The weather is finally warming up and summer is right around the corner, which means it is almost time to travel to the best place on earth: CAMP ROLLING HILLS!
CAMP ROLLING HILLS by Stacy Davidowitz (Amulet Paperbacks; May 2016; $8.95) and CAMPROLLING HILLS BOOK 2: Crossing over (Amulet Paperbacks’ May 2016; $8.95), the first two books in the laugh-out-loud series that captures everything that is perfect about summer and the years before you are a teenager. Our reviews will be coming in July, so stay tuned!!!
A hilarious and heartfelt series about the particular magic of summer camp—a place where reinvention is possible and friends are like family—from a sparkling debut talent.
Finally, it's summer! Stephanie—aka Slimey—has been counting the days until she can return to her favorite place in the entire world, Camp Rolling Hills. And this year she's especially happy to be back—she'll have eight blissful weeks away from home, where life has been decidedly rocky.
New kid Bobby, on the other hand, is pretty sure he's in for the worst summer of his life. He doesnot understand his weirdo cabinmates, the group singing, and the unfortunate nicknames (including his: Smelly). But he does understand Slimey, and the two soon fall in crush. This summer might not be so bad after all!
But then a fight sets off an epic, campwide, girls-versus-boys prank war. Bunks are raided! Boxer shorts are stolen! And it's up to Slimey and Smelly to keep the peace.
"Camp Rolling Hills is funny and sweet. It brought me back to those amazing summer camp summers and my very first taste of young adulthood." --Michael Showalter, co-writer of Wet Hot American Summer
"Stacy Davidowitz gets the magic of camp and the wonder of being twelve just right. Camp Rolling Hills is both heartwarming and laugh-out-loud hilarious." --Elissa Brent Weissman, author of Nerd Camp
Finally, it's summer! Stephanie—aka Slimey—has been counting the days until she can return to her favorite place in the entire world, Camp Rolling Hills. And this year she's especially happy to be back—she'll have eight blissful weeks away from home, where life has been decidedly rocky.
New kid Bobby, on the other hand, is pretty sure he's in for the worst summer of his life. He doesnot understand his weirdo cabinmates, the group singing, and the unfortunate nicknames (including his: Smelly). But he does understand Slimey, and the two soon fall in crush. This summer might not be so bad after all!
But then a fight sets off an epic, campwide, girls-versus-boys prank war. Bunks are raided! Boxer shorts are stolen! And it's up to Slimey and Smelly to keep the peace.
"Camp Rolling Hills is funny and sweet. It brought me back to those amazing summer camp summers and my very first taste of young adulthood." --Michael Showalter, co-writer of Wet Hot American Summer
"Stacy Davidowitz gets the magic of camp and the wonder of being twelve just right. Camp Rolling Hills is both heartwarming and laugh-out-loud hilarious." --Elissa Brent Weissman, author of Nerd Camp
A hilarious and heartfelt series about the particular magic of summer camp—a place where reinvention is possible and friends are like family—from a sparkling debut talent.
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.
Steinberg's summer gets off to a rough start, too, when his robot (usually his area of expertise) blows up during a camp-wide robotics contest. Steinberg might feel like a loser at home, but camp's supposed to be his place to shine.
Steinberg without robots? Melman in pink? This whole summer feels turned upside down! To set things right, Steinberg and Melman team up and hatch a fail-proof plan. The plan's secret ingredient? Hamburgers.
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.
Steinberg's summer gets off to a rough start, too, when his robot (usually his area of expertise) blows up during a camp-wide robotics contest. Steinberg might feel like a loser at home, but camp's supposed to be his place to shine.
Steinberg without robots? Melman in pink? This whole summer feels turned upside down! To set things right, Steinberg and Melman team up and hatch a fail-proof plan. The plan's secret ingredient? Hamburgers.
Additional praise for CAMP ROLLING HILLS
“The book celebrates summer camp as a safe place for children to reinvent themselves, to experiment and be more daring than they might otherwise be.” – Kirkus
“Light summer read for the middle school set, especially those who enjoy summer camp stories with a touch of puppy love romance”— School Library Journal
Young readers will want to devour books 1 and 2 in this quirky, laugh out loud series if they’re on the bus to summer camp, bored at home, or on a family vacation because where there is camp there are prank wars, smores, and the beginnings of lifelong friendship.
Camp Expert Stacy Davidowitz playwright, screenwriter, and author based in Manhattan. Stacy also teaches theater and creative writing in the New York City public and private schools. Her camp alma mater is Tyler Hill Camp, where she attended as a camper, counselor, and head staff. Check her out on twitter @CampRHBooks.
Q. What inspires your writing?
A. I’m inspired by every day stuff. A lot of my friends laugh when they read my books and plays because pieces of our lives, conversations, jokes, etc. seem to make it in. I am also inspired by my students who are so brilliant and passionate!
Q. What is your favorite thing about being a writer?
A. Having a blast with my characters! Every day it’s a party in my head.
Q. What is the toughest part of being a writer?
A. Getting rejections or anticipating rejections or waiting for rejections. Just. Rejections. Also, getting notes for a revision is really scary. My knees literally buckle and it takes me a few hours to think/digest/breathe! Once I start to tackle the revisions, it’s not so bad. It’s great actually, because the work gets so much stronger.
Q. If you could not be a writer, what would you do/be?
A. I already wear so many hats (everything from a teaching artist to a Bat Mitzvah MC)! But if I had to throw myself whole-heartedly into something other than writing it would be acting again. I actually got my MFA in Acting and do miss it—but there are just so many hours in a day!
Q. What would the story of your life be entitled?
A. I think it would be called Join the Circus, which is actually the title of my compilation of short plays published by Indie Theater Now. That, or it would just be a series of exclamation points.
Q. What is your favorite book of all time?
A. Wonder by RJ Palacio. I think I cried reading every single page.
Q. Which character from ANY book are you most like?
A. Oh man! What a question. I polled my students for this one.
Katera said: “Taylor from the Michael Vey series. She’s fun and uplifting and fights crime pretty good, like you, Miss Stacy!”
Haidee said: “Lydia Small from Bad Girls Don’t Die. Because she’s an actress. Actually nevermind.”
Zola said: “Colette from Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer because she’s smart and sees visions.”
So, there you go.
Q. What character from all of your book are you most like?
A. Melman! (With a little bit of Slimey and a little bit of Play Dough.)
Q. Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?
A. The Summertime Girls by Laura Hankin. So much friendship and all the feels.
Q. What is your favorite season?
A. Summer, baby! But fall is a close second.
Q. What inspired your book cover(s)? Or what is your favorite book cover and why?
A. I actually had no part in designing the book covers, but designer Pamela Notarantonio and illustrator Melissa Manwill did such an awesome job! I don’t think I can choose favorites between the two of them—they’re both so pretty! Be sure to check out the back covers too where Smelly and Steinberg live. Also so adorable.
Q. Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.
A. In an interview for Summer 365, I mentioned my favorite camp tradition: The Watermelon Sacrifice. After that, the director of Tyler Hill Camp up until 2005 got in touch. He wanted to let me experience the tradition as an adult. He mailed me a series of photos of the ceremony and a watermelon rind to wear on my head. The whole thing was so amazing and funny. You can read the full story on my Camp Rolling Hills blog here: http://www.camprollinghills.com/book-news
Q. Are you working on something new?
A. Always! I’m working on a dark young adult novel titled Leper. Also, I’m co-writing a musical called One Day that’s produced by Big Block Entertainment, the producers of Rock of Ages. It’s inspired by teenage diary entries.
Q. Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?
A. Hello! Keep doing you. Thanks for reading and for loving books! They love you back, as I’m sure you know.
BUY THE BOOKS:
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love comments, so please leave some! If you are a new follower and have a blog yourself please let me know so I can follow you back! Have a great day!
Emily, AKA Mrs. Mommy Booknerd