Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Camp K-9
Illustrator: Nancy Hayashi
Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
Peachtree Publishers, 2011 ISBN: 978-1561455614
Roxie is going to summer camp for the first time, and she is very anxious because she has something secret in her Pooch Pouch, her blankie. Roxie doesn’t want any of the other campers to know that she has brought her blankie with her, so she keeps it hidden at all times. At the same time, Roxie wishes she could hold her blankie because then, perhaps, she won’t feel so anxious.
At camp K-9 Roxie soon finds out that she is sharing a cabin with some really “nice pups,” until a mean poodle called Lacy turns up. Being around Lacy makes Roxie want the comfort of her blanket more than ever.
For the rest of the day, and the next, Lacy causes problems for her cabin mates. In fact, she makes everyone wish that she would pack up and go home. Is Lacy going to ruin their summer camp experience completely?
Going to camp for the first time can be a little scary, and sometimes the campers one meets are not as kind as they should be. What this book shows to great effect is that often people who are unkind are hiding something. They have a story, and once you know what that story is, their behavior makes more sense. In fact, there is a good chance that their secret is something that many people share.
This book is sensitively written, and it will help children to better understand how to deal with the bullies that they encounter at camp and at school.
