Item - Summer Camp

This is a fun little book. Its simplicity allows it to tell several adequately-developed stories in a very small amount of space, and all the essential elements of summer camp are here: a couple of different sports, creepy rumors about a hermit in the woods, a variety of exciting trips and, of course, bad food. Kids should like the adventure, and older readers should appreciate the nostalgia.

More reviews by Demian

Known more as editor than author, Judy Gitenstein only wrote one book in the Choose Your Own Adventure franchise, but Summer Camp is rather good. You've never been away from home, but this summer you'll spend two months at camp. On the bus ride there you meet a girl named Terry who offers to show you around camp, and upon arrival you find out you and Terry have been assigned to sleep in Cabin Six. Do you go to your cabin right away or explore the grounds with Terry first?

You like B.J. and Laura, the other two girls in Cabin Six. That evening Ed, the head counselor, announces that every kid in camp will choose one of three special trips to commit to, but which appeals to you? A mountain climb is fun and challenging, but you could wind up lost. Pick the horseback ride instead, and there are two horses available to you: a gentle, unexciting one named Butterscotch and a firebrand called Cannonball. Either one will take you on a memorable jaunt. Choose the downriver canoe trip instead, and you'll be paddling with a boy named Bobby. The going gets nasty when your canoe hits rapids, but will you bail out at the moment of truth or buckle down and face fear? You've never had fun like this year at camp.

What if at the book's first decision, you had Terry give you a tour of camp before heading to Cabin Six? The grounds seem normal if you ignore rumors of a hermit in a cave beyond the forest line. You and Terry spot groups of kids playing sports; join the softball game and you have a choice of two positions. Being catcher leads to a swift end, but accept the shortstop role and you make a big play to preserve the win. You and Terry become excellent friends after that, but when David and Steve from the boys' cabin dare you to look for the hermit in the woods, will you take the bait? Playing along is no guarantee of a pleasant outcome. If you did archery instead of softball, the story is short but with a positive ending full of amusing illustrations.

Leaving home for the first time is stressful, but Summer Camp paints an encouraging picture. You have loyal, affable Terry from the start, and the variety of adventures is impressive for a book this slim. Most storylines don't immediately fizzle out, either. I'm usually not a fan of Ted Enik's, especially the way he draws faces, but he adds some lovely outdoor illustrations that enhance this book. Summer Camp is in the upper half of the Bantam Skylark Choose Your Own Adventure series.

More reviews by KenJenningsJeopardy74