REVIEW
It’s summer, and eleven-year-old Laura Newman, “Noodle” to her friends, is excited to arrive at Camp Hillside, where she’ll stay for four weeks. Unfortunately, the trip goes awry before it even begins. Noodle’s sister, Jill, can’t come to summer camp with her, which means Noodle is going to be left by herself for an entire month. Wallowing in her loneliness, Noodle writes letters and ignores the other girls in her cabin. After two weeks of feeling sorry for herself, a hurricane changes Noodle’s routine. With Hurricane Hilda on the way, Noodle’s cabin, the Sandpipers, is moved into a basement after their cabin nearly collapses. Forced into close confines, Noodle starts to open up to her cabinmates. As the Sandpipers grow closer, they begin to rely on each other and bond over food fights, skunk attacks, and failed pranks. Told through Noodle’s perspective and sprinkled with illustrations, Hurricamp is a tale of one girl’s wacky summer.
Perfect for middle schoolers, Noodle’s adventures are as unpredictable as they are memorable. Noodle’s witty and at times cynical monologue guides readers through her burgeoning relationships with fellow Sandpipers and gives insight into her emotions. But the best part of Noodle’s narration would have to be her clever alliterations and comparisons. Using analogies that won’t fly over the heads of young readers, Hurricamp features all manner of scintillating language. Take, for instance, this short and yet powerful example from page 48, in which Noodle is praised by her cabin counselor:
“It felt like the sun shone straight down on me.”
Even without a cast of intriguing characters and Noodle’s revealing dialogue, Hurricamp would still be engaging. As the 162 pages of Hurricamp may prove a challenge to elementary-school readers, six illustrations are spread throughout this novel, providing relief without being distracting. And, of course, that’s to say nothing of the mischief that the Sandpipers engage in. Noodle’s adventures serve to add even more fun to Hurricamp, but they’re also a valuable lesson about what happens when rules are broken. For example, the Sandpipers’ food fight results in finding a bear licking up their mess in the morning.
With Noodle’s immersive descriptions leading the way, Hurricamp introduces a theme that many middle-schoolers are beginning to struggle with: self-reliance. While at first Noodle uses all her free time writing letters to her parents to complain, she matures as the story progresses and learns to solve her own problems. For example, after their cabin is soaked by rain after its roof springs a leak, Noodle immediately takes charge and gets help. While Noodle’s self-confidence grows and she becomes more optimistic, her cabinmates take notice. She quickly becomes the leader of her cabin, and gains popularity at camp.
The other Sandpipers all serve important parts in this book, and the author Steph Katzovi does a great job of introducing them and more importantly distinguishing each one. All of the girls in Noodle’s cabin are introduced in one scene, the stereotypical camp introductory activity in which everyone shares their name, where they’re from, and an interesting fact. While this set-up might seem chaotic, Noodle’s internal monologue eases each introduction. In just three pages, Noodle familiarizes herself and her audience with her cabinmates and counselor. However, each of the Sandpipers’ contrasting personalities make introducing them an easy task. From Noodle’s best-friend, Aries, to her nemeses, Holly and Tara, not a single Sandpiper fades into the background over the course of this story.
In conclusion, this novel teaches kids to problem solve and improvise while taking Noodle and the Sandpipers through a crazy series of adventures. Noodle’s inner monologue, each of her friends’ bold personalities, and the everyday obstacles the Sandpipers face all make this book a realistic and yet engaging tale. With a blend of wit and whimsy, Hurricamp is sure to please anyone who’s gone to camp or wished they could’ve.
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Elliott is a prolific reader of various genres who is more than happy to share his opinions on books. In his free time, he enjoys writing, reading, and running. He is a ninth-grade student in Charlotte, NC. |
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