Camp Sylvania

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Description

From Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin, comes a hilarious and creepy middle grade summer camp story that takes a bite out of fat camp and diet culture. Perfect for fans of Spooky Stories and Starfish.

Magnolia Maggie Hagen is determined to be in the spotlight . . . if she can just get over her stage fright. This summer, though, she has big plans to finally attend Camp Rising Star, the famous performing arts camp shes been dying to go to for three whole summers.

But on the last day of school, her parents break the news: Maggie isnt going to Camp Rising Star. Shes being shipped off to fat campand not just any fat camp. Shes going to Camp Sylvania, run by world-famous wellness influencer Sylvia Sylvania, who is known for her soon-to-be-patented Scarlet Diet.

When Maggie arrives at camp, things are . . . weird. There are the humiliating weigh-ins and grueling workouts, as expected. But the campers are also encouraged to donate bloodat their age! The cafeteria serves only red foods and the oddly specific rules change every day. There are even rumors of a camp ghost.

Despite these horrors, Maggie makes friends and starts to actually enjoy herself. There are even tryouts for a camp production of The Music Man! This place might not be so bad . . . until campers start going missing and other suspicious things begin happeningespecially after dark. The camp ghost might be the least scary thing about this place. . . .

Reviews

Murphy renders her camp of fat characters with nuance, giving them unique personalities beyond their size and often pointing out how others judgments ignore their full humanity and undermine their confidence.A fun and spooky celebration of fat kids and friendship. Kirkus Reviews Through Maggies witty first-person narration, Murphy reveals the fat camps horrors, both benign and supernatural, as Maggie, who experiences performance anxiety, realizes that she and her body are just right the way they are. Its a character-driven summer camp romp that takes on anti-fat bias while underscoring how parents dont always get things right. Publishers Weekly Readers of gentle horror will enjoy the eerier elements, and fans of contemporary middle-grade fiction will be delighted by Maggies realization that shes perfect just the way she is. ALA Booklist "Readers looking for a slightly spooky, fast-paced adventure with fully developed characters will delve into this one. School Library Journal "The characters [are] engaging and memorable. The central focus is on Maggies journey to overcome her personal fears, but the diet cultureobsessed vampires also allow for some moments of biting satire. Horn Book Magazine

Author Bio

Julie Murphylives in North Texas with her husband, who loves her; her dog, who adores her; and her cats, who tolerate her. After several wonderful years in the library world, Julie now writes full-time. When she's not writing or reliving her reference desk glory days, she can be found watching made-for-TV movies, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza,or planning her next great travel adventure. She is also the author of the young adult novels,Puddin',Ramona Blue,Side EffectsMay Vary,andDumplin'(now a Netflix original film). This is her first book for middle-grade readers. You can visit Julie at www.juliemurphywrites.com.