss Loupe was a great teacher; she taught regular subjects in a regular, boring way for seven and a half hours and for a half-hour she sometimes did goofy improv exercises with her students. I guess it makes sense that this is all you can do in a conservative military base scho...more
This is a story of plan A turning into a need for plan B, which then discovers it needs a plan C. Miss Loupe is the new sixth grade teacher at Young Oaks on the Air Force base in North Carolina and loves theater. As the year progresses, the class begins to look forward to the daily bouts of improv that take place on the Ugly, Ugly Couch that resides in their classroom. Bo is the son of the commander of the base and, for the first time in his life, is enjoying school, thanks to being in Miss Loup...more
I’m not really sure what I expected from this book when I got it but I definitely loved it. I could relate to this on some levels. I have had three nephews and a brother in Iraq. I had a student whose mother was sent to Korea and she was sent to live with her grandmother for a year and attended my school. Last year one of our teachers was called back up and deployed to Iraq. I have had students who seemed excited they were going to another country and some who were upset because they were moving...more
This book was very thought-provoking, about what it would be like to be in the army, as a kid.
Bo, a sixth grade trouble maker, has to live on the army base and go to school there. The worst part is that he dad is the commander of the base, so when Bo gets in trouble he knows right away. Things get turned upside down when he has a new sixth grade teacher, Miss Loupe, who has a tattoo of a bird; multiply ear piercing and the interest in Impov Theater. But when he learns to “say yes” to the “The T...more
Bo, a sixth grade trouble maker, has to live on the army base and go to school there. The worst part is that he dad is the commander of the base, so when Bo gets in trouble he knows right away. Things get turned upside down when he has a new sixth grade teacher, Miss Loupe, who has a tattoo of a bird; multiply ear piercing and the interest in Impov Theater. But when he learns to “say yes” to the “The T...more
Apr 13, 2010
Debbie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
teachers for read-alouds, fans of realistic fiction
Bo, the energetic son of a military commander, has always hated school. He has a hard time sitting still, and every time he gets in trouble at school (which is often), he also gets in trouble at home. When he first meets Miss Loupe, a brand new sixth grade teacher, he is just not sure what to make of her. Sometimes she acts like any old teacher, but other times, when she puts on her stealthy black slippers and steps into the Taped Space, unexpected things happen. Soon, Miss Loupe's students are...more
On the first day of 6th grade, their new teacher tapes a large blue rectangle on the floor in front of the cracked chalk board. She drags a big, ugly couch into the room, then it really gets weird. Bo has never really liked school, and now he has this really strange teacher and his cousin Gari is coming to live with them while her mother is in Iraq AND she’s going to be in his class. This is the story of one year in an Air Force base school – kids come and go, parents and brothers are deployed,...more
Who wouldn't want Miss Loupe for a teacher? Sure, she makes you study all the regular 5th grade topics, like math, history and spelling. But she has something no other teacher has: an Ugly, Ugly green couch. Around that couch is a square of tape, and in that square, anything can happen.
This is not going to be an ordinary school year for Bo, or any of the kids in his classroom on base.
"Bo left Room 208, but he felt the possibilities bouncing around his brain, like golf balls launched off chunks...more
This is not going to be an ordinary school year for Bo, or any of the kids in his classroom on base.
"Bo left Room 208, but he felt the possibilities bouncing around his brain, like golf balls launched off chunks...more
Bo lives on a military base in North Carolina; his dad is the base commander, and he's used to moving around--but now he really wants to stay--all because of his new 6th grade teacher, Miss Loupe, who sets up a Taped Space in the classroom on day one, moves in an Ugly Couch, and introduces the concept of improv. Then his cousin comes to live with them when her mother is sent to Iraq as an army nurse, changing the family dynamic and embarrassing Bo at school. When tragedy strikes in the form of M...more
**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...more
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...more
Operation Yes blends several genres to create a successful look at the homefront for kids when there's a war going on. A kooky new teacher comes to Bo's school as he starts sixth grade. She challenges her students to keep the door open improv comedy style by saying "Yes..." to opportunities. Tragedy and suspense enter the fray, and the students work on their own to broadcast the "Yes" message.
The characters were believable and varied -- not stock characters and each with his or her own battles t...more
The characters were believable and varied -- not stock characters and each with his or her own battles t...more
Bo's dad is the commander of the Air Force Base they live on. Bo is in sixth grade and has a new teacher this year. Ms. Loupe is an Air Force brat so she knows all about life on the base. Her entire family is in the military including her brother Marc who is stationed in Afghanistan. Ms. Loupe is unlike any teacher the class has had before. She comes from a theater background and starts teaching them improv from day one. She has a "taped space" where anything can happen and she brings in a ugly...more
Bo Whaley's sixth-grade teacher, Miss Loupe, starts the school year by taping off part of the floor to create a space for the students to practice improv, and this unconventional beginning will prove more significant than anyone could predict. The story is set on an Air Force base, and Holmes weaves the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into her characters' lives: Bo's cousin Gari is separated from her mother when she is called back into duty; Bo's father is facing possible deployment; and Miss Loupe...more
Bo kept getting in trouble last year, so his father's made it quite clear that he'd better keep his nose clean this year. Gari's sent across the country to stay with Bo's family on the air force base when her mom is called up to work at an Army hospital overseas. The two of them do not get along, but when something terrible happens to their cool new teacher, they must learn to work together and make the best of what they've got.
It's interesting to read a story about a school on an air force bas...more
It's interesting to read a story about a school on an air force bas...more
Bo's cousin, Gari, comes to live with his family on an Air Force base in North Carolina when her mother is called to active duty in Iraq. Neither Bo nor Gari are excited about living together and going to school together. But, both become excited about their unconventional sixth grade teacher who brings a sofa into the classroom, proposes a drama club, and surprises the class with improvisation activities from time to time. When Miss Loupe's brother is declared missing in Afghanistan, her class...more
Dec 26, 2010
Beverly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
10-13 year olds
Recommended to Beverly by:
indiebound.org/next list
Operation Yes is a thoughtful look at life in a military base school and an insightful look at the stress of being the child of a soldier. Without becoming political or preachy, Sara Holmes introduces us to two main characters, Bo and Gari, who try to adjust their school's rules and change their school's culture at the same time. Bo and Gari are realistic pre-teens. They question adults' motives, tune out anything said by an adult that does not directly impact them, and challenge what is unfair....more
Set in an aging school near a military base, Operation Yes is populated by a group of folks not often in kids' fiction. Bo's dad is an Air Force colonel, his cousin's mom is in the Reserve and stationed in Iraq. The dangers these families face is clear but only occasionally front and center.
6th grade, new teacher -- Bo hopes he can stay out of trouble and at first it looks like he will. Miss Loupe teaches them improv theater techniques along with the curriculum and Bo is her most enthusiastic st...more
6th grade, new teacher -- Bo hopes he can stay out of trouble and at first it looks like he will. Miss Loupe teaches them improv theater techniques along with the curriculum and Bo is her most enthusiastic st...more
This book reminds me of The View From Saturday, with some kids and an inspirational teacher reaching a big goal together. In Operation Yes, the kids are on a military base and dealing with deployed family members, frequent moves, and other facts of military life. I loved the way the separate threads of the story began coming together in the second half of the book, as the kids started working together and bringing out the best in each other. I did think the stakes had been built up higher than t...more
I didnt like the story that well, but I felt a very strong connection to the characters. Espically Mrs. Loupe. She reminded me of my 3rd and 6th grade teachers.
Jun 28, 2012
Carrie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people with friends from military families
Shelves:
reviewed
This book is really funny, but at the same time gives you something to think about. I really like books that have a serious lesson or topic, but are still (appropriately and not offensively) funny so you can read the book without it being boring or depressing. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to people who have friends from military families. It helped me understand a little how scary it would be to have a parent deployed (especially for kids like Gari, with only her mom), and...more
I actually picked this up because of the cover. It was colored as if it were a chalk board with 2 army guys.
It was an interesting read about being a military kid during the current military operation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the things that they have to deal with ----moving, living on a base , the temporariness of life, friends, and family.
Living in Alaska many of my friends were from some base or another. Many places you don't have that kind of moving in and out, friends for a while, then th...more
It was an interesting read about being a military kid during the current military operation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the things that they have to deal with ----moving, living on a base , the temporariness of life, friends, and family.
Living in Alaska many of my friends were from some base or another. Many places you don't have that kind of moving in and out, friends for a while, then th...more
How much do I love that cover? So much. The further you get into the book, the more you realize the cover designer actually read the whole thing - the specific green army men, the crack in the blackboard.
But that doesn't count for much if you don't like the book - fortunately the two went hand in hand. It's one of those stories that sounds like a school story - and much of the action does center around the school - but it's also big picture in that it takes into account family, identity, what ki...more
But that doesn't count for much if you don't like the book - fortunately the two went hand in hand. It's one of those stories that sounds like a school story - and much of the action does center around the school - but it's also big picture in that it takes into account family, identity, what ki...more
Did not expect to like this book since I thought it had to do with military life. However it is less about military than life in a school with an inspiring new teacher, Ms Loupe. Students living on base and going to a dilapidated old school learn about improv theater and cover their sixth grade curriculum until tragedy strikes their teacher's family. Students then use what they have learned to pull together and create a huge project to raise money for wounded soldiers. A good story to lead to di...more
I like this book. Bo’s school is almost entirely attended by Air Force kids living on base. Bo’s cousin Gari is sent to live with Bo’s family when her single mom is recalled to duty to be a nurse in Iraq. Gari doesn’t want to go, doesn’t want to leave her school in Washington State for one in North Carolina, doesn’t want her mother in Iraq. Their 6th grade teacher in North Carolina teaches through acting—improv—and ultimately Gari, Bo, and a bunch of their friends figure out how to make a positi...more
This is definitely a late elementary/middle school book. It has gotten great reviews, but I don't see it. The topic is timely - children of those serving in the military come up with a plan to raise money for those recovering from wounds received while serving, as a way to make a difference and to deal with their angst. However, the author's writing is spotty. She makes many jumps and assumes that the reader can jump with her. This makes for choppy writing and often makes rereading necessary. Ma...more
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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 also 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 f...more
More about Sara Lewis Holmes...
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 f...more
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