Hail, Hail, Camp Timberwood

by Ellen Conford

None too pleased about being at summer camp, thirteen-year-old Melanie experiences the joy of learning to ride a horse, discovers a handsome boy who seems to like her, and must cope with a cabinmate who seems to hate her.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Juvenile, Middle Grade

138 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Ellen Conford was an author for children and young adults. Among her writings are the Annabel the Actress and Jenny Archer series. Her books have won the Best Book of the Year Citation, Best Book of the International Interest Citation, Best Book of the Year for Children, Parents' Choice Award, and more.

Reviews

[Aimee Massey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've come to the conclusion that children's/young adults' books written between, roughly, the mid-seventies to late eighties are more enjoyable than the newer ones. They're less desperately edgy, the characters are more likable, and the plots more believable.
Melanie Kessler is a somewhat sheltered only child who lives in New York City with her parents, and she is upset when her aunt urges her parents to send her to camp for the summer. Aunt Katherine thinks Melanie needs time away from home and the chance to become more self-reliant, and that Melanie's parents need a break too. Melanie feels she is pretty independent as it is, but the decision is made. Melanie is headed to New England, to Camp Timberwood for two whole months.
Melanie is very homesick at first, but gradually she learns to adjust and begins to enjoy herself. She finds a good friend in bunkmate Sarah, and an enemy in Erica, who is intensely competitive and arrogant. Erica specializes in snide remarks, and when she overhears Melanie describing her as macho, she really begins to pick at her.
Melanie also makes friends with a much younger camper named Dougie, a sweet child who seems to be having a rough time fitting in at camp. Dougie's older brother Steve becomes Melanie's summer crush, but when she tries to talk to him about Dougie's problems, he becomes annoyed and Melanie fears she may have pushed him away.
Erica pushes Melanie's buttons by flirting openly with Steve, and continues her verbal digs. Melanie, and the other girls in her bunk, wonder why their counselors don't put the smack down on Erica.
Melanie also has to face her fears about swimming and horseback riding. She's never learned to swim and dislikes getting her head wet, but she hates being the oldest camper in the Tadpole class, for beginners. She was initially excited about learning to ride a horse, but the gentle, elderly horse she is paired with seems awfully big to her, and the idea of going faster than a walk makes her very nervous.
Melanie slowly begins to gain confidence, as she helps Dougie gain some of his own. She comes to realize that Steve is right when he says Dougie has been babied too long, and that he needs to learn to cope with little disappointments and frustrations on his own without getting his brother to make everything go his way. Dougie begins to speak up for himself and to make his own decisions, and Steve and Melanie become closer.
But Erica is still jealous, and finally Melanie sees that she needs to practice what she preached to Dougie and not expect anyone else to fight her battle. She and Erica have a heated confrontation, which, realistically, doesn't end with them being friends; rather, Melanie acknowledges that they will never be friends, but that she will not take Erica's insults any more, and they henceforth treat each other with icy politeness.
The book is copyrighted 1978 and is definitely dated in some respects: Erica and Steve have transistor radios, and at the dance for older campers records are played. Not just any records, but records along the line of "The Polkas That You Love" and other such hopelessly dorky selections that all the campers make fun of. But the issues Melanie deals with-first love, being away from home for the first time, coping with someone who doesn't like her-are universal and timeless. Melanie is a very likable character, and she learns and grows during those two busy months at Camp Timberwood.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, a 1970's camp book. I devoured this book and reread it many times over. So relatable to me - going tocamp, dealing with mean girls, doing things you are afraid of, what I wasn't able to relate to back then was boyfriends, so Melanie and her friends seemed so glamorous and grown up to me. This one holds up well.

[Kricket · Rating 4 out of 5]

(from 2014): this popped up when i was reviewing "the pistachio prescription" and reminded me that i should read this again, too. another big favorite growing up.

this one didn't age as well as some of my other childhood favorites. the 4th star is purely for nostalgia.

From 2019: Again, probably wouldn't recommend this one to the Youths of 2019- Ricky is a turd for sure but Mel could have chosen some better words to insult her with. That said, fun nostalgia times for me.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

another one from my box of treasures LOL. I liked girls at sleepaway summer camp when I was about 10 or 11 so since I couldn't go - I read about them

This is another decent one from the late 1970's about a girl who learns how to count on herself and make friends while away for the summer. Good for the 11 to 14 set.

[Sarah Thornton]

This wouldn't have got past the censors now.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

HAIL HAIL CAMP TIMBERWOOD was one of those books from my childhood/preteen years that I read multiple times. So many times, actually, that I wore my copy out. A couple of weeks ago, I found a copy in decent shape in an antique shop and it had to come home with me.

It's a quick read, a fun summertime story about a young girl at camp for the first time. You get to experience her fears, first love, and even how she learns to stand up for herself against a bully cabinmate. It was fun to reread it after all these years and I'm really happy to have a copy for my bookshelf, purely for nostalgia-sake.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book, snacking on stolen, raw, spagetti sticks up in my loft. Reading it outloud until my throat was sore, I tried to share reading with my stuffted animals. This book was fun, a great read to share with your younger children and a quick and easy no thought read for those who do read frequently. I think everyone should read this book, if not just in reading to your youngsters.

[Lo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the poor man's "There's a Bat in Bunk Five".

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally forgot about this book. it was one of my favorites when i was a teenager. it was always one where i wondered what happpened to everyone after the summer.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize how much of this book I had remembered. Reading was like visiting an old friend and I enjoyed it.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, but anything written by Ellen Conford is great!!! My fifth grade teacher read it to us and we requested that she read it twice more in the school year. I love this book!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I know I read in middle school and now when I reread it it's pure nostalgia. It captures the feeling of summer camp perfectly. The joys and hardships of it the first loves of it the camp spirit of it the culinary spirit the to the feeling of being in the bunk with the other girls that that that all of it.

However rereading it there are some lines that Melanie says that are really offensive towards Ricky and while Ricky is terrible towards Melanie as well you kind of feel bad for her. there are just parts of this book that haven't aged well but they could be easily updated and the story wouldn't lose anything

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books in sixth grade and I re-read it many times in junior high. I never had a chance to go to a sleep-away camp in Vermont like a lot of my friends and was always so fascinated by camp stories. This was such a part of my childhood and I give this 5 stars for nostalgia sake alone. I managed to find a used library copy with the old checkout slip from the 80s still intact.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

AI helped me find this book based on several plot details that I've never forgotten. I must have read this book 50 times when I was a teenager, and I'm looking forward to reading it again to try to figure out why it was such a formative book for me. In my life I can name about 15-20 books that profoundly shaped my self-image as a young person, and this was one of them.

[Karen O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites growing up, and still is.

[Ellen Leuschner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved by my sixth grade self. I can see why.

[Katy Colwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t stop reading these ridiculous books! First love at summer camp…classic! Now on to the next Ellen Conford 70’s YA novel.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely refuse to shelve this book under "vintage" because I remember reading it when I was about ten and I can't possibly be that old.

OK, that said, this book is definitely dated. This is kind of a classic, back when the "summer camp" storyline was pretty popular (a lot in part to "The Parent Trap" - original version please.)

Here you see a girl who is the coddled only child in her family, sent away to summer camp. She agrees to go because she thinks it will be fun, then the reality sets in and she hates it. Only to love it and never want to leave. Yeah, we've been there, done that.

There was some nice aspects to the book. Our heroine actually does reach out to those around her, and at least try to make camp a better place even if she messes things up now and again.

And of course there is...the boy. You know the one. The only adorable male for miles, and of course he has eyes for...

Nah, I won't spoil it. This was fun to read, as it was nice to take a trip back down memory lane. To be honest, I'd give it 3.5 stars if the half star was allowed. It really held up reasonably well to the ravages of time.

Er....yeah.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in the seventh grade and loved it. That is why I'm giving it the four stars. If I read it for the first time today I would probably give it three. I loved camp growing up and this book inspired me to write my own "camp book" which I never finished. Now that I am an adult, and a parent, I find that one part bothers me. The main character's parents went to a Rated X movie, and mom wrote her to tell her how it embarrassed her. I have no memory of reading that part in seventh grade. I picked it up a couple of years ago and skimmed through it to see if I'd give it to my kids to read and that's part of what I found. Other than that, it is a typical, classic, young teen falls in love for the summer kind of read. And fun.

[MsAprilVincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was younger; I know I first read it when I was in middle school, because I remember getting it from the library.

As with many books read in my youth, this one is not as good now that I've become a mean old lady. I've lost patience with adolescent angst. Instead of siding with the heroine, I find her whiny, clingy, and self-righteous.

What I did like: out-of-date references to phonographs, movie projectors (as opposed to dvds), and transistor radios.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spotting all these books that I loved so much when I was a kid is a treat. I feel all goofy-happy right now.

The triumvirate of Cleary/Blume/Conford ... they were my staples when I was growing up.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took this book out of the library over and over as a kid. I was so happy to track down a copy. There are some parts that did not age very well, but I give it 4 stars for nostalgia.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melanie goes to summer camp and falls in love.

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this being one of my favorites when I was growing up.
I have a feeling it would drive me crazy now.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

innocent '70s fun. looking forward to reading more ellen conford.

[Mell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in junior high. Loved finding a book where the main character shared what felt like my unpopular first name.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books when I was a pre-teen.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book in junior high...

[Elizabeth]

Ah! Great!