Stacy Davidowitz's Blog, page 7
April 13, 2016
Summer 365's Camper of the Week!
So I am super lucky to be Camper of the Week! Check out my interview!
http://www.summer365.com/summer-365-c...
This Summer 365 Camper of the Week has got all the write stuff! Camp runs deeps in her blood and brain. Her experience was so profound and formative that it has inspired her incredible resume of teacher, author, and playwright, screenwriter and all around rock star. Her very first published book series about what else other than – SLEEPAWAY CAMP!! – is launching May 10 and we cannot wait to get out pre-ordered copy and indulge in some literal summer reading. We are so glad to know her and cannot wait to introduce you to the very talented and extremely lovely, Stacy Davidowitz.
WHERE DID YOU GO TO CAMP?
Tyler Hill Camp from 1996 – 2008. Sessions were seven and a half weeks. I wished they were longer.
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?
I grew up in Merrick, Long Island. Now I live in upper Manhattan in an awesome neighborhood called Hudson Heights.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY DOING?
I work as an author, playwright, screenwriter, and teaching artist in the city.
At the moment, I have multiple projects in the works. My indie feature, IN THE RUBBER ROOM, is in pre-production. I’m writing a new musical inspired by teenage diary entries for Big Block Entertainment, the producers of Rock of Ages. I have a short play going up in April in Taipei, a full-length being workshopped by Fundamental Theatre Project in June, a third production of my first ever play produced by New School this summer, and a young adult novel and a children’s plovel (half book-half play) being shopped around for publication.
The BIGGEST news is that my middle grade book series CAMP ROLLING HILLS is launching on May 10, 2016, published by Abrams Books. The first two books of the series come out together. The third book, which is all about Color War, will be released in April 2017. The fourth book will be released in April 2018. There are potentially two more books after that, bringing the series to a total of six books. The series follows twelve campers over the course of three summers (ages 12 to 14) as they bond, grow, fall in love, participate in hilarious high jinx, and eat s’mores. Each book is told from the point of view of one boy and one girl, so that by the end of the series, each character will have their half a book to shine! Fun fact: the series is based on a musical I co-wrote also called Camp Rolling Hills. It’s been developed by New York Musical Theatre Festival; it premiered in early March in San Diego; and there is a production set for June in Westport, Connecticut.
The book series has gotten awesome reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews, and has testimonials from Michael Showalter, co-creator of Wet Hot American Summer and Elissa Brent Weissman, the author of Nerd Camp. This summer, I will be doing a summer camp tour to promote the series and to get to know campers up and down the east coast!
For more information about the book series, you can visit www.camprollinghills.com. To learn more about me, you can visit www.stacydavidowitz.com.
HOW HAS CAMP INFLUENCED WHAT YOU DO/YOUR CAREER PATH?
Camp has had a profound effect on my career path. To start, my family is now in the camping industry. My brother is the Assistant Director of Tyler Hill Camp, my sister-in-law runs Girls’ Side there, and my mom is the Co-Director of Southampton Camp & Club.
As for me, working at camp as a counselor and then head staff at Tyler Hill helped me become a creative, on-my-toes, high energy teaching artist. I currently teach seven times a week: literacy, drama, and creative writing, and I owe that to the amazing experience I had planning and mentoring campers of all ages.
Finally, I write so much about camp. Plays, screenplays, musicals, and now the Camp Rolling Hills book series. As Kirkus Reviews said just a couple weeks ago, “the author’s love for camp shines through.” I feel so lucky to have grown up at Tyler Hill—who knew my years of fun would pave the way for my writing career.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE ESSENTIALS THAT YOU PACKED IN YOUR TRUNK?
Camp-themed stationary, shinguards, pre-written SING songs.
WHAT ARE THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR CAMP EXPERIENCE?
Adventurous, cheerful (like, literally full of cheers), monumental.
WHO WAS SOMEONE AT CAMP THAT YOU LOOKED UP TO?
I really looked up to my mom, and still do. She worked as Head of Girls’ Side at Tyler Hill for nine summers, and during that time, she was my rock, my mentor, and a source of great pride, especially when, you know, she rode a horse around camp costumed as Beaver Woman.
WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO GO TO CAMP?
It’s not every day you get to live in a bunk with your friends. Camp gives you a chance to embrace all the cool, quirky stuff about you that makes you special. You find yourself, and then because everyone else loves you for who you are, you do, too.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE/MOST EPIC CAMP MEMORY?
Just one?! No! Here’s a short-ish list.
Costumed as Cisco Kid, I “killed off” my brother who was costumed as the Hawk, as part of a Tyler Hill pre-Color War tradition. The choreography was Kung Fu inspired.Fostering an injured baby bat one of my bunkmates found in her shoe.Writing “Lice the Musical” to lift the spirits of my lice-ridden campers. I wrote that musical a decade ago, and I’m pretty sure my campers can still rap the lyrics.One time I was so committed to Animal Hunt, where the counselors dress like different animals and hide around camp for the campers to find them, I hid under a bunk, co-occupied by two skunks, for thirty minutes. Ironically, I was also dressed as a skunk. I was not sprayed. I won.
HOW HAS CAMP AFFECTED YOUR ADULT LIFE? IS THERE SOMETHING YOU LEARNED THERE THAT YOU STILL DO TODAY?
STARFISH! Jay Jacobs coined the values system, and he allowed me to use it in my book series. It comes with a great story about a man who throws beached starfish back into the water one by one. Someone comes along and tells the man that what he’s doing is pointless—he can’t possibly save all the starfish. And the man replies, “If I can make a difference for just one, then it is worth it.” Something like that! The acronym is:
Sportsmanship, Tolerance, Appreciation, Respect, Friendship, Integrity, Sensitivity,Helpfulness.
WORDS OF WISDOM FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE CAMPERS?
Cherish it. Be weird. Be bold. Have all the fun.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP TRADITION?
There was this super weird one I loved called the Watermelon Sacrifice. The legend was as follows: The camp director at the time, Big Al, was greeted by a voice on the dock that told him to carry out sacrifices in honor of the Watermelon God. The ceremony involved one age-group on the dock at a time. Big Al would hand the youngest camper a “schmekal” or tail end of the watermelon. The camper would have to balance it on his or her head and spin three times. If the camper succeeded, he or she got to keep it as a souvenir. Otherwise, he or she would be tossed in the lake. Super high stakes. Oh! And then, if the watermelon was red, everyone feasted. If it wasn’t red, and was unripe, that meant that someone, the summer before, had spit the white seeds into the lake instead of the black ones. I was always bummed that my birthday was Christmas Eve, making me one of the oldest in my age-group. I’d love to have a rotting schmekal underneath my adult bed.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP FOOD?
Canteen pizza. How was it SO good?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP CHEER?
Boom Chicka-Boom.
WHAT DID YOU PREFER – POOL OR LAKE?
Lake.
FAVORITE CANTEEN CANDY?
Butterfinger. Eat the chocolate exterior first, save the inside for last. Obviously.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP ACTIVITY?
Boating. I love kayaking. And also the trambopoline.
IF YOU HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING FROM CAMP TATTOOED ON YOU, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A hatchet.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP WORD/EXPRESSION?
“Up with the Cisco, Down with the Hawk.” See the camp memory list above!
Or
“This camp is not a treetop…” It’s the opening lyrics of a Tyler Hill song written by Lee Kweller.
FAVORITE CAMP MEMENTO?
I have an awesome Tyler Hill ruler from the mid-nineties in my desk drawer. It says “FUN IS THE RULE AT TYLER HILL.” I still use it to draw straight lines.
WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST TRENDS/MUST HAVE ITEMS WHEN YOU WENT TO CAMP OR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TIME YOU WENT TO CAMP?
Blowup chairs, jacks, husband pillows, cookie cakes.
ANY FIRSTS AT CAMP?
First kiss for sure. Ivan was his name. From Switzerland. We kissed on the Boston trip when I was a Senior camper, going into eighth grade. I just friended him on Facebook. He seems to be doing great.
----
* Parents, this will make for some great summer reading and a duffel stuffer to send your child off to camp with!!
For information about the book series, visit www.camprollinghills.com
For information about me and my projects, visit www.stacydavidowitz.com.
For my amazon author page, click here.
Instagram @camprollinghills || Twitter @CampRHbooks
http://www.summer365.com/summer-365-c...
This Summer 365 Camper of the Week has got all the write stuff! Camp runs deeps in her blood and brain. Her experience was so profound and formative that it has inspired her incredible resume of teacher, author, and playwright, screenwriter and all around rock star. Her very first published book series about what else other than – SLEEPAWAY CAMP!! – is launching May 10 and we cannot wait to get out pre-ordered copy and indulge in some literal summer reading. We are so glad to know her and cannot wait to introduce you to the very talented and extremely lovely, Stacy Davidowitz. WHERE DID YOU GO TO CAMP?Tyler Hill Camp from 1996 – 2008. Sessions were seven and a half weeks. I wished they were longer.
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?
I grew up in Merrick, Long Island. Now I live in upper Manhattan in an awesome neighborhood called Hudson Heights.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY DOING?
I work as an author, playwright, screenwriter, and teaching artist in the city.
At the moment, I have multiple projects in the works. My indie feature, IN THE RUBBER ROOM, is in pre-production. I’m writing a new musical inspired by teenage diary entries for Big Block Entertainment, the producers of Rock of Ages. I have a short play going up in April in Taipei, a full-length being workshopped by Fundamental Theatre Project in June, a third production of my first ever play produced by New School this summer, and a young adult novel and a children’s plovel (half book-half play) being shopped around for publication.
The BIGGEST news is that my middle grade book series CAMP ROLLING HILLS is launching on May 10, 2016, published by Abrams Books. The first two books of the series come out together. The third book, which is all about Color War, will be released in April 2017. The fourth book will be released in April 2018. There are potentially two more books after that, bringing the series to a total of six books. The series follows twelve campers over the course of three summers (ages 12 to 14) as they bond, grow, fall in love, participate in hilarious high jinx, and eat s’mores. Each book is told from the point of view of one boy and one girl, so that by the end of the series, each character will have their half a book to shine! Fun fact: the series is based on a musical I co-wrote also called Camp Rolling Hills. It’s been developed by New York Musical Theatre Festival; it premiered in early March in San Diego; and there is a production set for June in Westport, Connecticut.
The book series has gotten awesome reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews, and has testimonials from Michael Showalter, co-creator of Wet Hot American Summer and Elissa Brent Weissman, the author of Nerd Camp. This summer, I will be doing a summer camp tour to promote the series and to get to know campers up and down the east coast!
For more information about the book series, you can visit www.camprollinghills.com. To learn more about me, you can visit www.stacydavidowitz.com.
HOW HAS CAMP INFLUENCED WHAT YOU DO/YOUR CAREER PATH?
Camp has had a profound effect on my career path. To start, my family is now in the camping industry. My brother is the Assistant Director of Tyler Hill Camp, my sister-in-law runs Girls’ Side there, and my mom is the Co-Director of Southampton Camp & Club.
As for me, working at camp as a counselor and then head staff at Tyler Hill helped me become a creative, on-my-toes, high energy teaching artist. I currently teach seven times a week: literacy, drama, and creative writing, and I owe that to the amazing experience I had planning and mentoring campers of all ages.
Finally, I write so much about camp. Plays, screenplays, musicals, and now the Camp Rolling Hills book series. As Kirkus Reviews said just a couple weeks ago, “the author’s love for camp shines through.” I feel so lucky to have grown up at Tyler Hill—who knew my years of fun would pave the way for my writing career.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE ESSENTIALS THAT YOU PACKED IN YOUR TRUNK?
Camp-themed stationary, shinguards, pre-written SING songs.
WHAT ARE THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR CAMP EXPERIENCE?
Adventurous, cheerful (like, literally full of cheers), monumental.
WHO WAS SOMEONE AT CAMP THAT YOU LOOKED UP TO?
I really looked up to my mom, and still do. She worked as Head of Girls’ Side at Tyler Hill for nine summers, and during that time, she was my rock, my mentor, and a source of great pride, especially when, you know, she rode a horse around camp costumed as Beaver Woman.
WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO GO TO CAMP?
It’s not every day you get to live in a bunk with your friends. Camp gives you a chance to embrace all the cool, quirky stuff about you that makes you special. You find yourself, and then because everyone else loves you for who you are, you do, too.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE/MOST EPIC CAMP MEMORY?
Just one?! No! Here’s a short-ish list.
Costumed as Cisco Kid, I “killed off” my brother who was costumed as the Hawk, as part of a Tyler Hill pre-Color War tradition. The choreography was Kung Fu inspired.Fostering an injured baby bat one of my bunkmates found in her shoe.Writing “Lice the Musical” to lift the spirits of my lice-ridden campers. I wrote that musical a decade ago, and I’m pretty sure my campers can still rap the lyrics.One time I was so committed to Animal Hunt, where the counselors dress like different animals and hide around camp for the campers to find them, I hid under a bunk, co-occupied by two skunks, for thirty minutes. Ironically, I was also dressed as a skunk. I was not sprayed. I won.
HOW HAS CAMP AFFECTED YOUR ADULT LIFE? IS THERE SOMETHING YOU LEARNED THERE THAT YOU STILL DO TODAY?
STARFISH! Jay Jacobs coined the values system, and he allowed me to use it in my book series. It comes with a great story about a man who throws beached starfish back into the water one by one. Someone comes along and tells the man that what he’s doing is pointless—he can’t possibly save all the starfish. And the man replies, “If I can make a difference for just one, then it is worth it.” Something like that! The acronym is:
Sportsmanship, Tolerance, Appreciation, Respect, Friendship, Integrity, Sensitivity,Helpfulness.
WORDS OF WISDOM FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE CAMPERS?
Cherish it. Be weird. Be bold. Have all the fun.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP TRADITION?
There was this super weird one I loved called the Watermelon Sacrifice. The legend was as follows: The camp director at the time, Big Al, was greeted by a voice on the dock that told him to carry out sacrifices in honor of the Watermelon God. The ceremony involved one age-group on the dock at a time. Big Al would hand the youngest camper a “schmekal” or tail end of the watermelon. The camper would have to balance it on his or her head and spin three times. If the camper succeeded, he or she got to keep it as a souvenir. Otherwise, he or she would be tossed in the lake. Super high stakes. Oh! And then, if the watermelon was red, everyone feasted. If it wasn’t red, and was unripe, that meant that someone, the summer before, had spit the white seeds into the lake instead of the black ones. I was always bummed that my birthday was Christmas Eve, making me one of the oldest in my age-group. I’d love to have a rotting schmekal underneath my adult bed.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP FOOD?
Canteen pizza. How was it SO good?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP CHEER?
Boom Chicka-Boom.
WHAT DID YOU PREFER – POOL OR LAKE?
Lake.
FAVORITE CANTEEN CANDY?
Butterfinger. Eat the chocolate exterior first, save the inside for last. Obviously.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP ACTIVITY?
Boating. I love kayaking. And also the trambopoline.
IF YOU HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING FROM CAMP TATTOOED ON YOU, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A hatchet.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP WORD/EXPRESSION?
“Up with the Cisco, Down with the Hawk.” See the camp memory list above!
Or
“This camp is not a treetop…” It’s the opening lyrics of a Tyler Hill song written by Lee Kweller.
FAVORITE CAMP MEMENTO?
I have an awesome Tyler Hill ruler from the mid-nineties in my desk drawer. It says “FUN IS THE RULE AT TYLER HILL.” I still use it to draw straight lines.
WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST TRENDS/MUST HAVE ITEMS WHEN YOU WENT TO CAMP OR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TIME YOU WENT TO CAMP?
Blowup chairs, jacks, husband pillows, cookie cakes.
ANY FIRSTS AT CAMP?
First kiss for sure. Ivan was his name. From Switzerland. We kissed on the Boston trip when I was a Senior camper, going into eighth grade. I just friended him on Facebook. He seems to be doing great.
----
* Parents, this will make for some great summer reading and a duffel stuffer to send your child off to camp with!!
For information about the book series, visit www.camprollinghills.com
For information about me and my projects, visit www.stacydavidowitz.com.
For my amazon author page, click here.
Instagram @camprollinghills || Twitter @CampRHbooks
March 29, 2016
Camp Rolling Hills is a SLJ Popular Pick!
So excited to be a School Library Journal Popular Pick!
Counting Down to SLJ’s Popular Picks: Part 2By SLJ on March 28, 2016 In advance of the print debut of SLJ’s Popular Picks in the April 2016 issue, SLJ editors have chosen must-have works for kids and teens that appeared in the February 2016 issue.
DAVIDOWITZ, Stacy. Camp Rolling Hills: First Base. 240p. (Camp Rolling Hills: Bk. 1). Abrams/Amulet. May 2016. pap. $8.95. ISBN 9781419718854.
Gr 4-6 –Slimey is ready to get back to Camp Rolling Hills, having put in her 10 months in her regular life, and she wants to live her two months at camp to the fullest. Robert—soon to be known as Smelly—is new to camp and has been under a lot of stress lately; his mom has promised to send him his anxiety medicine if he needs it. A budding romance that culminates in a single three-second kiss and some hand-holding, the story is told mostly through funny, jocular dialogue among bunkmates and friends. Slimey is part of the older girls’ cabin and Smelly is her counterpart in the boys’ cabin. Camp high jinks and s’mores by the fire lend a feeling of semiautonomy and freedom away from parents, while the part-epistolary format gives the novel an authentic kid feel. Despite the generally upbeat tone, the characters work through some real anxieties and fears, relying on friends to help them through and build self-confidence. The “will they, won’t they” kiss conundrum lends itself to a slightly older, middle school audience. VERDICT A light summer read for the middle school set, especially those who enjoy summer camp stories with a touch of puppy love romance.–Ellie Lease, Harford County Public Library, MD
Counting Down to SLJ’s Popular Picks: Part 2By SLJ on March 28, 2016 In advance of the print debut of SLJ’s Popular Picks in the April 2016 issue, SLJ editors have chosen must-have works for kids and teens that appeared in the February 2016 issue.
DAVIDOWITZ, Stacy. Camp Rolling Hills: First Base. 240p. (Camp Rolling Hills: Bk. 1). Abrams/Amulet. May 2016. pap. $8.95. ISBN 9781419718854.
Gr 4-6 –Slimey is ready to get back to Camp Rolling Hills, having put in her 10 months in her regular life, and she wants to live her two months at camp to the fullest. Robert—soon to be known as Smelly—is new to camp and has been under a lot of stress lately; his mom has promised to send him his anxiety medicine if he needs it. A budding romance that culminates in a single three-second kiss and some hand-holding, the story is told mostly through funny, jocular dialogue among bunkmates and friends. Slimey is part of the older girls’ cabin and Smelly is her counterpart in the boys’ cabin. Camp high jinks and s’mores by the fire lend a feeling of semiautonomy and freedom away from parents, while the part-epistolary format gives the novel an authentic kid feel. Despite the generally upbeat tone, the characters work through some real anxieties and fears, relying on friends to help them through and build self-confidence. The “will they, won’t they” kiss conundrum lends itself to a slightly older, middle school audience. VERDICT A light summer read for the middle school set, especially those who enjoy summer camp stories with a touch of puppy love romance.–Ellie Lease, Harford County Public Library, MD
March 22, 2016
Here's a post from March 21, 2016
Booklist Online!
Favorite pull quote from Booklist Online's review of Camp Rolling Hills!
"Readers who love camp should feel comfortable with the lively fun, but even noncampers will relate to the theme of friendships renewed. The dollop of romance is the extra marshmallowy goodness cementing the story together. For those looking for a new series to explore, this will more than suffice."
-- Booklist Online, March 2016
"Readers who love camp should feel comfortable with the lively fun, but even noncampers will relate to the theme of friendships renewed. The dollop of romance is the extra marshmallowy goodness cementing the story together. For those looking for a new series to explore, this will more than suffice."
-- Booklist Online, March 2016
March 3, 2016
Kirkus Review is live!
KIRKUS REVIEW
Here are the pull quotes from the Kirkus Review! Thanks, Kirkus! To read the full review, click here!
"An anxious boy and a grieving girl on the cusp of adolescence find nascent love at Camp Rolling Hills, a summer camp steeped in its own mythology and culture.
Slimey, age 12, has been going to Camp Rolling Hills since she was a little girl, but it’s Smelly’s first summer. Smelly, who suffers from anxiety and gains confidence over the course of the novel, is there because his parents need time to work out their marriage difficulties. Slimey, who works hard to hide her pain, is still heartbroken over the death of her father. It’s told from alternating third-person perspectives, Slimey’s and Smelly’s, augmented by funnily realistic letters home from other campers. The book celebrates summer camp as a safe place for children to reinvent themselves, to experiment and be more daring than they might otherwise be.
The author’s love for camp shines through, and it’s a strong choice for first-time campers and for those who find camp and its rituals delightful. (Fiction. 8-12)"
- Posted online March 2, 2016; printed March 15, 2016.
Here are the pull quotes from the Kirkus Review! Thanks, Kirkus! To read the full review, click here!
"An anxious boy and a grieving girl on the cusp of adolescence find nascent love at Camp Rolling Hills, a summer camp steeped in its own mythology and culture.
Slimey, age 12, has been going to Camp Rolling Hills since she was a little girl, but it’s Smelly’s first summer. Smelly, who suffers from anxiety and gains confidence over the course of the novel, is there because his parents need time to work out their marriage difficulties. Slimey, who works hard to hide her pain, is still heartbroken over the death of her father. It’s told from alternating third-person perspectives, Slimey’s and Smelly’s, augmented by funnily realistic letters home from other campers. The book celebrates summer camp as a safe place for children to reinvent themselves, to experiment and be more daring than they might otherwise be.
The author’s love for camp shines through, and it’s a strong choice for first-time campers and for those who find camp and its rituals delightful. (Fiction. 8-12)"
- Posted online March 2, 2016; printed March 15, 2016.
February 21, 2016
5 Girls Book Reviews = Best Review Ever
Read the review on Twitter!
REVIEW BY: Michaela, age 11 years, 8 months
MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:
I enjoyed this book very much.
The relationship between Smelly and Slimey is so nice that when you are reading the book, you feel like you are wrapped in a furry blanket. When you get to the hilarious part(s) you feel like you are actually there.
My favorite character was Rick because he is soooo relaxed and the way the author describes him, I would not mind him being my cabin counselor.
My favorite part is when the girls steal all of the boys' underwear. I thought it was absolutely, without a doubt, hilarious!
The plot of this book is that Smelly (aka Bobby) is new to the camp and then Slimey and him meet. During the days of camp, they start to like each other.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about summer camp and first crushes.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 13.
REVIEW BY: Michaela, age 11 years, 8 months
MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:
I enjoyed this book very much.
The relationship between Smelly and Slimey is so nice that when you are reading the book, you feel like you are wrapped in a furry blanket. When you get to the hilarious part(s) you feel like you are actually there.
My favorite character was Rick because he is soooo relaxed and the way the author describes him, I would not mind him being my cabin counselor.
My favorite part is when the girls steal all of the boys' underwear. I thought it was absolutely, without a doubt, hilarious!
The plot of this book is that Smelly (aka Bobby) is new to the camp and then Slimey and him meet. During the days of camp, they start to like each other.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about summer camp and first crushes.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 13.
School Library Journal (SLJ) review is in!
"Slimey is ready to get back to Camp Rolling Hills, having put in her 10 months in her regular life, and she wants to live her two months at camp to the fullest. Robert—soon to be known as Smelly—is new to camp and has been under a lot of stress lately; his mom has promised to send him his anxiety medicine if he needs it.
A budding romance that culminates in a single three-second kiss and some hand-holding, the story is told mostly through funny, jocular dialogue among bunkmates and friends. Slimey is part of the older girls’ cabin and Smelly is her counterpart in the boys’ cabin. Camp high jinks and s’mores by the fire lend a feeling of semiautonomy and freedom away from parents, while the part-epistolary format gives the novel an authentic kid feel.
Despite the generally upbeat tone, the characters work through some real anxieties and fears, relying on friends to help them through and build self-confidence. The “will they, won’t they” kiss conundrum lends itself to a slightly older, middle school audience. VERDICT: A light summer read for the middle school set, especially those who enjoy summer camp stories with a touch of puppy love romance."
--School Library Journal (SLJ), February 2016
A budding romance that culminates in a single three-second kiss and some hand-holding, the story is told mostly through funny, jocular dialogue among bunkmates and friends. Slimey is part of the older girls’ cabin and Smelly is her counterpart in the boys’ cabin. Camp high jinks and s’mores by the fire lend a feeling of semiautonomy and freedom away from parents, while the part-epistolary format gives the novel an authentic kid feel.
Despite the generally upbeat tone, the characters work through some real anxieties and fears, relying on friends to help them through and build self-confidence. The “will they, won’t they” kiss conundrum lends itself to a slightly older, middle school audience. VERDICT: A light summer read for the middle school set, especially those who enjoy summer camp stories with a touch of puppy love romance."
--School Library Journal (SLJ), February 2016
December 16, 2015
With the book release five months away...
Getting ready for bookstore signings, school visits, & camp tours!
