A review by bickie
Cody and the Fountain of Happiness by Tricia Springstubb

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