From: Monica Edinger <monicaedinger>
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 08:51:59 -0400

Many of my 4th graders come into my classroom in September having just spent their very first summer at sleepaway camp. Reunions, planning for the next summer, and staying in touch with camp friends keep them eagerly talking and writing about this experience all year long.

Oddly though, I can't think of many books for children this age that really capture what camp is for them. One older book that still works for them today is E. B. White's TRUMPET OF THE SWAN. Another I loved as a child, but have no idea if it would appeal today is Erich Kastner's LOTTIE AND LISA (on which "The Parent Trap" movies are based).

As for more recent books, I'm a bit stymied. There are the wonderful Percy Jackson books, but while Riordan does cleverly rework the standard summer camp tropes, I'd say that isn't really what attracts readers to them. There is the Klises' LETTERS FROM CAMP and the really-not-for-them-but-some-of-them-read-them-anyway SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS series. I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of them right now at all.

And another aspect of summer for many children is visiting-the-relatives. One of my favorites on this is Christopher Paul Curtis's THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM-1963. Another is Hilary McKay's THE EXILES. Hmm... Granny Sands and Big Grandma together --- now there's a picture!

Monica

Monica Edinger The Dalton School New York NY edinger at dalton.org monicaedinger at gmail.com
Received on Mon 10 Jul 2006 07:51:59 AM CDT