Monster Camp

March 1, 2023
What's the perfect getaway for an aspiring vampire? Sylvie Shaw loves to role-play as a monster: a vampire, to be exact. Founder of Evermore Middle School's Monster LARPing Club, she loves watching the creepy old-school shows and movies that are a connection to her late mom, but her dad wants her to spend time with other people. Her summer hits a speed bump on the very first day when Dustin, the only other club member, is a no-show for their planned park LARP, and cocky jock Fisher, the bane of her sixth grade existence, appears to torment her. Things go from bad to worse when Dad provides a handful of brochures for possible summer camps but forbids her favorite, Monster Camp. Not to be thwarted, the determined Sylvie hatches a daring and devilish plan to infiltrate her wicked wonderland, which is adjacent to a survival skills camp. This is just the prelude to Sylvie the wannabe vampire's delightfully odd odyssey. She joins a pantheon of ghoulish campers, including werewolf Chad, Frankenstein's monster, an invisible boy, and a Yeti. Sylvie's initial joy--"These are my people"--turns to paranoia and fear as she imagines her exposure as a fraud and punishment at the claws of the camp denizens. With time, Sylvie settles in, and her ardor is rewarded. Henning's clever premise allows her to explore a panorama of monsters, and her brisk, lively style deftly balances both frights and humor. Sylvie is cued White. A mirthful monster mashup. (Fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 20, 2023
The founder of Evermore Middle School’s Monster LARPing Club, 11-year-old Sylvie Shaw loves to embrace her inner monster, constantly role-playing as a vampire to remain connected to her late horror-fan mother. Glad to have Sylvie interacting with others instead of constantly watching monster flicks, her father plans to send her to summer camp but forbids Monster Camp, which promises a full week of fully immersive monster role-playing. Finding a way to attend via a nearby survival skills camp, Sylvie doesn’t take long to discover that Monster Camp isn’t for would-be monsters, but for real ones—ghosts, werewolves, witches, vampires, and more—and that she must somehow prevent anyone from realizing she’s a human in their midst. What starts out as worrisome eventually becomes fun, but how can Sylvie remain true to the camp’s motto of “be kind and be yourself” when she’s misleading others? Via an eerie but endearing summer camp setting, this middle grade debut from Henning (It’s All in How You Fall) considers the cost of intolerance and what it means to belong, as seen through the eyes of a resourceful protagonist trying to find herself and her people. Sylvie cues as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Whitney Ross, Irene Goodman Literary.

April 15, 2023
Grades 4-7 Sylvie loves LARPing as a vampire. It's a way for her to feel connected to her mother, who loved all things monster. This summer, her father wants her to attend a summer camp where she can have some "real" experiences, and when Sylvie chooses a monster LARPing camp, her dad quickly shuts her down. With some sly trickery, she plans to sneak her way into the monster camp anyway, telling her dad she will be attending the camp next door. Upon arrival, Sylvie is amazed to see everyone in elaborate costumes--but soon she starts to get the feeling that she's not at an ordinary camp. It's time to put her LARPing skills to the test if she wants to go undetected for a whole week among real monsters. Henning has written a fun story that touches on topics of bullying, friendships, and self-expression. Readers who are knowledgeable about LARPing as well as those interested in campy horror will enjoy this title.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.