Camp Dork

March 15, 2016
Most of the titular gang from Pack of Dorks (2014) is off to spend two weeks at seriously-roughing-it-style Camp Paleo. Sadly, Lucy's not-a-boyfriend, Sam, is going to gymnastics camp instead. That's just the beginning of the bad news. Camp Paleo is hot, buggy, and fraught with emotional peril, as her friends behave in strange, inexplicable new ways. Most troubling is how April, previously, well, dorky, has now entirely "reinvented" herself and also has firmly bonded with the very annoying and unpleasant Kira. As feisty Lucy attempts to steer her friends into what she sees as the right directions for each, every matchmaking strategy backfires until she's alienated almost every camper she cares about. Just as problematic is the fact that valuable personal possessions are going missing, and other campers are starting to think Lucy might be the thief. With good humor, Vrabel explores the pitfalls of emerging preteenhood. Not everyone gets there at the same time, leading to endless potential for humiliation, embarrassment, and, in the case of Sam and Lucy, awkwardness. Although not as clever and satisfying as the dorks' multilayered first outing, this quick read nonetheless effectively delves into interpersonal pitfalls that will be familiar to most older grade schoolers, and Lucy's developing insight may even provide a few hints for staying on the right path. Honest, funny, and entertaining. (Fiction. 8-12)

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July 1, 2016

Gr 3-7-Lucy and her pack of friends are back. It's the summer after fourth grade, and Sheldon convinces the whole group to attend two-week Camp Paleo, where they can dig fossils and live like cavemen. At the last minute, Lucy's not-a-boyfriend Sam backs out for another opportunity, but Lucy, April, Amanda, and Sheldon still go. Lucy's grandma also comes along as a cook for a neighboring camp. Camp Paleo is full of classic summer camp experiences: mosquito bites, snoring bunkmates, soggy mountain pies, and the opportunity for young people to experiment with who they are outside of the expectations of everyday friends and family. Lucy is uncomfortable seeing her reliable friends in a new way. This mounting awkwardness adds to her discomfort at the camp. A spark between the grouchy camp director and Lucy's grandma gives Lucy the idea that she needs to pair everyone off to make them happy. Of course, none of her plans pan out and her meddling results in her becoming further alienated. To put everyone further on edge, a thief is stealing valuables from the campers and a secret blogger is posting an advice column and gossip about camp goings-on. This book wanders a bit more than its predecessor but shares its strengths. Vrabel has a rare talent for expressing the tenderness, frustration, awkwardness, confusion, and fun of growing up. VERDICT In Vrabel's capable hands, the ups and downs of adolescence shine through with authenticity and humor.-Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK

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