Ypulse Author Spotlight: Julie Kraut

Julie Kraut, author of Slept Away, is the focus of today's Ypulse Author Spotlight. Julie discusses her book and how camp has changed (and how it is oh-so-the-same) since she was a camper. It's a great interview--check it out!

"Camp is still torture. Take pity on me. Peace, Love, and Desperation, Laney."

There is nothing I love more than a book about camp. Seriously. As soon as I found out about Slept Away by Julie Kraut, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. Laney Parker is a true New Yorker who loves the city. She is trying to figure out how to spend her summer and is sure she can come up with a great plan. However, her mother and her mother's boyfriend have a different idea. They decide that Laney should experience a summer at camp, away from the city. They can't be serious, can they?

Yes, they can. Laney is in denial and believes that her mother will change her mind, but she ends up on a bus to camp with a duffel bag full of strange neon outfits (including culottes!) Laney finds herself spending the summer in a bunk with an endlessly cheerful counselor, Mandi, who is enthusiastic about "the rules," and three bunkmates (Hayden, Aiden, and Aidan) who decide immediately that they do not like her. She is thrust into activities that are far out of her comfort zone and cut off from her ever-present forms of electronic communication. Her only hope is Sylvie, the final camper in her bunk. Although Sylvie appears awkward at first, this may be a chance for Laney to get past appearances and see what lies underneath the exterior. Laney also finds that Ryan, one of the outsiders from home, is popular and sought-after at camp, another revelation which may just change how Laney views the world.

I found myself laughing out loud at several points throughout this book. Kraut's snarky sense of humor is very similar to mine and I frequently said to myself, "Oh, yeah, that's so the camp experience." Slept Away, which will be released on May 26, 2009, is a must-read for campers, former campers, and wannabes alike.

ps I owe Julie Kraut a s'more--how do you mail one? Also, her blog is very interesting--she has recently spent time working at an orphanage in Africa and has written about the experience. Enjoy!

Two for Tuesday!

Confession: I. LOVE. CAMP. Seriously, it's kind of ridiculous. I think I only missed going to summer camp two summers from the time I was in first grade until I got married. I went to camp, worked at camp, and read books about camp. The first book I can remember purchasing for myself is I Want To Go Home! by Gordon Korman. I checked out Bummer Summer by Ann M. Martin so many times that the library should have just given it to me. I did my eighth grade English book report on Hail, Hail Camp Timberwood by Ellen Conford. This explains my excitement about two ARCs I picked up at ALA Midwinter in Denver: Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita and The Lost Summer by Kathryn Williams. In honor of the fact that it's spring break and summer, along with all its fun camp possibilities, is close at hand, I'm writing about BOTH of these books today!

In Sleepaway Girls, Sam has never been to camp before. However, she knows her mom is going to be busy working all summer and she doesn't want to spend the summer watching her best friend Mallory drool all over her boyfriend Mark, so she decides to become a CIT at Whispering Pines. Ashley, the daughter of Whispering Pines' director, is used to getting lots of attention. She is not thrilled to have Sam join the camp staff--especially when Sam is recognized from a commercial she did for her mom's ad agency. Add to this a love triangle--does Sam like Hunter? Will Hunter like her back? Wait, why is Cole paying so much attention to Sam? And, learning all the "rules" of camp which will allow her to function for the summer will keep Sam very busy. Sam makes new friends and learns that she can be more independent and less of a doormat during her summer at camp. Calonita's new title will be released May 1, 2009.

Helena, in The Lost Summer, unlike Sam, has been going to the same camp each summer for nine years. Southpoint is her home. She is finally old enough to be a junior counselor, but her best friend Katie Bell is a bit younger and must stay a camper for the summer. Will their friendship be strong enough to bridge the gap between Helena's new role and Katie Bell's camper status? Hel loves the challenge of working with her campers. She is included in nighttime counselor activities that were previously off-limits to her such as sneaking off to meet up with counselors from the boys' camp on the other side of the lake. Helena has had a crush on Ransome for years. He has been unattainable. However, this summer he begins paying more attention to her and she wonders if they might possibly have more that just a little flirtation. Several struggles throughout the summer, as well as one near-tragedy, change the way Helena views camp forever. Williams' The Lost Summer will be released July 14, 2009.

Oh, by the way, if you can get me a copy of Slept Away by Julie Kraut, there's a s'more in it for you. Seriously.