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bickie's review against another edition
4.0
Cody is so excited about the first day of summer vacation! Her father, a truck driver, is away on a haul, and her mother goes to work selling shoes at the department store, where she is up for promotion. Cody tries to wake up her teenaged brother, Wyatt, but he insists on sleeping in. Cody goes outside to visit the ants and meets Spencer, who is looking for MewMew, the cat. Spencer is staying with his grandmother for a few weeks while his overworked parents vacation without him.
Cody is a girl of action, which Spencer interprets at first as being a bit of a know-it-all; but she is also a girl of kindness and best intentions. Cody and Spencer find the cat and have additional adventures as well as brief ups and downs over the ensuing weeks until Spencer has to go home.
I really liked several things about this book: illustrations interpret one family as black though left open in the story, Cody's usually kind older brother, Cody's general kindness that isn't fake or cloying. Short chapters keep the book from being overwhelming to intermediate readers.
Good for ages 7-10
Cody is a girl of action, which Spencer interprets at first as being a bit of a know-it-all; but she is also a girl of kindness and best intentions. Cody and Spencer find the cat and have additional adventures as well as brief ups and downs over the ensuing weeks until Spencer has to go home.
I really liked several things about this book: illustrations interpret one family as black though left open in the story, Cody's usually kind older brother, Cody's general kindness that isn't fake or cloying. Short chapters keep the book from being overwhelming to intermediate readers.
Good for ages 7-10
sara_hudson's review against another edition
4.0
Add Cody to the list of spunky little girls who mean well and find themselves in tight spots, along with Clementine, Judy Moody, and Junie B. Jones. Cody's voice is a bit softer than some of those other funny girls, but the writing is clever and the emotions are right there to be named and honored. I love books like this that give kids a foundation of "it feels bad right now but it will probably work out." Just as Cody says, "That's just a pothole on life's long highway." (p. 91)
A strong supporting cast puts this one up over some others in this category: a realistic big brother (in the mold of Roli from the Merci books), a cute friendship with a boy visiting next door with his very cool grandmother, an old cat, and a mom doing her best and having some trouble with her own self-confidence. And the illustrations are terrific - just enough to support younger listeners, and so charming.
A strong supporting cast puts this one up over some others in this category: a realistic big brother (in the mold of Roli from the Merci books), a cute friendship with a boy visiting next door with his very cool grandmother, an old cat, and a mom doing her best and having some trouble with her own self-confidence. And the illustrations are terrific - just enough to support younger listeners, and so charming.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
Full review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=6051
Cody is one of those spunky, smart, caring, sweet young ladies who anyone would want as a friend. I loved being part of Cody’s summer which was full of a quirky set of characters and an unexpected misadventure. I have been talking to Carrie Gelson about my book gap when it comes to early chapter books, so I am so glad that I found Cody because I think she is going to be loved as much as Marty McGuire, Lulu, Ivy & Bean, and many other loved early chapter book characters.
Cody is one of those spunky, smart, caring, sweet young ladies who anyone would want as a friend. I loved being part of Cody’s summer which was full of a quirky set of characters and an unexpected misadventure. I have been talking to Carrie Gelson about my book gap when it comes to early chapter books, so I am so glad that I found Cody because I think she is going to be loved as much as Marty McGuire, Lulu, Ivy & Bean, and many other loved early chapter book characters.
readwithpassion's review against another edition
4.0
My knowledge of early chapter books is my biggest weakness, so I loved reading this quirky tale! The illustrations are great--as a young reader, I hated when my chapter books didn't have pictures, so this will be very appealing to kids. I loved how the author incorporated Spanish words for beginning readers. Also, the quirky bond between Cody and her brother, Wyatt, made me giggle at several points. Wyatt reminded me of my older brother, and I think readers will find similar qualities in their siblings. I will absolutely be recommending this book to younger readers.
aylea's review against another edition
3.0
This is a nice early chapter book that would be a good fit for young readers. It doesn’t have a strong plot to it (not a lot happens in the whole book), but it tells about Cody’s adventures in trying to make friends and help the people she cares about. The best part is how much Cody looks for the little things in life and is looking for her own fountain of happiness. I also loved her relationship with Wyatt. Even though she doesn’t always understand his teenage point of view, it’s clear that they love each other and she looks up to him. The illustrations are cute and fun.
In all, it’s a fun book that deals with modern issues like working moms and other real life problems, but it lacks some spark.
Review also published at
In all, it’s a fun book that deals with modern issues like working moms and other real life problems, but it lacks some spark.
Review also published at
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
Review copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley
Cody is a big-hearted child. She loves animals of all kinds and loves her older brother though he has his negatives like stinky soap. She is also a bit of a know-it-all sometimes according to her new friend Spencer.
Cody and the Fountain of Happiness is a fun summertime story that explores friendship and family relationships with humor and hope. It would be a nice early chapter book for readers wanting to venture off into longer texts.
Cody is a big-hearted child. She loves animals of all kinds and loves her older brother though he has his negatives like stinky soap. She is also a bit of a know-it-all sometimes according to her new friend Spencer.
Cody and the Fountain of Happiness is a fun summertime story that explores friendship and family relationships with humor and hope. It would be a nice early chapter book for readers wanting to venture off into longer texts.
ciaralo's review against another edition
3.0
Cute and sweet. I think it would be a solid choice for 6-8 year olds. Short review to come!
Review:
I adore middle grade. Have I mentioned that recently? Because I do. Middle grade books are fun and sweet and magical and real. They excel in delight and adventure, and Cody and the Fountain of Happiness had that in spades. I hadn't heard of this one until it appeared in a package from the lovely peeps at Penguin Random House. I thought the cover was delightful and, when I had a spare afternoon, I decided to pick it up. The insides were just a delightful as the cover, and Cody was a star.
Cody is quirky. She's clever and friendly and determined. She loves summer and cats and her family. She's a little girl with a big heart. She may not always do the right thing, but she always has good intentions. And I really liked that about her. Her friend Spencer, the little boy next's door, was her perfect balance. He may not have been as adventurous, but he really believed in Cody. Add in a sweet old grandmother, an awkward older brother, a questioning babysitter, a loving mother, and an escape artist cat and you have quite the cast of characters. Each of them added something new and really helped Cody become that awesome little girl she is.
I think Cody is definitely targeted towards a younger audience (think more Ivy & Bean than Diary of a Wimpy Kid). That's not a bad thing but, on a personal level, I found it a bit harder to get into because of that. Now, I know I'm not the target audience so that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. I think this book will be a lot of fun of for that age group. It's adventurous without ever leaving the confines of one neighbourhood street. It's charming with it's quirky cast of characters. It's sweet with it's message of becoming a family. It has a heck of a lot going for it and I think there's going to be a lot of little readers out there that love Cody. I just wanted a little something more. I wanted to connect to it more. On an outside level, I can look at all the positives. But I never fully connected to the story. Again, it's probably because an age thing. I don't normally read books targeted for younger middle grade so it was a bit harder to adjust to.
One of the big things I loved about this book was it's diversity! It's so nice to see such a diverse cast of characters in a middle grade book. I think it's so important kids read about diversity, so I was really happy that was a big element to the story. Another thing I adored was the illustrations. They were cute and quirky and perfectly matched the vibe of the story. There was one near the end of the book that took up almost both pages and I simply loved.
Overall, I couldn't connect to Cody and the Fountain of Happiness enough to love it, but I definitely liked it. It's definitely one I would recommend to little girls and boys looking for book with heart and fun. It's a book that will remind you to notice all the little things that add to your fountain of happiness.
Review:
I adore middle grade. Have I mentioned that recently? Because I do. Middle grade books are fun and sweet and magical and real. They excel in delight and adventure, and Cody and the Fountain of Happiness had that in spades. I hadn't heard of this one until it appeared in a package from the lovely peeps at Penguin Random House. I thought the cover was delightful and, when I had a spare afternoon, I decided to pick it up. The insides were just a delightful as the cover, and Cody was a star.
Cody is quirky. She's clever and friendly and determined. She loves summer and cats and her family. She's a little girl with a big heart. She may not always do the right thing, but she always has good intentions. And I really liked that about her. Her friend Spencer, the little boy next's door, was her perfect balance. He may not have been as adventurous, but he really believed in Cody. Add in a sweet old grandmother, an awkward older brother, a questioning babysitter, a loving mother, and an escape artist cat and you have quite the cast of characters. Each of them added something new and really helped Cody become that awesome little girl she is.
I think Cody is definitely targeted towards a younger audience (think more Ivy & Bean than Diary of a Wimpy Kid). That's not a bad thing but, on a personal level, I found it a bit harder to get into because of that. Now, I know I'm not the target audience so that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. I think this book will be a lot of fun of for that age group. It's adventurous without ever leaving the confines of one neighbourhood street. It's charming with it's quirky cast of characters. It's sweet with it's message of becoming a family. It has a heck of a lot going for it and I think there's going to be a lot of little readers out there that love Cody. I just wanted a little something more. I wanted to connect to it more. On an outside level, I can look at all the positives. But I never fully connected to the story. Again, it's probably because an age thing. I don't normally read books targeted for younger middle grade so it was a bit harder to adjust to.
One of the big things I loved about this book was it's diversity! It's so nice to see such a diverse cast of characters in a middle grade book. I think it's so important kids read about diversity, so I was really happy that was a big element to the story. Another thing I adored was the illustrations. They were cute and quirky and perfectly matched the vibe of the story. There was one near the end of the book that took up almost both pages and I simply loved.
Overall, I couldn't connect to Cody and the Fountain of Happiness enough to love it, but I definitely liked it. It's definitely one I would recommend to little girls and boys looking for book with heart and fun. It's a book that will remind you to notice all the little things that add to your fountain of happiness.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
4.0
This is a perfect transitional chapter book to bridge the gap from this to middle grade.
Cody is a fun character - a little mischievous but definitely has a good heart.
Cody is a fun character - a little mischievous but definitely has a good heart.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
It is the start of summer vacation and Cody is excited to have a week off before camp starts. Her father is a long distance trucker and her mother sells shoes at a department store, so Cody is at home with her teenage brother Wyatt. Her morning starts out full of potential when she meets Spencer who is looking for his grandmother's runaway cat. While Cody is a natural optimist, Spencer has a harder time seeing the good in things. Slowly Cody's exuberant nature helps Spencer come out of his shell. This sweet summer story is perfect for first and second graders who enjoy Clementine and Judy Moody.