Halfway to Harmony

November 15, 2020
A hot air balloon race over a small Southern town helps a boy cope with grief. Eleven-year-old Walter Tipple is celebrating his birthday, but with a sad heart. Tank, the older brother that he hero worships and who is fighting in a war overseas, has died. Then a series of events enlivens his quiet life in the sleepy town of Harmony, Georgia. Posey moves next door with her single mother and three-legged dog. Walter, who is meek and has amblyopia, is targeted by school bullies. Posey has a birthmark on her left cheek, loves to read nonfiction and quote advice on making friends--and she stands up for herself fiercely. Together, they find Jubilation T. Fairweather, a man who literally falls into their lives from his damaged hot air balloon. Nicknamed Banjo, he is determined to find his balloon and win a race, an endeavor that becomes the focus of the story's action. Walter thinks constantly about his brother but is unable to read Tank's last letter. The two children balance fear with bravery, and in the concluding balloon ride over Harmony, Walter finds the strength to reconcile his feelings about Tank. Posey owns up to her own fears, and Banjo remains the quirky catalyst. Readers follow Walter's inner feelings through a narrative that is centered on his thoughts and actions, but the resolution of family grief ultimately feels facile. All characters present as White. Heartfelt and accessible. (Fiction. 9-12)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2020
Grades 4-7 Walter Tipple, 10, does not expect much out of his summer. His brother, Tank, died in an overseas war six months ago, leaving his mother in a kind of depressed fog. His father is on the road much of the time, and no one his age lives near him. In addition, Walter is shy, is pigeon-toed, and has a lazy eye, and he doesn't have friends anyway. His life changes when Posey, along with her mother, Evalina, and a three-legged dog named Porkchop, moves in next door. Posey is outspoken and a little bossy, but she leads Walter on a real adventure. They find an injured man named Banjo in the woods and join his quest in finding his hot-air balloon so he can mend it and enter a balloon competition. Over the course of the summer, Walter finds his voice and his spirit, and he's finally able to face his grief over Tank. This friendship story is sweet and savory, with memorable main characters in Walter, Posey, and Banjo and a story elegant in its simplicity.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 11, 2021
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.