Library Camps

Summer camp means lots of things: new friends, roommates, bug bites, bathroom duty. But it's also a chance to be on your own and to reinvent yourself. A shy girl can become the belle of the ball, and a jock might find new competition. Natalie, Jenna, Grace, and Alex have all found themselves at Camp Lakeview for different reasons. And each is keeping a secret. But if everyone is hiding something, how will they ever become friends?

Just 75 years ago, the American government did something that most would consider unthinkable today: It rounded up over 100,000 of its own citizens based on nothing more than their ancestry and, suspicious of their loyalty, kept them in concentration camps for the better part of four years. How could this have happened? Uprooted takes a close look at the history of racism in America and carefully follows the treacherous path that led one of our nation's most beloved presidents to make this decision.

It’s summertime in Smithville, and camping in the great outdoors with his BFF Tate is Ghostie’s idea of a dream come true. But when their summer camp counselor gathers everyone around the campfire for scary ghost stories, he makes everybody—including Tate—afraid of GHOSTS! To make matters worse, Ghostie’s parents get called on to run the camp after the counselor catches the flu.

Funny and talented, Grace Matthews is everyone's friend. But when the girls in bunk 3C pair off, Grace realizes she's the only one without a best friend. Soon, Grace starts hanging out with Kerri, a girl from a rival bunk, who starts bullying Grace and those around her. Will Grace have the courage to stand up for herself - even if it means standing on her own?

It’s the camp reunion, and everyone from Bunk 3C is going to NYC for the weekend! And with the girls planning a big surprise for one of their bunkmates, it’s sure to be just like old times. But when everyone meets up, it’s obvious that things have changed - the bunk has split up into different cliques! Bunk 3C was always the most fun when everyone got along, but can the girls fix everything before it’s time to leave one another again?

Meet Kevin Pugh, 12-year-old couch potato. Now meet Cromwell, his part beagle, part potato chip dog. Kevin’s looking forward to spending his summer doing as little as possible. Unfortunately, Kevin’s father, former Chicago Bears star player/super-sports fanatic, Howie Pugh, feels differently. So does Cromwell, who has suddenly and mysteriously developed a fascination with agility competitions: Running up seesaws, leaping over hurdles, soaring through hoops (sometimes).

Priya Shah is Camp Lakeview’s resident tomboy - her BFF in the whole world is Jordan: a BOY, but they are just friends. The girls in bunk 4C aren’t buying it, though. Priya’s used to the teasing and thinks she can take it. But during the fourth-division field trip to D.C. she realizes she’s never been more wrong. And when Jordan starts going out with another girl on the trip, Priya must get in touch with her true feelings before it’s too late.

Eduardo F. Calcines was a child of Fidel Castros Cuba; he was just three years old when Castro came to power in January 1959. After that, everything changed for his family and his country. When he was 10, his family applied for an exit visa to emigrate to America and he was ridiculed by his schoolmates and even his teachers for being a traitor to his country. But even worse, his father was sent to an agricultural reform camp to do hard labor as punishment for daring to want to leave Cuba.

Summer vacations are great—and they’re even better when they include camping with Nana! Nana is great at hiking, campfire cooking, and making new friends. She encourages slowing down to enjoy nature’s wonders, learning new skills, and watching out for the discoveries that await outside everyday routines. Most of all, Nana is great at making treasured memories that will last a lifetime.

Eleven-year-olds Tripti Kapoor, a feisty "word nerd" from Massachusetts, and Sam Cohen, a shy, imaginative, budding geologist from California, are both miserable at Camp Dilloway, a summer camp in upstate New York. On the last night of camp, they follow a shooting star to a quiet creek. There they find two silvery rocks glowing in the night. They each take one home, and their long-distance friendship begins. It's soon clear that these are no ordinary rocks. They seem to move on their own, get strangely hot, and even take over Tripti and Sam's thoughts!

Simon is the coolest teacher anywhere. Forest Alternative is lucky to have him. When Stacy, a new kid with secrets, gleaming hair and a tongue ring, arrives she sizes up Simon and agrees, adding: "He is a total babe."

A famous Hollywood director comes to the Brookline Movie House to run a special New York Film Academy film camp, and Maeve couldn't be more excited - especially when she finds out this director is bringing her dreamy actor son! But Maeve's quest for the spotlight is interrupted by Madeline, the beautiful, talented, and ultra-rich daughter of the famous Krupcake King. She wants to star in the movie, too.

When Natalie’s dad is nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, she flies to L.A. for the week, where she plans to hang out with Tori and take her to the Oscars. But when Natalie hits it off with Tori’s friend Reed, Tori feels left out and picks a giant fight, which culminates in Natalie rescinding Tori’s invitation to the Oscars and giving it to Reed instead. Cut to: Natalie and Tori and their tearful reconciliation. Unfortunately, the only way for Natalie to really enjoy this happily ever-after ending is to find a replacement ticket to the Oscars!

Gaby’s had it with “The Chelsea Show”. So she embarks on her own attention-seeking campaign, and claims the boy on a Survivor-type TV program for teens is her brother. At first this seems like the perfect get-popular-quick scheme. That is, until the boy wins the competition and is awarded the grand prize: a trip to Australia, leaving immediately... WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY! Forget popularity - unless Gaby figures out a way to convince her bunkmates that she’s on the next flight out to Australia, she’ll never be able to show her face at Lakeview again.

The first thing Agnes and her best friend, Prejean, learn at science camp is that they won't be sharing the same cabin. Being apart gives Agnes a different perspective, and a few worries, about what others think of her longtime friend. Everyone seems to be going on and on about how beautiful Prejean is. A beauty queen? What if Prejean starts acting like one? Soil studies, camp pranks, and a weird bunkmate all play a role in this funny, insightful story of the everyday casualties and payoffs of growing up.

Alyssa finds an amethyst, a stone believed to aid in psychic awareness. Suddenly she's interpreting dreams and making predictions, all with 100 percent accuracy. While half the camp girls are believers, the other half are skeptics, attributing the gem's track record to coincidence. Not that Alyssa cares what anyone thinks. In fact, she's so attached to the amethyst, she names it Amy. But when a prediction causes the bunk to miss a Phillies game - where Justin Timberlake sings - even the believers cross over to the dark side.

The girls go on an overnight and share horror stories around the campfire. But it’s the one about Cropsy, the creepy old man who lives just outside the campgrounds and is known for torturing Lakeview campers, that hits closest to home. Especially when Chelsea leaves the group for a bathroom break in the woods and doesn’t return after 45 minutes. No sooner do her bunkmates go after her then do they realize they’ve completely lost their way and are now at the mercy of the evil Cropsy’s whims!

Brynn’s just transferred to a brand-new school in a town close by. A town in Bizarro World, that is, where academic excellence is the fast track to popularity and Candace - yes, quiet, seemingly insecure Candace - is the reigning queen bee. Brynn’s not sure how she’ll ever fit in to this parallel universe, until one day she notices Candace crumbling under the weight of some serious self-imposed stress. So Brynn takes Candace under her wing and teaches her the fine art of chilling out before she turns into a complete basket case at the tender age of 13.

Jenna Bloom swore she’d behave herself this summer. She knows that one more practical joke and even her friends won’t be so friendly anymore. But when she’s sidelined from the color war by an unexpected injury, will Jenna revert to her mischievous ways? Could the ultimate prank be, ultimately, way too tempting?

During Color War, Natalie buddies up to the sixth division girls and ditches her fifth division friends, who couldn't be more immature. Then Nat inadvertently catches the attention of a sixth division boy, and without so much as a blink of an eye, she's kicked out of the sixth division circle flat on her fifth division butt. Will Nat's friends take her back? Sure, but first she'll have to own up to a lot of immaturity on her part.