With the Captain Underpants movie premiere right around the corner, we can't get enough of Dav Pilkey! He stopped by The New York Times' offices yesterday to sit down for a Facebook Live session with The Times' children's books editor, Maria Russo, to draw and answer questions about kids' books, Dog Man, and Captain Underpants.

Take a peek below, or view the video on Facebook here!

Today on OOM we’re taking the time to honor Memorial Day, a day for remembering the 

brave men and women who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces. We’re reflecting on the patriotism of those who served with the help of a picture book for readers young and old.

Every Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C., more than a million veterans and their supporters gather for the Rolling Thunder® Ride for Freedom, a motorcycle parade that pays tribute to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces. Award-winning author Kate Messner and acclaimed artist Greg Ruth commemorate the Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom—marking its 30th annual ride on May 28, 2017—in their picture book, Rolling Thunder.

This lyrical story honors the bravery and sacrifice of American heroes—those who have returned home, and those who haven’t.

It's the end of May and we closely approach the "unofficial" first weekend of summer. As we get ready to pack our bags for long weekend - we want to provide families the perfect book picks for any weather you will encounter during the Memorial Day weekend.

In support of the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, our free, online program where kids can log their reading summer minutes earn digital rewards, check out some top tips to help kids take the “summer leap” into great books. Check out this free summer reading book list (in English and Spanish), courtesy of the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge – and don’t forget to sign-up kids at scholastic.com/summer.

Sunny days? Grab a book as you enjoy the great outdoors.

Whether it's a fun beach day, a trip to the local park or a family party in your backyard - don't forget books. According to the Kids & Family Reading Report: 6th Edition, contrary to popular belief, a majority of kids enjoy reading books over the summer with the top reasons why as "I just enjoy reading" and "it's a fun way to pass the time." Go for great books that capture the adventure of the great outdoors, summer sports, activities and more

• The Pout-Pout Fish Far, Far from Home, Deborah Diesen (Author) & Dan Hanna (Illustrator)
• Surf’s Up, Kwame Alexander (Author) & Daniel Miyares (Illustrator)
• Get a Hit, Mo!, David Adler
• Magic Tree House: Stage Fright on a Summer Night, Mary Pope Osborne (Author) & Sal Murdocca (Illustrator)
• Rainbow Magic: Joy the Summer Vacation Fairy, Daisy Meadows
• Who Would Win: Ultimate Bug Rumble, Jerry Pallotta (Author) & Rob Bolster (Illustrator)
• Revenge of the Happy Campers, Jennifer Ziegle
• Two Summers, Aimee Freidman

BONUS: Go for spooky campfire stories as well for the older kids, featuring the Goosebumps series, R.L. Stine or Shadow House: You Can’t Hide, Dan Poblocki

Rainy days? Go to the library!

Need an activity during a stormy day? The Kids & Family Reading Report™ shows the top way parents ensure their child reads over the summer is “taking kids to the library” (66% parents of kids ages 6-11; 28% of parents with kids ages 12-17). Go for books that will take you on a reading adventure away from the gloomy weather. Dive into some stories from faraway places (both real and imaginary) including:

• Fly Guy Presents: Castles, Tedd Arnold
• Princess in Black Takes a Vacation, Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, & LeUyen Pham
• A New Class (Star Wars: Jedi Academy #4), Jarrett J. Krosoczka
• Whatever After series, Sarah Mlynowski
• Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection, Matt Dembicki
• Horizon: Book 1, Scott Westerfeld
• Wings of Fire series, Tui T. Sutherland
• Tales of the Peculiar, Ransom Riggs

Still a little cold and windy? Curl up with a great read aloud indoors!

Kids of all ages love to read aloud together as a family. If it’s still too chilly to visit the amusement park or play outside, take time to read aloud together. Data from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™ revealed that kids ages 6–11 and their parents agree that they enjoy read-aloud time, the top reasons being it is a special time together and reading together is fun.

Remember, reading aloud does not stop once kids hit school. Many kids enjoy read aloud through their early teenage years.

• Groovy Joe by Eric Litwin (Author) & Tom Lichtenheld (Illustrator)
• StoryPlay™: I Love You Because You’re You, Liza Baker (Author), David McPhail (Illustrator)
• Ugly Cat and Pablo, Isabel Quintero (Author) & Tom Knight (Illustrator)
• Dog Man series, Dav Pilkey
• The Bad Guys series, Aaron Blabey
• American Girl: Gabriela, Teresa E. Harris
• Amulet series, Kazu Kibuishi
• Harry Potter series, JK Rowling

On the road? Go for funny reads!

Kids can easily get bored during the time it takes to travel during long, holiday weekends. Whether you are driving across town for the family barbeque or boarding a plane for a far getaway, kids need something that help pass the time. Why not go for books that make them laugh? Research shows this is the top thing kids ages 6-17 look for when reading books for fun. 

Some top picks include:

• Please, Mr. Panda, Steve Antony (board book edition)
• King Baby, Kate Beaton
• Pig the Pug, Aaron Blabey
• The Pigeon Needs a Bath!, Mo Willems
• Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Dorky Drama Queen, Rachel Renee Russell
• Captain Underpants series, Dav Pilkey
• Frogkisser!, Garth Nix
• Smile, Raina Telgemeier

 Happy #SummerReading!

Do you know a student between the ages of 10–14 with a nose for news and a passion for writing? Encourage them to apply to the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps! Completed applications must be received by May 31, 2017.

Learn more and download the 2017–2018 application here: www.scholastic.com/kidreporters

The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps is a team of talented young journalists from across the country and around the world that covers "news for kids, by kids." Recently, our Kid Reporters have been busy covering stories in their hometowns and on the national stage:

• Baby Steps Toward Survival by Sadie Kiel – Hippos and giraffes are listed as “vulnerable to extinction” in the wild. Zoos in the United States are doing their part to help these animals survive.
• Google Hosts Young Tech Enthusiasts by Manat Kaur – Students visit the Google Mountain View campus for hands-on lessons in technology.
• Enjoying Street Food in Thailand by Natcharee Chaiwongthitikul – Our Kid Reporter samples some of the world's best street food.
• A Heated Sanctuary City Debate by Stone Shen – President Trump’s crackdown on undocumented workers has led cities to protect these workers and their families. Not everyone agrees with the decision.
• A Visit With the U.S. Ambassador to Benin by Caleb Biney – Our Kid Reporter talks with Lucy Tamlyn, the U.S. Ambassador to Benin, about her role as a top diplomat in West Africa.

And I case you missed it, we caught up with four current and one former Kid Reporter the most recent episode of the Scholastic Reads podcast. When asked how the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps has impacted her, 13-year-old Adedayo Perkovich from New York explained, “Interviewing people has given me the courage to walk up and introduce myself.” Michael Cappetta, a former Kid Reporter and producer at NBC Universal said, “When you’re a Kid Reporter, all the doors open to you. A lot of people want to help you out. And I think that kind of mindset carried through to the rest of my life.” Listen to the full episode!

Have questions about the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps application process? Email kidspress@scholastic.com.

On Thursday, May 18, Scholastic and the National Head Start Association (NHSA) teamed up to celebrate Head Start’s 52nd birthday with a first-ever nationwide Community Reading Day!

Approximately 1,400 local Head Start programs hosted their own unique community reading day celebrations, complete with visits from local officials and community leaders, read-alouds, party hats, birthday cakes, and more. To add to these celebrations and promote the importance of early literacy, Scholastic donated 80,000 books to Head Start programs across the country.

“This partnership with Scholastic is a great way not only to celebrate the power and promise of the Head Start Advantage, but also to foster local engagement,” said Yasmina Vinci, Executive Director of the National Head Start Association. “These community reading days are an important opportunity to raise awareness in local communities about the magnificent impact of Head Start.”

We are obsessed with the incredible photos that poured in on social media from the different community reading day celebrations. In Brooklyn, NY, students welcomed President of Scholastic Education, Greg Worrell, to the Project Social Care Head Start with a handmade “welcome Mr. Greg” sign. Over in Massachusetts, First Lady Lauren Baker joined Clifford the Big Red Dog® for a special visit to the Dimock Center Head Start in Roxbury, MA.

Check out all of the Community Reading Day action the Storify round-up below!

Meet the artists: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards winners Keiji Ishida and Benjamin Cruz

This year's 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recognized 16 high school seniors who received the program’s highest national honor, the Gold Medal Portfolio, which includes a $10,000 scholarship.

Throughout May, we will showcase two pieces of art from this year's art portfolio winners. This week, we are celebrating the work of Keiji Ishida, age 17 (Los Angeles, CA) and Benjamin Cruz, age 17 (Idyllwild, CA).

What inspires you to create art?

Keiji: I get inspired when I go to galleries or when I'm traveling to other states or out of the country, and I think encountering a new area has always given me a unique perspective which educated my understanding towards politics, culture, and last but not least myself.

Benjamin: Tragic events, both historic and personal, inspire me to create art. I feel that there is much to learn from struggle and art is what allows me to learn and also teach. Identifying and addressing struggle through art allows me to honor those who suffered and also create something prudent out of it. There is so much about my past that I have come to understand through my intensive artistic process.

What do you enjoy most about creating art?

Keiji: What I appreciate most about creating art is the fact that art is a visual language to me and ever since when I was little, the practice of doodling has expanded my communication towards other people but soon or later as time goes by, it expanded to the world. 

Benjamin: I enjoy learning through the process of creating art. I love how much art has taught me and how it continues to teach me. Every step of my process I learn one way or another. In the beginning when I’m conceptualizing a piece, I learn through research, when I’m creating I learn through practice, and when I’m finished I learn through dialogue. I love creating art because I know there are no limits. It’s not always easy, but I love the challenge of it. There’s nothing as stimulating and invigorating as art, and I believe that’s why I am able to learn so much.

Is there an artist or another creative individual whose work has inspired the way you think about art and writing?

Keiji: I am inspired by many artists all over the place, most of them are contemporary artists that I am looking at such as– Jay Stuckey, KAWs, Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, Pharrell Williams, Banksy, and so. I liked their concept but also their purpose behind their work, it is fascinating. 

Benjamin: Hung Liu is my first artistic love. Her work and story have really inspired me to dig into the past and breathe new life into it. I was able to see her show “Summoning Ghosts” and the haunting energy of her paintings have stuck with me ever since.

My friend Wade Winslow has also really inspired and informed me as an artist. His work is such a fearless combination of very serious and real ideas and absurd colloquial humor. Talking to him really inspires me to rethink about art really is, and what/if boundaries exist in art making. There’s something so useful and inspiring about being able to share ideas with a living artist that I respect and consider my contemporary.

What advice do you have for new artists or people who want to start trying different mediums of art?

Keiji: I personally learned this recently that it is always better to understand more about the artist or anyone you don't know in general before you create a snap judgment or hatred towards them. People are more interesting when you seek into their interior more than their exterior, and I think everyone not just artist should also understand this.

Benjamin:  Invest time. The only way to get better at art or an unfamiliar medium to practice. Don’t worry about what you’re making, whether it looks good or not. Art is a tool, and in order to work efficiently and effectively, you must understand the tool and how to use it. The more you create, the more you will learn about creating. And the final tool as a result of this is one of the most powerful forces in the world.

Why is it important to celebrate the arts?

Keiji: Art has been part of us since the dawn of civilization and many honor art through religion, science, culture, and our lifestyle. Art has also given us the possibly to think "out of the box" which created many memorable pieces; so in this respect, I believe art should be celebrated in many ways.

Benjamin: The arts not only enrich our lives, they are the basis of our lives. The arts provide so much, they give us comfort and escape, they challenge us to think and problemsolve, they create solutions to real-world problems. Art has created so many opportunities for me, and many others. Considering the current state of the U.S. and the entire world, it’s very important to not only celebrate the arts but actively support them.

Credit: Keiji Ishida

 -----

Credit: Benjamin Cruz

In my five years as a New Yorker, I've lived in four different apartments and three different boroughs, but one thing has remained constant: My books have always been the centerpiece of my home.

My most recent move was to Queens (that's borough #3, for those counting) with my fiance. After all the back-and-forth about apartments and movers and how exactly to pack up a kitchen, the most heated debate centered around our books and how we would combine and organize them. I have always organized my bookshelves by genre, while he is a staunch alphabetizer. We also quickly realized that even though we now had three bookcases, we didn't have nearly enough shelf space for our combined collection, so we had to get creative, putting small stacks of books all around our new, shared space.

This year, for my birthday, he surprised me with two new bookcases! I was over the moon! Not only did that mean we finally had enough space to display all of our books on shelves, but it also meant we had room to compromise with our organizational methods: I now have an entire shelf dedicated to our TBR piles that is organized by genre. 

This got me thinking: How do the rest of our book-loving bloggers organize their books?

Mike and Lori say they both organize their shelves by color! Mike gets decorating bonus points, because he has "floating bookshelves" as wall decorations. "I feel like I live in Hogwarts!" he says. "It's magical!" 

Morgan's family uses a few different organizational tactics — some are by genre, and some are random:

My favorite bookshelves are in my office and they’re grouped by genre — it’s my collection of vintage titles and books from my childhood. And my husband has a 'brag bookshelf' — all the books he’s published (including foreign editions) in the order they were published.

I was also curious about how many bookcases each of our bloggers has. 

We know from our Kids and Family Reading Report data that having books in the home is crucial for children to develop a love of reading, and the average US home with children has 104 books. Fortunately, we practice what we preach because the two moms in the group, Morgan and Julia, get the prize for most bookshelves. Morgan says: 

Let’s put it this way…we essentially left apartment living in the city because we were out of space for our books. So we have LOTS of bookshelves in our house. Eight in our living room alone! Then more in the office, more in the attic (my office), and our kids have one large one in each of their rooms.

Julia also has a lucky daughter (whom you've probably read about recently on OOM), who has her own bookcases. She writes:

We have seven bookcases— two for our daughter and five for us. That’s sort of startling considering I generally don’t even like to keep books except my very favorites.

Finally, because sometimes you just don't have room for a bookshelf in a New York apartment, I wanted to see where else our team stores books when they can't fit on a shelf!

Many of us have used books as some sort of table: Morgan once used a tall tower of books as her nightstand, and Mike actually built a coffee table using coffee table books, wood, and rope.

Lori stores her extra books in her closet, Stephanie makes sure to keep a stack handy on her coffee table, and Brittany tries to save space by reading ebooks on her phone or tablet!

Maybe one day we'll all have Belle-on-a-rolling-ladder-level bookshelves, but until then, I'm happy to know I can count on my fellow book lovers for inspiration on organizing my home library!

The last month of school is a bookend, just as defining as the beginning. As teachers, we start the year sharing our expectations and setting classroom routines, as well as getting to know the dynamics of the students and their classes. But how do you tie it all up at the end?

I’ve tried a few different things. I can’t profess that any of them is “the way”, but each year – as with everything about being in the classroom – I got a little bit better. So let’s review…

My first teaching experience was in Far Rockaway, Queens, where I grew up, and I was teaching 8th grade English Language Arts. In NYC, even though you may return to the same classroom, at the time you had to clean your room down to bare bones, push all of the desks against the wall, and stack the chairs on top of them, so that the custodians could do the floors over the summer. With this as the end goal, I was facing multiple challenges:

1. 8th graders take their state exams and then feel done for the year. The weeks between the exams and graduation are an odd time, and a lot of students didn’t even come in.
2. Students heard my voice all year; many of them were tuning me out at this point – intentionally or not.
3. It’s hot in the building in NYC in the month of June, and there is no A/C. It was hard for both students and teachers to sit still.

I can’t remember how I came up with the idea, but at the end of my first year I decided to run a Scrabble tournament in my classroom. I bought four Scrabble boards and one Scrabble dictionary. After clearing the back wall I pushed most of the desks back and set up four groups of four with the boards set out, and if you came in my room you had to play.

“No, I don’t need any help packing up the room. You have one option; you play Scrabble.”

I put a learning objective on the board with the relevant ELA standards, and made a score sheet where they had to record each word that they played along with how many points it earned. Each day I updated a piece of chart paper on the bulletin board with the highest game score and highest scoring word of the previous day, and a running tally of the leaders for the overall tournament. At the end of those two weeks, Adam E. was my winner. The top four overall scorers got to take home the game sets, Adam got the dictionary, and my room was bare. I had systematically packed it up and cleared it out while they played, and was able to arbitrate spelling and word challenges by handing them the dictionary.

Fast forward to my teaching gig in East New York, Brooklyn, years later. These students were sophomores, and they didn’t have the sense of closure that graduating 8th graders did. But they were still tired of my voice and it was still 90 degrees with no A/C. How to tie this up?

This time I reflected on my design for the overall school year. Like a big balanced literacy workshop (whole-small-whole), I had started the year teaching with the room set up in a big U formation, then second quarter the desks were in three groups set up as if they were at long conference tables, and by third quarter we were in cooperative groups – sets of four of five students. I wanted to go back to U formation, but I could anticipate the difficulty of lectures or discussions in the heat.

The final book of the year was Annie John, by Jamaica Kincaid, a book that I love, and somewhere in my brain an idea took root to have the students teach it. I left them in their groups for the beginning of the fourth quarter and I taught them how to teach the balanced literacy model, as we teachers were expected to do it in a NYC ELA classroom circa 2005.

• 5 minute read aloud
• 10 minute mini-lesson
• 5 minute word study
• 15-20 minute activity
• 5-10 minute summary (which may include groups presenting)

Each group wrote a lesson plan for two chapters of the book, complete with a learning objective, ELA standards addressed, a grammar focus of the week, an activity where we learn by doing, a summary, and homework. Once they were ready, we put the room back in U formation and, as I am sure you have guessed at this point, this worked out better than I planned:

1. I got to sit back and be a student. I doodled in my notebook, chewed gum in class, whispered with the person sitting next to me, was scolded (they threatened to call my mother!), and had my incomplete homework graded.
2. The kids came up with lessons that were fabulous and that I would steal years later. For example: a quote was mounted onto oak tag and cut into pieces, and we had to put it together like a puzzle, and then we had to evaluate the use of figurative language.
3. They graded the homework! What a relief…. We had come up with a rubric together, and each group leader gave me the grades folks earned for the lesson. I just entered them into my grade book. (Ahhhh grade books… I miss you not.)

Finally, to make a long story short, there was that time that I taught 8th grade personal wellness, a mixture of gym and health. This was new territory for me, as I am certified in high school English and Mathematics, but I did the best that I could that year. I drew on my experience as a track athlete and coach, worked with out-of-school-time staff to do golf and soccer units and worked with the school nurse for a unit on sexual education. We also kept food diaries all year, then analyzed them during the fourth quarter with graphs and word clouds, and then watched documentaries like Food Inc. and Supersize Me.

At the end of the year I was out of ideas, so I asked the eighth graders what they wanted to do. One class wanted to make health food PSAs, another wanted to do home economics and learn to cook some basics (we made cookies (toaster oven), breakfast burritos (hot plate) and pancakes (hot plate and waffle iron)), and the third group wanted to run a restaurant. A restaurant? Hmmm…

So we practiced running a restaurant for about two weeks. Half of the class would go outside, and the other half served. The outside half came to the door in groups, spoke with the host, and they were seated depending on group size at various table configurations that we designed. The wait staff took orders on post-its, and students could order anything they wanted (and they used their imagination, trust me). The waiter or waitress took the order to the kitchen, an L-shape configuration of my banquet tables in the corner, and the chefs drew their order on printer paper with markers. No matter what fancy drink they ordered, they received a cone of water from the water cooler. If someone sent their order back to the kitchen because something was missing, like the side of fries that they asked for, then the chef drew the side of fries and sent it back. Then we switched so that all of the students had a chance to both serve and be served. We had a lot of laughs.

On the day that we did the restaurant for real, the class brought in home-cooked food, potluck style, and we created a menu based on what was in front of us. We served only teachers and adult staff. My colleagues lined up outside of my classroom at lunchtime and they were seated by the student hosts. They handed their teachers menus and took their orders on post-its. All of the food was set up in the L-shaped kitchen and our chefs loaded the plates, which the wait staff then took back to the tables. We offered various juices, as well as cones of water. We had a lot of laughs, and my colleagues were impressed by the operation. This was one of the most fun days of my entire teaching career.

The last month of school is a bookend, just as defining as the beginning. But sometimes you run out of ideas, and the days are long (and hot!). Everyone is counting down until the summer and getting restless. Early in my teaching career I opted for gaming, and I picked Scrabble because it would increase their vocabulary and it is one of my favorites. Midway through my career I realized that we could switch roles; when the students are in command at the front of the room, teaching or doing presentations, everyone in the room is more engaged – including the teacher. And towards the end of my career I learned to let them choose the culminating activity and to facilitate their vision, at least in personal wellness, which seemed fitting. In my 10th grade English classes, the other half of my teaching schedule at the time, the students did presentations.

What are your end-of-the-year routines and activities in the classroom?

Welcome to our Throwback Thursday series! After a short hiatus, we are back and just in time for summer... the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, that is!

The 2017 Challenge launched just last week, and kids have already read over 11 million minutes. This is the 11th year of the Challenge, and this year's theme is "Happy Camper: Take a Reading Adventure." I decided to use that theme as my inspiration, and today Deimosa and I headed down into the Archive to look for some vintage books about summer camp.

As we picked books off the shelves, a theme started to develop: summer camps are great settings for horror stories. Maybe it has to do with kids being away from home, away the safety mom and dad provide? Either way, most of the books we found were horror titles, with a few dramas, and one super cool photo-heavy book about space camp – all stories I would have loved to read as a kid. 

According to the Kids & Family Reading Report: 6th Edition, 58% of kids love or like reading books for fun, and 89% of kids ages 6-17 agree, "My favorite books are the ones that I have picked out myself." What better place to read a scary story you've picked out yourself than under the covers at camp? That sounds perfect to me! (I wasn't super athletic, and would be way more interested in quiet indoor reading time than outdoor activities; are you surprised?)

Check out the books we found, along with their descriptions, below!

Breaking Camp by Steven Kroll (1985)

Ted had been warned on the train to Camp Cherokee that it was no country club. That was OK – he could use a summer of discipline and getting in shape. Besides it couldn't be that tough.

Camp is great at first. Everyone has his own horse to ride, and Ted even gets in with Jack, the most charismatic and powerful guy at Camp Cherokee. But when hazing begins, Ted sees a terrifying side to Jack. His imitation pranks are far more violent and cruel than they should be. Even worse, no one seems to protest – not even the counselors.

So when Ted decides he's going to try and stop the nightmare, he becomes Jack's next victim. And when Jack plays the game – there are no rules.

Camp Trouble by Beverly Keller (1993)

Camp Big Tree is not Phoebe's idea of a fun summer vacation. She sure the lake is filled with sharks and worry she'll get motion sickness from the horseback riding. The food is disgusting – potatoes baked in mud and a gooey Yummoo drink. And the counselors, you have special camp names like birchen sumac, or as warm and friendly as army drill sergeants.

With fancy riding gear instead of blue jeans and dainty flowered sheets instead of a sleeping bag, Phoebe just can't seem to fit in. Even her parents' care package is all wrong – filled with things like methanol-eucalyptus throat lozenges.

And then she has to ride a horse named Flash.

Whoever said things couldn't get any worse?

Werewolves Don't Go to Summer Camp by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thronton Jones (1991)

There's never been a camp director like Mr. Jenkins.

"I think Mr. Jenkins is strange," Howie said.

Melody laughed. "He has more hair than a wolf in winter."

"Maybe he is a wolf," Liza giggled.

"Yeah, a werewolf," Eddie added. "I bet he is one and he comes out at midnight for a snack."

"Werewolves aren't for real," Liza said.

"Are they?"

Nobody thought summer camp would turn into while the wildest adventure!

Camp Fear by Carol Ellis (1993)

The past can't hurt you. It can kill you.

Almost everyone at Camp Silverlake is afraid of something: bugs, snakes, swimming in the lake.

But there's a deeper, darker fear some of the counselor share. The fear that they're terrible secret will be discovered.

For seven years, they've kept it hidden - ever since that summer when they were campers together.

The summer one camper didn't make it home alive.

Now someone is using their secret – and their fears – to play a frightening game a vengeance.

A game that could turn deadly.

Eenie, Meanie, Murphy, NO! by Colleen O'Shaughnessy McKenna (1990)

Colette Murphy knows she is going to love camp. What could be better than all that freedom – freedom from her large and often overwhelming family? What could be better than sharing a cabin with her good friend Sarah and even with her bossy across-the-street neighbor, Marsha? What could be better than being at camp with such cute boys, especially one particular boy, named Tommy?

Then Colette meets big, mean Peally.  Peally claims she had first dibs on the cabin that Colette and her friends got. Peally also claims she has first dibs on Tommy.

Peally is out to get Colette. When Colette discovers that her diary is missing, she knows Peally stole it. But she can't believe that pill he would actually read parts of it aloud to the entire camp!

How can Colette stop her from getting away with her nasty plans? Does Colette have the courage to face a bully and a liar, a true meanie, all by herself?

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine: The Horror at Camp Jellyjam (1995)

Swimming, basketball, archery. King Jellyjam's Sports Camp has it all. Too bad Wendy isn't a total sports freak like her brother, Elliot. But how excited can you get over a game of softball. It's just a game, right? WRONG! Because Camp Jellyjam is no ordinary sports camp. And Wendy's about to find out why. Why the counselors seem a little too happy. A little too obsessed with winning. And why the ground is always rumbling late at night...

Ghost Camp (1996)

The joke's on them! Harry and his brother, Alex, are dying to fit in at Camp Spirit Moon. But the camp has so many weird traditions. Like the goofy camp salute. The odd camp greeting. And the way the old campers love to play jokes on the new campers. Then the jokes start to get really serious. Really creepy. Really scary. First a girl sticks her arm in the campfire. Then a boy jams a pole through his foot. Still, they're just jokes... aren't they?

Welcome to Camp Nightmare (1993)

The food isn't great. The counselors are a little strange. And the camp director, Uncle Al, seems sort of demented. Okay, so Billy can handle all that. But then his fellow campers start to disappear. What's going on? Why won't his parents answer his letters? What's lurking out there after dark? Camp Nightmoon is turning into Camp Nightmare. For real. And Billy might be next...

Space Camp: The Great Adventure for NASA Hopefuls by Anne Baird (1992)

The start of a NASA shuttle flight? The launching of a new satellite? No, the countdown to the most unforgettable space adventure on earth!

Each year, thousands of young people pour into the world famous U.S. Space Camp to find out what it takes, and feels like, to be a NASA-style astronaut. There they undergo a challenging, hands-on training program, based on the one used by NASA.

Space Camp lets you become part of this thrilling experience. A you-are-there-text, +50 dramatic, full-color photographs, follow a group of youngsters through their week-long training session. Learning firsthand from astronauts and other experts, the campers study rocket technology, practice with NASA training equipment that duplicates the weightlessness of outer space, explore a mock up of the proposed space station, and erect a moon base in Space Camp's Rocket Park. Finally, training complete, they don flight suits and blast offer an exciting simulated special mission modeled after actual NASA flights.

Exhilarating and informative, Space Camp is the perfect way to share this out of the world adventure.

Special thanks to Librarian Deimosa Webber-Bey for her ongoing help with this series!