Do your kids go to summer camp? How long do they go for? Summer camp is like a rite of passage. Although Hazel never went to overnight camp, she is now ready to go to boarding school. It has been an exciting July in our house. But back to summer camp. Kids often feel homesick but once they relax, they make new friends and have exciting adventures. Today I get to share a middle grades series with you about a girl's adventure at summer camp for the first and second time. The books are from the Camp Hillside Series by Steph Katzovi. There are two books in the series (so far): Hurricamp! and Miscommunicamp!. They are recommended for ages 7 to 12.
The Books:
From the Publisher:
2023 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award Winner 2023 Purple Dragonfly Award WinnerTen-and-three-quarter-year-old Laura "Noodle" Newman had high hopes about going to sleepaway camp for the first time. Once she's there, however, Noodle is miserable. No one can help her get over her terrible homesickness. Things go from bad to worse when Noodle panics while talking on the camp's radio station. Noodle's moment to shine becomes a bout of stage fright as her bunkmates laugh at her. As a menacing hurricane heads up the coast, life at Camp Hillside turns upside down. Through the craziness, Noodle realizes that only one person can make her feel better: herself. Told in Noodle's witty, earnest, and distinctive voice, Hurricamp! emulates the quirkiness of Beverly Cleary's Ramona books combined with Judy Blume's relatable dialogue. Parents and children alike will identify with Noodle's vulnerabilities and the humorous lessons she learns on her adventures at Camp Hillside.
From the Publisher:
Joined by some old friends and some new ones, Noodle is ready for this to be the best summer ever. But when her best friend Aries only wants to work on the camp play rather than help Noodle with her radio show like they talked about, things start to turn a little sour and Noodle doesn't quite know how to deal with it.
From an enigmatic and theatrical camp counselor to mishaps at the Rock-and-Bowl, there's one thing Camp Hillside never is-boring. Join Noodle and her friends as they navigate both the pitfalls and perks of growing up and learn that perhaps sometimes all you need when you're a little lost is a good friend to lean on.
From Me:
These books are fun stories of the crazy times at summer camp. The camp's sessions are four weeks long. In the first book Noodle faces severe homesickness. Though once she gets out of her own head, she begins to enjoy camp. In the first book they also face a hurricane and lots of rain. Their cabin springs a leak, and their counselor gets injured and has to leave. It is a tough camp session, but the girls are able to bond with one another and pull through. Noodle ends up meeting her best friend and discovering she loves being on the Hillside radio.
In the second book, many of the same people are there but there are some new ones and some of the girls are in different cabins. Noodle faces issues with her bestie and learns to grow from it. Overall, it is another year about growing up and friendship. Each girl finds their own selves and talents. They also find their way back to friendship and supporting one another.
These books are fun to read, and the characters are well developed. They have some illustrations throughout the book but not many. Kids will enjoy the books and the stories. The characters and actions are humorous as well as accurate to what happens in life. Growing up and figuring out friendship and independence can be tough. I hope you will check them out.
