Zack's Story

Gr 2–4—This easy chapter book is a sweet story about friendship, confidence, and problem-solving. Having prepared himself for his first camp experience by reading the ultimate guidebook, Zack quickly makes friends with the other boys. However, he soon makes a mistake that causes his whole bunk to get sprayed by a skunk. Needless to say, the boys turn against him, holding him responsible for their tomato-juice-covered clothes. He eventually makes up with most of them, but soon they are faced with a life-threatening challenge, and Zack finds himself hesitant to act for fear of failing again. Young readers will be drawn to Zack as he negotiates his way through a new environment. The book has some fun back matter, including an essay on camp, information about animal tracking, and glow-in-the-dark animal-tracking cards.—Kerry Roeder, Professional Children's School, New York City