Halfway to Harmony

I bought this for my neighbor and she loved it

My niece loves the book!

As a parting gift for my team teacher, and raved about by my school’s librarian, I purchased a copy of this story for both my classroom library and my team teacher’s library for next year.

10-year-old Walter Tipple is sure his summer will be horrible. Grieving the death of his older brother, Walter’s world seems bleak. That was before he got new neighbors Evelina, Posey and a three-legged dog named Porkchop. Add a zany downed hot-air balloonist named Banjo to the mix, and suddenly Walter’s summer vacation takes a dramatic turn. Will Walter find the courage to talk about his loss, attempt a daring feat of bravery, and join in on a crazy adventure of a lifetime? Find out in this tale of friendship by award-winning author Barbara O’Connor. Halfway to Harmony would be a top-notch addition to any middle grade fiction collection.

i love this author and when i found out she was comming out with a new book i was very exited. This book turned out super great there was loss, adventer it was funny and just a great plot. i defiantly recommend reading this good long fun book!

Such a great read! My kids were sucked in right away. They loved it.

Loved the storyline. The characters were fun to follow and very believable. I really enjoy reading books from this author.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.I’ve heard a lot of good things about Barbara O’Connor, but I had never actually read her work myself. I always love seeing middle grade books that tackle grief and healing, though, so I decided to give this one a try, and y’all, I am so freaking glad that I did!Halfway to Harmony is a heartwarming coming-of-age adventure about the people we lose, the people we discover, and the people that help us find ourselves. It will break your heart and give you the warm fuzzies all at the same time.There’s not a lot of action, per se, in this book, as it’s definitely character-driven. But with quirky, fun characters like these? That was absolutely no problem for me, and I sailed through this book without wanting to put it down.My Thoughts:- Halfway to Harmony is a character-driven book … so it’s lucky that it’s filled with a cast of unique characters that will pull you into their world and refuse to let go. If you’re looking for something that’s filled with action and forward momentum, this isn’t the book for you. Sure, things happen, but the focus is on the characters and their interactions with each other.Walter is the main character, who’s coming to grips with the death of his older brother, Tank, who he looked up to. Grief is a hard thing to deal with, especially when you’re that young.Posey is the new girl next door, the one who seems loud and outgoing and like she has the whole world figured out. She loves spouting little nuggets of knowledge from the book by that very title that she read recently.Banjo is a mysterious stranger they meet in the woods (no, not like that, I promise), who ends up with an immediate crush on Evaline, Posey’s mother, and spends much of the book attempting to woo her while also chasing his dreams.These characters are packed full of personality, and they’ve all got things they’re working towards.- There’s a grand adventure in this. Maybe not the seeing-the-world sort of adventure, but a quieter kind that I think most readers will be able to relate to. If you live pretty much anywhere rural, you’re used to the crazy adventures that can pop up, especially if you live near a forest. For me, this raised all sorts of feelings of nostalgia, because a grand adventure for a kid might be very different than that of an adult (even though, to be fair, I think Walter’s adventure is quite the adventure for anyone!) The scale felt perfect for these characters, but also reminded me so fondly of my own childhood. More than that, though, the best part of the adventure is that the characters have to come together in order to solve it, and it seems like there are always hiccups and bumps in the road that they have to find solutions for.- There’s a sliver of a romantic subplot, and honestly, that was one of my favorite things about this book! Romance may not be accurate. Banjo is so obviously stricken and is doing his very best to woo Evaline with his charms. These interactions were absolutely some of my favorites, especially the way Posey reacts to Banjo being sweet on her mother. It is just a subplot, though, so it’s not very in-your-face or at the forefront, so I think it has the ability to appeal across the ages that might read this book! A little something for everyone.- The children in this book tackle some pretty big problems, such as grief and making friends, which I think is so important in middle grade stories! The big one, first of all, is Walter and his struggle with the grief of losing his brother and not knowing how to move on. Walter has to learn what it means to not have his older brother around to look up to, but also how to continue being a part of the family now that there’s a member missing. Friendship is also a really big theme.

In perfect condition and was a cute read for my daughters book club