Cody and the Fountain of Happiness

Cody thinks summer vacation is all the better when her day camp is canceled. Enter babysitter Payton, along with new friend Spencer, his cat, and his feisty grandma GG. Cody's lively voice and keen observational skills build an involving story line out of the seeming simplicity of a vacation spent at home. Stylish spot illustrations suggest a diverse cast in this suburban setting.

Of all the beautiful things in the world (including marshmallows, turtles, and getting a perfect score on your spelling test), Cody thinks the first day of summer vacation is the most beautiful of all. It's all the better when her day camp is cancelled ("Camp! The word was a dark cloud on a bright day"). With Mom pursuing a promotion in the shoe department at work; Dad, a trucker, on the road part of the week; and older brother Wyatt starting at "doctor camp," alternate plans are needed. Enter babysitter Payton Underwood (object of Wyatt's crush), along with a new younger friend named Spencer, his cat MewMew, and his feisty grandma GG. Springstubb never specifies Cody's age, allowing readers anywhere from around seven to ten to appreciate her ground-level perspective of her world. From Mom trying to quit smoking, to Cody's own obsessions with animals, stomach chemistry, and hypnotism, to the geological excavation of the layers of her brother's bed, Cody's lively voice and keen observational skills build an involving story line out of the seeming simplicity of a vacation spent at home. Wheeler's stylish spot illustrations throughout suggest a diverse cast in this suburban setting. (Readers will have to forgive her oversight in never showing Mom's fancy work shoes, even though Cody describes them, repeatedly, in minute detail.) nina lindsay