Brainstorm 270: Camping Stories

Grab your s'mores makings and your sleeping bag because I have some camping reads for you today. Whether you want to get psyched up for your next camping trip, or you want to pretend like you are, snatch up one of these titles. Click on the titles to see my full review of each book and any content notes/trigger warnings.

Camp Rex (Rex, #2) by Molly Idle

T-Rex and his friends go camping, which proves to be a challenge for the little girl who has to remind T-Rex about all the safety rules of outdoor life. Still they manage to have lots of fun.

Adorable illustrations, and a great pick for anyone preparing for an outdoorsy adventure as the safety rules reviewed are good ones but this covers them in a totally fun way.

Target Readers:

Dinosaur Lovers, Art Lovers, Cute Story Fans, Camping Newbies, Safety Learners, Picture Book Readers

 

A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee (Mr. Magee, #2) by Chris Van Dusen

Mr. Magee and his dog Dee decide to go camping for some peace, quiet, and rest. But when a bear with poor sight stumbles into their camp in search of delicious marshmallows things get a bit exciting.

A hilarious camping misadventure!

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Outdoor Adventure Fans, Misadventure Fans, Animal Lovers, Picture Book Readers

 

Camping with the President by Ginger Wadsworth, ill. by Karen Dugan

A picture book retelling of Teddy Roosevelt's visit to the West, especially his time in Yosemite with John Muir.

A fascinating look at an influential camping trip in the history of the US National Parks.

Target Readers:

Yosemite Setting Fans, Nature Lovers, Parks Lovers, History Fans, Nonfiction Readers, Curious Readers, Lower Grade Readers

 

Charlie & Mouse Outdoors (Charlie & Mouse, #4) by Laurel Snyder, ill. by Emily Hughes

Charlie and Mouse are headed off on a camping trip with their parents. The boys have to think up a story to entertain themselves in the car, their imaginations keep going as the family goes on a hike, and then the brothers entertain themselves in the tent before enjoying a fire at night.

This story is a nice combination of brothers using their imaginations to entertain themselves along with enjoying the outdoors.

Target Readers:

Sibling Story Fans, Family Vacation Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Outdoor Adventure Story Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

The Infamous Ratsos Camp Out (Infamous Ratsos, #4) by Kara LaReau, ill. by Matt Myers

Louie and Ralphie and the rest of the Big City Scouts are super excited to be going camping. When they arrive at the campsite, Grandpa Ratso surprises them by also being there to help lead the camping adventure. Grandpa teaches them the Big City Scout oath and the scouts are excited about following it to the letter, especially the part about solving problems all by themselves. After one disaster after the other, though, do they maybe need to rethink things?

I like the message in this about how we all need each other and it is totally ok to reach out for help when we need it.

Target Readers:

Grandparent/Grandchild Story Fans, Problem Solving Story Fans, Outdoors Story Fans, Lower Grade Readers

 

Laid Back Camp 1 by Afro, translated by Amber Tamosaitis

The story of two teen girls in Japan, Rin who is an avid winter solitary camper. She enjoys the peace and quiet, even if it gets a bit cold. Nadeshiko has just moved to the area, gets lost, stumbles across the Rin's camp site, gets some much-needed heat, and is able to contact her sister thanks to Rin's help. Nadeshiko is then inspired to join the Outdoor Explorer Club at her school. The club (which consists of just two other girls) spends much of the book planning for their first camping trip. Meanwhile Rin goes camping by herself a few more times but contemplates the concept of camping with others, though she is too reluctant to act on it.

An atmospheric wintry camping adventure.

Target Readers:

Japan Setting Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Manga Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Winter Story Fans, Club Story Fans, Young Adult Readers

 

Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook up the National Park Service by Annette Bay Pimentel, ill. by Richard Lo

Tie Sing was a Chinese American who worked as a chef for campers in the California mountains. He is all but forgotten by history, but played an important part in convincing key Americans to form the National Park Service. When Stephen Mather put together a camping trip of these key Americans to show them the land that needed to be preserved, he picked Tie Sing to make sure their tummies were happy so that the trip would more likely be a success. Feeding men well on the trails in the mountains is a challenge, but Tie Sing impressed the men with his cooking and helped make the whole experience a pleasant one. Those men soon went back to Washington D.C. and convinced the nation to form the National Park Service.

I like this book for a number of reasons, but probably most of all because it highlights the impact even "ordinary" people can have on the future.

Target Readers:

Asian American Bio Fans, History Fans, Park Lovers, Chef Bio Fans, Foodies, Picture Book Biography Fans, Lower Grade & Middle Grade Readers 

 

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping (Scaredy Squirrel, #7) by Mélanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel has decided he wants to enjoy the outdoors...the safe way (aka by watching it on TV). The only problem is he needs to venture out into the actual outdoors to get his extension cord on his tv plugged in so he can watch the TV program. Scaredy plans and trains intensely for his dangerous mission. All is going smoothly until he sees a giant penguin (one of his top outdoor fears) and his smooth plans go out the window. But after playing dead for a couple hours, he realizes that maybe the outdoors aren't so bad up close after all.

Scaredy's fears aren't too far from real fears kids face that he won't be able to help them work through some things, and regardless of anxiety level, he's sure to also bring some laughs.

Target Readers:

Anxious Character Fans, Animal Lovers, Humor Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

Yotsuba &! 12 by Kiyohiko Azuma, translated by Stephen Paul

In this Yotsuba collection, Yotsuba chases geese, she welcomes Tora into the neighbors' home and learns to tie a bow, Yotsuba finds some paint and decides to spruce up the house a little, Yotsuba gets a helmet (and faces repercussions for her painting spree), Fuuka and Miss Take introduce Yotsuba to Halloween, and then Yotsuba and Daddy go camping with Jumbo, Yanda, Ena, and Muira.

The things Yotsuba gets up to are so believable for a little kid, and a good mix of hilarious and sweet. 

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Fall Story Fans, Manga Fans, Japan Setting Fans, Humor Fans, Family Story Fans, Neighbor Story Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Middle Grade & Young Adult Readers