“The sign was supposed to say, ‘Camp Hillside, a place for girls and young women adventurers,’ but I had noticed that some of the letters were faded. Like the ‘w’ in ‘women.’ That was definitely a bad omen.”

Welcome to Camp Hillside, a sleepaway camp with loads of fun activities from swimming to candle making to archery! It’s also where Laura “Noodle” Newman will be spending the next four weeks of her summer. Heading to camp for the first time with high hopes and eager anticipation, Noodle quickly finds that life away from home is trickier than she’d expected. Noodle is thrust into a world with entertaining and eclectic new bunkmates, and experiences that are completely opposite from her quiet existence back at her home in Great Falls.

The drama escalates when the campers find out that Hurricane Hilda is headed their way and Camp Hillside is forced to hunker down. The routine Noodle was finally starting to get comfortable with is suddenly turned on its head. The storm’s arrival gives Noodle a new-found strength that steers her past missing home and on to forging some unexpected bonds. Join Noodle and her newfound friends in Hurricamp! (Brown Books, June 2022, ISBN: 978-1-61254-554-7, Trade Paperback) as they navigate the perils of summer camp— Can the Sandpipers make it through a stormy encounter with an angry skunk? Will they ever succeed in out-pranking their neighboring cabin? How will they deal with the unexpected departure of their beloved counselor?

“‘I’m really glad I met you guys.’ The words came out of my mouth before I could take them back. Oh well, I thought. Too late now. ‘I wouldn’t want to go through a hurricane with anyone else.’

‘Yeah,’ Charlie piped up. ‘Same here.’

Aries squeezed my hand. ‘Me too.’

‘Could you imagine what camp would’ve been like without Hurricane Hilda?’ Buffy said. ‘So boooriiiinnnggg!’”

Hurricamp! is a charming and innocent throwback to childhood— Steph Katzovi perfectly captures the feeling of being away from home for the first time, and the power that comes from finding courage you didn’t know you had. The times where Noodle embarrasses herself seem like the direst of events, while the joys she experiences also shine through brightly. Told in Noodle’s witty, earnest and distinctive voice, Hurricamp! is as quirky as Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books and emulates Judy Blume’s relatable dialogue. Parents and children alike will identify with Noodle’s vulnerabilities and the humorous lessons she learns on her adventures at Camp Hillside.

Hurricamp!
By Steph Katzovi
Brown Books
ISBN: 978-1-61254-554-7
Publication Date: May 24, 2022
Original Trade Paperback
Price: $9.99
Pages: 200