CAMP FAMOUS

Abigail Herman spends a lot of time trying to figure out the mysterious rules of fifth grade friendship.

Everyone knows that you should tuck in your shirt before doing a cartwheel. Everyone, that is, except 11-year-old Abby. Just like she doesn’t know the words to the latest songs or the names of the characters on the popular TV shows her mom won’t let her watch. She thinks a fresh start at summer camp might be the answer to her friendship problems, and she has her sights set on Camp Longatocket, which her old babysitter reminisced about. But when her teacher, Ms. McIntyre, arranges for Abby to go to a camp run by her brother, it’s someplace completely different: Camp Famous, where the high-profile campers include a princess and a pop star. Being the only nonfamous kid makes her feel like an outsider, so Abby pretends to be a bestselling author to fit in. She can only be her true self when she’s writing in her fuzzy, green, sequined notebook and when she’s spending time with Oliver Frank, her classmate and fellow camper who promises to keep her secret—and has one of his own. This plot-driven, upbeat novel will have readers relating to Abby’s awkwardness while enjoying the fanciful situation in which she finds herself. At its heart, it’s a sweet story of friendship, being true to yourself, and finding common ground. Most characters default to White.

A quirky and fun summer read.