Agnes Parker, Happy Camper

Description

Agnes Parker is going to science camp, which means pranks, fun, rivalries—but will it change a longtime friendship for good?

The first thing Agnes and her best friend Prejean learn at science camp is that they won’t be sharing the same cabin. Being apart gives Agnes a different perspective, and a few worries, about what others think of her longtime friend. Everyone seems to be going on and on about how beautiful Prejean is. A beauty queen? What if Prejean starts acting like one? Soil studies, camp pranks, and a weird bunkmate all play a role in this funny, insightful story of the everyday casualties and payoffs of growing up.

“Camp culture forces the friends to confront racial prejudice, loyalty and a blooming interest in boys. Realistic dialogue and smart characters offer a richness and depth without sacrificing some serious fun. The campfire is bright and warm when shared with Agnes and her friends.”—Kirkus ReviewsPraise  for Agnes Parker . . .Happy Camper?
“Camp culture forces the friends to confront racial prejudice, loyalty and a blooming interest in boys. Realistic dialogue and smart characters offer a richness and depth without sacrificing some serious fun. The campfire is bright and warm when shared with Agnes and her friends.”—Kirkus Reviews

“O’Dell writes knowingly of preteen anxieties and concerns, and her characters ring true.”—Booklist

Praise for Agnes Parker . . . Girl In Progress
* “In this accomplished first novel, O’Dell probes the sixth-grade mindset pithily and perceptively.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“It’s what you might call a cusp-of-coming-of-age novel—and a thoughtful, gently humorous, resonant one at that.”—The Horn Book

“This satisfying and good-humored story will leave readers hoping for Agnes Parker’s return.”—School Library Journal

“O’Dell creates some of the liveliest characters in recent young adult fiction. Agnes is a great everygirl, with a touch of resourcefulness and heart thrown in, and her sidekick Prejean is sassy and outgoing. Neidermeyer is one of the best girl bullies to appear in years. The events in the story are told with the right mix of zaniness and sincerity, and they avoid sentimentality and overstatement. O’Dell is clearly in tune with young teenage girls and understands their embarrassments and their triumphs. She credits Beverly Cleary as an inspiration, and it is evident that Agnes is the literary offspring of Ramona. Readers can only hope to continue to watch her progress.”—VOYAKathleen O’Dell (kathleenodell.com) was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start Author for her much-praised debut novel, Agnes Parker . . . Girl in Progress. She’s also the author of YA novel Bad Tickets on the Knopf list. She lives in Glendale, California.US