You have a few weeks to read s’more books and log your reading for the Summer Reading Program; why not take a trip to summer camp with these middle grade novels?
Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol (2018). E-book. Vera desperately wants to fit in, but it’s not easy when you’re the only Russian girl in your suburb. Dying to go to summer camp like the other kids in her neighborhood, Vera begs until her parents pick one out – Russian summer camp. Vera’s sure this is a place where she will finally fit in, but between drama queens and outhouses, will summer camp be all it’s cracked up to be? This funny and relatable graphic novel will please readers of Raina Telgemeier and Victoria Jamieson.
Camp Murderface by Josh Berk & Saundra Mitchell (2020). E-book, downloadable audiobook. The year: 1983. The place: Ohio. The camp: Scary as heck. Camp Sweetwater is finally reopening, three decades after it mysteriously shut down. Campers Corryn Quinn and Tez Jones have each had more than enough of their regular lives–they’re so ready to take their summer at Sweetwater by storm. But before they can so much as toast one marshmallow, strange happenings start…happening. Can they survive the summer? Or will Camp Sweetwater shut down for good this time–with them inside? This spooky summer read is perfect for fans of RL Stine.
Camp QUILTBAG by Nicole Melleby & AJ Sass (2023). E-book, downloadable audiobook. 12-year-old Abigail is super excited to be spending her summer at a queer inclusive summer camp, a place she can finally be herself. 13-year-old Kai is not as excited; e would have preferred to stay at home with eir parkour team. But the two kids make a pact: Kai will help Abigail make new friends and Abigail will help Kai’s cabin win the summer competition. This is a heartfelt story full of queer summer joy.
In the Key of Us by Mariama Lockington (2022). E-book, downloadable audiobook. While twelve-year-old Andi has suffered from anxiety attacks ever since her mother died ten months ago, Zora starting hurting herself whenever she feels out of control; they are both at Camp Harmony, an elite summer music camp, trying to deal with their problems and also the stress of competition–but as the summer passes they find themselves increasingly drawn to each other, and maybe not just as friends. Try this one for readers who like realistic, character-driven stories.
Out of My Heart by Sharon Draper (2021). E-book, downloadable audiobook. You may know Melody from the hugely popular book Out of My Mind. Well, she is back and headed for a summer camp experience for kids with disabilities. She’s excited to be on her own, make new friends, and ride a horse, but is she brave enough to do all of that this summer?
To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer (2019). E-book, downloadable audiobook. In this super cute and funny novel, very different 11-year-olds Bett and Avery are forced to go to the same summer camp to befriend each other after their dads start dating. But just as things start to go right for these new friends, things start to go wrong for their dads. Can Night Owl and Dogfish figure out a way for them to be a family? Written in letters between the two girls, this novel is Parent Trap meets Be Prepared.
Unplugged by Gordon Korman (2021). E-book, downloadable audiobook. Forced to surrender his cell phones and technology at a wellness camp in the middle of the Arkansas wilderness, Jett and his new friends start to notice that the adults at the Oasis are acting really strange. What’s going on at the Oasis and how do you report suspicious activity when they’ve taken away your phone?!
