Nerd Camp 2.0

April 15, 2014
The war between nerds and jocks is on in Weissman's follow-up to Nerd Camp (2011). The only thing geeky Gabe and sporty Zack have in common is the fact that they're stepbrothers. When a wildfire wreaks havoc on the woods that are the site of both brothers' summer camps, the sports camp is forced to share grounds with the scholastic camp across the lake. As temperatures rise, the two factions come to blows as only kids can, with name-calling and pranks flying back and forth with no end in sight. The author uses this conflict to teach a valuable lesson of understanding, seeming to aim for a Munich for preteens. Gabe and Zack make for generic protagonists; there's more interest to be found with the colorful supporting characters. There's so much time spent on the conflict, readers may wish there was more time spent just hanging out in the fun summer environment the author's built. The book's biggest weakness is the author's heavy hand, which gives thematic points to everything going on but stops just short of underlining and highlighting them. Obvious and preachy, this camp story is nothing worth writing home about. (Fiction. 9-12)

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July 1, 2014

Gr 6-9-Last summer was the best of Gabe's life. Not only did he meet his new stepbrother, Zack, but he also spent his first summer at the Summer Center for Gifted Enrichment, also known as Nerd Camp. At Summer Center, Gabe got to revel in all things nerdy without having to worry about being mocked for being "uncool." In fact, he had such a great time, that he decided to convince Zack that he should go to nearby Camp Seneca, where Zack could spend his summer playing sports and music. A week before summer camp begins, a forest fire in the region forces Camp Seneca to close, relocating those campers to Summer Center. While both boys are excited to start camp, Zack is concerned about what the other Seneca kids will think of him because he has a brother at Nerd Camp. Gabe is worried about Zack seeing him partaking in so many nerdy activities. Over the next few weeks, these fears serve as a backdrop between the fight for dominance between Summer Center and Camp Seneca, causing both characters to wonder if things can get better before the summer ends. Continuing where Nerd Camp (S. & S./Atheneum, 2011) left off, this is a good-natured summer camp tale, that calls to mind movies like Heavy Weights.-Ryan F. Paulsen, New Rochelle High School, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

m1lk3y_w4y - Nerd Camp 2.0 is about two step-brothers, but are the exact opposite of each other. Zack, is the popular kid at school, athletic, and that cool kid who everyone looks up to. Gabe, on the other hand, is part of the nerd squad. He has nerdy written all over him, from his dinosaur underwear to his headgear he wears to sleep. Zack has grown to dislike Gabe due to how nerdy he is, but Gabe has grown to love his step brother and lookup to him. This will all change. These two step-brothers are off to different summer camps, but Zack's summer camp burns down and the two camps must share the Summer Center for Gifted Enrichment campgrounds. Gabe and his athletic friends bully Gabe and his nerd squad, and the two fight throughout the whole summer trying to show who's best. In the ends, the two step-brothers are know at peace and love each other. This was a great book and I recommend this to anyone.

June 1, 2014
Grades 3-6 This worthy sequel picks up almost a year after Nerd Camp (2011) left off. This time, Gabe and his stepbrother Zack are both going to summer camp. The twist is that Zack's sporty camp has to share space with Gabe's proudly nerdy one. Weissman tells their stories in alternating chapters, showing each boy's strengths and insecurities. The plot follows the rather heated culture clash of these two camps, with Gabe trying to use his two classes (one on research methods, the other on heroism) to make his own camp mates happier, and with Zack mostly avoiding the battle. Weissman's dialogue is particularly entertaining in the back-and-forth between Gabe and his sweet and brainy bunkmates.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)