Camp Rolling Hills: First Base

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.