Animals for the Win in Middle Grade Fiction, a Guest Post by Jenni L. Walsh

I was on a panel recently where I was asked to speak to the ways I strive to make tough topics in middle grade more accessible to our young readers. The short answer: In my novel Operation: Happy, I added a dog named Happy. The long answer: Well, it’s a bit personal. During the panel, I shared an anecdote through a wavering voice. Afterward, I heard from many who resonated and connected with what I shared, so I believe it’s worth telling again.

My family and I experienced a tragedy that struck very close to home. Next door to us, to be exact. It was a domestic situation involving a father and son. The son had been in my daughter’s grade. My own son took everything extremely hard. Suddenly there were police vehicles with lights flashing, police tape, spotlights, news reporters and cameras, a coroner’s van, officers and forensic units coming in and out of the home, helicopters, and a wailing mother. In our household, there were many questions, fears, concerns, worry, unease. We hugged, we assured our children they were safe, we tried to distract ourselves, we spoke with grief counselors. The activity next door stretched for many days. For weeks afterward, we bypassed windows in the direction of our neighbor’s home, we avoided our backyard, yet we tried for normalcy to show our children that we could get past this together.

One weekend my husband and I infused excitement in our voices and proclaimed a pool day in our backyard. There’s a window on our neighbor’s home that overlooks our yard. Oftentimes in the past, the little boy would stand at the window and exchange calls with my kids. It was impossible not to be outside without your eye immediately being drawn to that window. At one point, I looked at my son, who was looking at the window with an expression that broke my heart. Then, he turned away, he put his arm around our big goofy dog, and he held on tight. A minute or so later, he got up and went into the pool. I never loved my dog more than in that moment in time. And I thought, dogs really are magical. They are solid, they are loyal, they are capable of helping us get through tough times by simply existing.

When writing Operation: Happy, I wanted my character, Jody, to have that. It’s a story inspired by a young Pearl Harbor survivor. The real story doesn’t involve a dog. I knew mine had to. I call him Happy. He’s big, shaggy, obedient, brave, loyal, and incredibly silly. And in the book, Jody copes with all that’s going on prior to, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor by creating a fun list of things that her and Happy can do together. It’s a way to cope. It’s a distraction. It’s exactly what the story—and Jody—needed.

In many ways, I think adding dogs and animals into a story with tough themes and situations can add levity. Happy is the goofiest and goodest boy. It can also introduce another vantage point to bring scenes to life in a simpler way. I wholly enjoyed writing chapters from Happy’s perspective. And, at its core, adding an animal can make a story more accessible. Animals for the win, indeed.

About Jenni L. Walsh

Jenni L. Walsh is a USA Today bestselling author of over twelve books. For children, Jenni has written the She Dared nonfiction series and novels Hettie and the London Blitz, I Am Defiance, By the Light of Fireflies, Over and Out, Operation: Happy, and the forthcoming The Bug Bandits. She also writes historical novels for adults. To learn more about Jenni and her books, please visit jennilwalsh.com or @jennilwalsh on social media.

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Filed under: Middle Grade, Middle Grade Fiction, Mind the Middle, Mind the Middle Project