Halfway to Harmony
by Barbara O'Connor (Author)
A heartfelt middle-grade novel from New York Times bestselling author Barbara O'Connor about a boy whose life is upended after the loss of his older brother--timeless, classic, and whimsical.
Walter Tipple is looking for adventure. He keeps having a dream that his big brother, Tank, appears before him and says, "Let's you and me go see my world, little man." But Tank went to the army and never came home, and Walter doesn't know how to see the world without him. Then he meets Posey, the brash new girl from next door, and an eccentric man named Banjo, who's off on a bodacious adventure of his own. What follows is a summer of taking chances, becoming braver, and making friends--and maybe Walter can learn who he wants to be without the brother he always wanted to be like. Halfway to Harmony is an utterly charming story about change and growing up.
Don't miss Barbara O'Connor's other middle-grade work--like Wish; Wonderland; How to Steal a Dog; Greetings from Nowhere; Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia; The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester; and more!
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Publishers Weekly
A boy grieves the death of his revered older brother in O'Connor's (Wonderland) tender story. Ten-year-old Walter Tipple loves living in Harmony, Ga., which is why he can't understand why his older brother, Tank, was so eager to enlist in the Army and fight in the overseas war in which he was killed. Now, all Walter has to remember Tank by is his prized truck--which Walter runs faithfully for a few minutes daily--an unopened letter, and a strange recurring dream. With his birthday approaching, Walter welcomes the distraction of his loquacious and bossy new neighbor, Posey. When the two of them venture to a nearby creek to catch minnows, they find a stranger named Banjo, injured from a hot air balloon fall, who enlists Walter and Posey to help him recover the damaged balloon, resulting in an unexpected but much-needed adventure for Walter as well as a chance to strengthen his friendship with Posey. O'Connor's characters are vividly portrayed, especially Walter, whose insight illustrates his grief, which is by turns confusing, overwhelming, and infuriating. Banjo and Posey's antics provide levity, and the quest to save Banjo's balloon propels the plot forward, resulting in a feel-good novel reminiscent of Moon Over Manifest. Ages 8-12. Agent: Barbara Markowitz, Barbara Markowitz Literary. (Jan.)
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JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
Death
Families
Family life
Brothers
Georgia
Hot air balloons
