Here are some book recommendations for kids to start thinking and preparing for their days of summer fun.
Summer Camp Critter Jitters
by Jory John and illustrated by Liz Climo
Some familiar faces and some new ones meet up at summer camp . . . and they all feel nervous! There’s a duck afraid everyone will find out he can’t swim, a bear afraid of noises in the woods, and a sloth who worries he’ll have to catch his own lunch. But can they get over their nerves to have some fun and make new friends?
Froggy Goes to Camp
by Jonathan London and illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
Froggy’s packs a lot into one week: archery lessons, food fights, and scary stories around the campfire. But only Froggy could also manage to lose his trunks during swim class and overturn his kayak with the camp director in it. Froggy will keep his fans laughing with his latest antics.
Sam and Charlie (and Sam Too) at Camp!
by Leslie Kimmelman and illustrated by William Owl
Best friends Sam and Charlie are headed to sleepaway camp for the first time. Each day brings something new―from swimming and nature hikes to camp songs and more. At camp, Sam and Charlie learn the importance of shomrei adamah, taking care of the earth, and taking care of friendships, new and old.
Camp Rolling Hills: Book Two: Crossing Over
by Stacy Davidowitz
There’s only one thing Melman loves more than soccer: her summers at Camp Rolling Hills. So she’s pumped to be back—until she realizes her bunkmates have gone totally boy-crazy over the school year and plastered their cabin in pink. Pink posters, pink t-shirts…it seems that the only not-pink thing in the cabin is Melman herself. That is, until she’s given a dare in front of the entire camp: wear a pink princess dress. For Three. Whole. Days.
Camp Famous
by Jennifer Blecher
Eleven-year-old Abby Herman is beyond excited that her parents are letting her go to summer camp for the first time ever. She’s not going to just any summer camp, she’s going to Camp Famous, the one exclusively for famous kids escaping the spotlight. Desperate to fit in with the pop stars, princesses, and geniuses, Abby creates a fake identity as a famous author. But as camp comes to a close, Abby finds herself torn between who she has pretended to be and who she truly is.
The Night Before Summer Camp
by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Mindy Pierce
The first day of summer camp is almost here, and one little camper doesn’t know what to expect. For a while everything is hunkydory . . . until rest time rolls around and he gets a bad case of nervous butterflies. But an unlikely friend appears out of the crowd and reassures him that the best cure for the summertime blues is tons of summertime fun.
Spy Camp
by Stuart Gibbs
Ben Ripley is a middle schooler whose school is not exactly average—he’s spent the last year training to be a top-level spy and dodging all sorts of associated danger. So now that summer’s finally here, Ben would like to have some fun and relax. But that’s not going to happen during required spy survival training at a rustic wilderness camp.
Summer Camp Academy
by C.K. Bushnell
Join Noah and his bunkmates, the River Otters, as they search for the answers to many, many questions and many more such as What’s in the Mysterious Woods? What is the chunky stuff the camp serves in the Dining Hall? Why is there a mean bunk called the Gray Wolves?
Away
by Emil Sher and illustrated by Qin Leng
A little girl’s fears about leaving home for the first time, and the need to stay close with her Mom through handwritten notes becomes even more important. As the camp departure date gets closer, Mom does her best to soothe her daughter’s nerves. A visit from her grandmother helps to calm her fears and convince her that she’ll have a good time, even away from her mother and beloved cat. Camp ends up being a wonderful adventure — but nothing is sweeter than a back-at-home reunion.
Tacky Goes to Camp
by Helen Lester and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Tacky and his fellow penguins are off to summer camp in Nice Icy Land to enjoy themselves while Rock Hopping, Line Dancing, and playing Capture the Ice Cube. One night, they gather around the campfire to sing, eat s’mores, and tell scary stories. But after going to bed, something straight out of one of their scary stories pays the sleeping penguins a visit.