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
MY REVIEW:
I want to head to camp and meet these kids. This an amazing book! Filled with heart, fun, sun and camp shenanigans. Davidowitz has brilliantly captured the emotions that arise and interpersonal relationships that develop while at camp. Any kid would love to open this book and head to Camp Rolling Hills. Whether they have attended camp or not they will laugh, feel and maybe learn a few new ways to interact with other kids. This is the first book in a series that will surly become a favorite for you and your kids... 5 stars
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.
"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
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.
"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
MY REVIEW:
All the brilliance of the the first book in the series, Camp Rollings Hills, with new issues, new shenanigans and plenty of laughs. A wonderful story about dealing with friendship as people change and trying to find common ground with those friends. It is about solving problems and embracing who you are. There is heart, friendship and love wrapped up in a story that will capture your attention, as well as your kids. You will wish you went to camp or you will reminisce about your time at camp. If nothing else you will have a great time visiting Camp Rolling Hills. 5 huge stars
Stacy is an author, playwright, and screenwriter. AUTHOR: Stacy's middle grade novel series Camp Rolling Hills is launching with Camp Rolling Hills and Crossing Over, published by Abrams Books - Amulet. Her children's book Here Goes Everything: A play! A novel! A plovel! with co-author Elissa Brent Weissman was announced a Katherine Paterson Prize Finalist. PLAYWRIGHT: Stacy has had work developed and produced in New York City, Chicago, Boston, Portland, Los Angeles, and London. PINK!, published by Broadway Play Publishing and Indie Theater Now, was a 2009 Lark Play Development Center Playwrights' Week Finalist and received seven New York Innovative Theatre Nominations, including Outstanding Full Length Script, for its production by Down Payment Productions at the WorkShop Theater, NYC. PINK! received a second production through Portland Theater Collaborative, Maine in June 2012, and her screenplay version was under option as an independent feature film. Stacy's full-length play THE RUBBER ROOM, published by Indie Theater Now and workshopped at Soho Repertory (Down Payment Productions), was showcased through the Old Vic New Voices TS Eliot US/UK Exchange at The Old Vic in London, July 2012. It was also developed by Naked Angels as part of their 1st Mondays. Her full-length SACRED WATER was produced by Rag and Bone Theater Company at Alchemical Theater Lab, Spring 2013 and is also published by Indie Theater Now. Her most recent full-length MIRACLE VILLAGE is in development with Naked Angels, Roving Roots, Indie Theater Now @ Stage Left, and Rag and Bone. It was a 2014 Shakespeare's Sister Semifinalist and a 2015 Leah Ryan Fund for Emerging Women Writers Finalist. Her piece Run. Run. Stop. was produced as part of the 36th Annual Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival in July 2011 as well as at Williamstown Theater Festival in July 2013 and is now published by Indie Theater Now in JOIN THE CIRCUS, a collection of her short plays. Stacy's NYC musicals include HANK & GRETCHEN (children's musical published by YouthPLAYS and produced nation-wide), CAMP ROLLING HILLS (published by Steele Spring Stage Rights, NYMF's Next Link Finalist), and Stage 4: Jeopardy! (NYMF's 8Minute Musicals). Stacy was the "Writer-at-Large" for the Columbia University MFA Actors Thesis, JOAN: VOICES IN THE FIRE, directed by Kristin Linklater which was next seen at The Guthrie. She is a resident playwright for The Flea Theater's #serials (Talk to Moi, Amer-i-cah!, Real Housewives of Sector Seven), New York Madness, and Amios Theater Company's monthly Shotz play series. SCREENWRITER: Stacy's indie feature IN THE RUBBER ROOM is in production with All The Way Around Productions. Stacy is a graduate of British American Drama Academy; BS, Tufts University; MFA in Acting, Columbia University. www.StacyDavidowitz.com - www.camprollinghills.com
Stacy is an author, playwright, and screenwriter. AUTHOR: Stacy's middle grade novel series Camp Rolling Hills is launching with Camp Rolling Hills and Crossing Over, published by Abrams Books - Amulet. Her children's book Here Goes Everything: A play! A novel! A plovel! with co-author Elissa Brent Weissman was announced a Katherine Paterson Prize Finalist. PLAYWRIGHT: Stacy has had work developed and produced in New York City, Chicago, Boston, Portland, Los Angeles, and London. PINK!, published by Broadway Play Publishing and Indie Theater Now, was a 2009 Lark Play Development Center Playwrights' Week Finalist and received seven New York Innovative Theatre Nominations, including Outstanding Full Length Script, for its production by Down Payment Productions at the WorkShop Theater, NYC. PINK! received a second production through Portland Theater Collaborative, Maine in June 2012, and her screenplay version was under option as an independent feature film. Stacy's full-length play THE RUBBER ROOM, published by Indie Theater Now and workshopped at Soho Repertory (Down Payment Productions), was showcased through the Old Vic New Voices TS Eliot US/UK Exchange at The Old Vic in London, July 2012. It was also developed by Naked Angels as part of their 1st Mondays. Her full-length SACRED WATER was produced by Rag and Bone Theater Company at Alchemical Theater Lab, Spring 2013 and is also published by Indie Theater Now. Her most recent full-length MIRACLE VILLAGE is in development with Naked Angels, Roving Roots, Indie Theater Now @ Stage Left, and Rag and Bone. It was a 2014 Shakespeare's Sister Semifinalist and a 2015 Leah Ryan Fund for Emerging Women Writers Finalist. Her piece Run. Run. Stop. was produced as part of the 36th Annual Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival in July 2011 as well as at Williamstown Theater Festival in July 2013 and is now published by Indie Theater Now in JOIN THE CIRCUS, a collection of her short plays. Stacy's NYC musicals include HANK & GRETCHEN (children's musical published by YouthPLAYS and produced nation-wide), CAMP ROLLING HILLS (published by Steele Spring Stage Rights, NYMF's Next Link Finalist), and Stage 4: Jeopardy! (NYMF's 8Minute Musicals). Stacy was the "Writer-at-Large" for the Columbia University MFA Actors Thesis, JOAN: VOICES IN THE FIRE, directed by Kristin Linklater which was next seen at The Guthrie. She is a resident playwright for The Flea Theater's #serials (Talk to Moi, Amer-i-cah!, Real Housewives of Sector Seven), New York Madness, and Amios Theater Company's monthly Shotz play series. SCREENWRITER: Stacy's indie feature IN THE RUBBER ROOM is in production with All The Way Around Productions. Stacy is a graduate of British American Drama Academy; BS, Tufts University; MFA in Acting, Columbia University. www.StacyDavidowitz.com - www.camprollinghills.com
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.
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