Summer Camp Pick: Camp Shady Crook

Camp Shady Crook
by Lee Gjerstsen Malone
Aladdin
2019
276 pages
ISBN: 9781534422261

Archie Drake has the perfect scam at summer camp: pretend to somehow be related to THE Archie Drake, a famous billionaire. All the campers whisper and think he is the son or grandson of the guy
anyway, so why not just play along? Rich kids will give him money, candy, clothes and luggage if they think he's rich, too. The truth is: Archie is there on scholarship, but he's not fessing up to that.

When smart aleck girl Vivian shows up and threatens to ruin his scam, Archie cuts her in for a piece of the action. Secret partner Oliver doesn't want a girl to be part of their team, but Archie convinces him it's better to keep her close where they can watch her.

Camp Shady Brook is the worst summer camp on the east coast, maybe even in the entire nation. Ms. Hess runs it like an evil prison matron. The owners haven't spent a dime in upkeep on the camp and it shows. Screen doors hang loose on cabins, the lake is polluted, decks are full of splinters and shaky, the food is worse than slop, and the kids have nothing to do. Archie and Vivian make it their business to find out where all the tuition money goes, and they suspect Miss Hess of stealing it.

Camp Shady Crook is a delightful middle grade romp perfect for readers who love summer camps and cons. Even reluctant readers will find the short chapters an inviting and entertaining read.

Brilliant cover art and art continues on spine to make this book attractive in a book case or on a shelf in the library or retail book store.

Here is the spine art

Recommended grade 5 and up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.




































Camp Shady Brook









anyway, so why not just play along.


Archi Malone has the perfect

ISBN:

YA Review: No Good Deed

No Good Deed
by Goldy Moldavsky
Scholastic
2017
352 pages
ISBN: 9780545867511

Available May 30, 2017

No Good Deed is set up around a promising premise. Young activists are chosen by billionaire entrepreneur/do good-er Robert Drill (who is a caricature of Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates) to  attend a teen summer camp/activism competition. Gregor Maravilla is excited to get an invitation to attend  his idol's camp. He dreams of winning the internship to work alongside Robert Drill, his long time hero.

Sarcasm and zingers abound but most of the characters never come to life. No Good Deed satirises  activism's flaws and the p.c. fishbowl that we live in.  Gregor keeps getting called "white" and insists he is half-Mexican although no one believes him. Half the humor comes from Gregor trying to direct his inner thoughts to be p.c. He has to keep apologizing to himself for even his own thought process.

Every camper is competing for his/her own cause--the more far-fetched, the funnier. At least that's how the book is supposed to read. The kids are so checked out and into themselves that they don't bother knowing anyone else's real name. They refer to each other by their specific cause. There's I Like Paint, Feed the Children, Men's Rights, Seat Belt Safety, and Diabetes.

Gregor is not excited that teen movie star Ashley Woodhouse is at the camp. Her campaign is Eat Dirt which she insists is a real thing. Eating dirt would save the planet according to Ashley and end world-wide hunger. Gregor keeps trying to avoid Ashley, yet everywhere he turns, she pops up.

Moldavsky's debut Kill the Boy Band is a tough act to follow. Goldy Moldavsky is still funny, but her humor is contagious when her protagonists are female and flawed. In No Good Deed, Gregor never engages as the central force of this novel.

Grade 9 and up. Some humor and funny moments, but this one falls short.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Middle Grades Pick: Just Like Me

Just Like Me
by Nancy J. Cavanaugh
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
2016
256 pages
ISBN: 978149260427

"Tween readers will find much to identify with in this charming and refreshingly wholesome coming-of-age story. . . Filled with slapstick humor and fast-paced action, the novel will engage reluctant readers, while offering fuel for deep contemplation by those ready to tackle questions of identity and belonging."
says School Library Journal

"From pillow fights to pinkie promises, sock wars to s’mores, a red thread connects this energetic summer-camp story with Julia’s deeper journey to accept herself."
Megan McDonald, award winning author of the Judy Moody series and Sisters Club trilogy

My Review:

Who can resist a summer camp story? 

Just Like Me is more than just a summer camp feel good story about the woods, campfires, s'mores, canoes, and singalongs. It's a voyage of self discovery and self acceptance for main character and narrator Julia. She worries how she will ever get through a camp with her two Chinese "sisters." Though not sisters by blood, Julia, Avery and Becca were all adopted by American families from the same Chinese orphanage during the same time period. Avery and Becca live close to each other and  become best friends who love everything from the birth culture. They eat Cheetos with chopsticks and fan themselves with delicate Chinese fans. The girls are even learning Cantonese and Mandarin. Julia, on the other hand, is the "odd one out." She identifies with her adopted family's heritage: half Italian, half Irish but  decides to throw in half Chinese. Julia's mother pushes her to camp telling her it's a great time to be closer to her sisters.

Told through a series of introspective journal entries, the reader will see Julia become more accepting of herself and the others as the book progresses. When the three "sisters"  find themselves as roommates in a cabin with super-competitive campers and competition stars Vanessa and Meredith and Vanessa's "sort of" cousin Gina,  they must learn to work together to win camp games. 

Spot-on tween dialog makes this read a winner! Julia's journal entries add to the action of each chapter and allow the readers to connect with Julia's inner thoughts.

The cover art is a thing of beauty. Right away, you know the book is about summer camp. The girls in three canoes, a bottle of suntan lotion, a captured butterfly in a jar, dirty knees, mosquito bites covered with band aids and the perfect serene blue of the water capture that lazy summer day on the lake. The cover is sheer bliss!

For all those kids who never got a chance to go to camp (like me!) Just Like Me is that summer story they will embrace.
Highly recommended grade 4-7. Cavanaugh just gets it right!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review. 
]

Tween Pick: Allie, First and Last

Allie, First and Last
by Angela Cervantes
Scholastic Press
2016
208 pages
ISBN: 9780545812238

Available March 29, 2016


Middle school student Allie Velasco is tired of being overshadowed. Everyone in her family is an over-achiever--her grandfather was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, her younger sister is the star of television commercials, her brother is a stellar soccer player and her older sister won  a national debate. Allie dreams of making her mark, of being the best or of being the first. She wants to prove to her family  that she, Allie, is good at something. She wants that first place  trophy or that blue ribbon. Allie spends so much time pining to be the best that she misses life happening around her.

When her science fair project goes awry, Allie is mad at another student who tried to help her. She is devastated when her family decides not to go to Allie's restaurant choice but  to instead go  an Italian restaurant to honor her sister's new commercial. Everyone is excited about Ava's success,--everyone but sister Adriana and Allie's grandfather who both come to her rescue. Readers will empathize with Allie who longs to be noticed as a success but feels only failure.

A new contest is announced in English class, and Allie is hoping to win. No one from Sendak has ever won the Trailblazer Award before, Allie realizes that if she were to win the award she would be the FIRST Sendak student to win. This makes it all the more important for Allie. Allie is concerned that her best friend Sarah is acting aloof. What is causing her best friend to act this way?

Middle school is a tough time--full of angst, full of questions, full of misgivings and full of misunderstandings. Allie learns a few lessons in her search for self achievement. Sometimes being the best or being the first isn't the most important thing. Sometimes the most important things are the people around you and the experience itself.

Recommended grade 5-up. This is a quick read with short chapters and 209 pages.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC  from the publisher.  I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Cupcake Pick: Winner Bakes All

Winner Bakes All
(The Cupcake Club series)
by Sheryl Berk and Carrie Berk
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
2013
136 pages

Fluffy with fondant, sweet with sugar, cute with cupcakes, Winner Bakes All is a big winner! The Cupcake Club girls of Peace, Love and Cupcakes are at it again and up to their elbows is flour and fondant.

Sadie is having trouble in math class but shines on the basketball court when she's not worried about her parents fighting or wondering whether they will end up divorced. The only thing that takes her mind off her troubles is baking cupcakes with friends Lexi, Kylie and Jenna. The girls need to grow their business and they come up with the perfect idea of Cupcake Points--which will work like a frequent shopper card. The more cupcake orders a person places, the more cupcakes she will earn as a reward.

They are enthusiastic until a huge snowstorm destroys the roof of the local bakery---where the owner always orders their latest creations. What will they do now? The girls send in a video to be contestants on Battle of the Bakers and are picked by the producers to compete. May the best cupcake win!

Readers who love a sweet story about cupcakes and competition will love Winner Bakes All. There are recipes for the cupcakes that Peace, Love and Cupcakes bakes and some helpful tips on how to hold a friendly cupcake challange of your own. Sprinkles, anyone?

Highly, higly recommended grades 4-up and for serious foodies and cupcake queens! If you haven't discovered this series, do yourself a favor and stock up on all the books. They are well worth it!

FTC Required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Girl Pick: Series: Canterwood Crest #12: Unfriendly Competition

Canterwood Crest #12: Unfriendly Competition
By Jessica Burkhart
Simon and Schuster 2011
178 pages

Blogger's Note: This is a guest review from my BFF and fellow reviewer and blogger Leslie Rush. Leslie is a high school teacher and avid ya reader, reviewer and blogger. This is her fourth book review.

“Tween” friendship drama, very light romance.

Sasha Silver continues her journey of boarding school drama and competitive horsemanship in book #12 of the Canterbrook Crest series. Sasha and her BFFs Brittany, Alison and “frenemy” Heather --apparently in a previous book there were some serious middle-school conflicts-- are preparing for the Huntington Classic, as members of the Youth Equestrian National Team (YENT).

In the very first chapter, the girls are whisked into the headmistress’s office, Someone is blogging about the school and its students, spreading rumors and lies as only 7th and 8th grade girls can do. It could be anyone--including Sasha’s former BFFs Paige and Callie. Or Julia, who is a friend and roommate but didn’t make the YENT.

The IP address for the blog has been traced to the girls’ dorm, and unless someone comes forward within two weeks‘ time, they will all be (OMG!) expelled.

Armed with designer clothes, Blackberry Messaging, the perfect teen boy crush, and the fav lip gloss flavors from Lip Smackers, Sasha and her BFF/ teammates try to figure out who is behind the nasty blog, and plan a birthday party for Heather.

Meanwhile, their trainer Mr. Connor has a frightening riding accident the week before the competition, which unnerves the whole team. Then Lauren, a new student and excellent rider from Sasha’s old school, shows up. Competition, perhaps?

Working through these conflicts and dramas teaches Sasha the value of loyalty and teamwork. Horse lovers and fans of the series will enjoy this book. Ages 9-13.

Note: The jacket synopsis is not a true picture of the story. The arrival of Lauren is not the focus of the book, as she shows up in the last 30 pages.

FTC Required disclaimer: I/We received no monetary compensation for this review. I received this book from the publisher.