It is definitely not summer where I live in the northern hemisphere, and yet these two excellent Cybils-nominated books shared a the theme of summer camping and I wanted to share them with you. Read now, or save until summer if you’re so inclined.

It came from the trees by Ally Russell. Delacorte Press, 2024. ISBN 978-0593646977

Jenna, whose grandfather was the first Black Rangers in her state, has always loved the outdoors.  She and her best friend Reese begged their parents to allow them to join the expensive Cottontail Scouts.  Their first camping trip, hardcore hiking with gear to a camping spot, is a catalog list of microaggressions as they are the only two Black girls there – made to march at the back of the hiking line, gather all the firewood, and constantly scolded, all while wearing scratchy uniforms.  Angry at this treatment, they set up their tent as far away from the rest of the troop as they can.  This backfires in a huge way when Reese is kidnapped from their tent in the middle of the night by a giant man-shaped monster.  No one else in the troop witnessed it, and neither the police nor Jenna’s parents believe that she didn’t just run away.  

Jenna is still convinced that Reese is out there, though, so she joins the much less formal, more diverse and more supportive Owlet Scouts, who will be camping on the other side of the nature reserve.  Even though the other scouts are friendly, Jenna is focused on sneaking away to leave blazes and food packets for Reese, in case she’s escaped.  But the monster is still out there…

I would have liked to have the final ending as part of the story instead of the epilogue, but overall, this was a really effective book.  The kidnapping scene was terrifying, and there are many other scenes to thrill young horror fans.  Even more, I loved Jenna’s determination to find Reese in the face of all the doubt she faced, and to claim her right to be at home in the outdoors whether the opposition to her being there is human or cryptid.  I also loved her new troop member Norrie and really the way the whole troop came together in a demonstration of the best benefits of scouting.  Though I am very glad I never ran into any cryptids on any of the camping trips I took my troop on! 

The Last Rhee Witch by Jenna Lee-Yun. Disney Hyperion, 2024. ISBN 978-1368099073. Read from a library copy. 

Ronnie has never felt very Korean, thanks to being raised by a dad who was adopted by white parents, since her mother died when she was 5.  She’s also never felt very courageous – but that’s fine, as long as she’s with her best friend, Jack, who’s also Korean-American.  Now, though, Ronnie’s started speaking in rhymes whenever she’s stressed – which stresses out her father and makes her even more stressed.  They both hope that going to sleepaway camp with Jack will help her – even though Ronnie is less than thrilled about the outdoors and is planning to avoid the high ropes course and making new friends.  

Once there, though, things do not go as planned.  Jack immediately makes friends with a boy in his cabin, Sam (described as white), who takes an instant dislike to Ronnie.  Meanwhile, Ronnie’s fashion-conscious bunkmate Olivia (Afro-Asian) is determined that they will be besties.  Ronnie has never wanted any friend besides Jack – and her recurring sightings of the legendary camp ghost make her even less inclined to trust anybody.  Ronnie has always considered herself a scientist- but seeing a gwishin in long white robes with terrifying eyes and a long, blood-red scarf straight out Jack’s comic books has her questioning her sanity.  She still can’t resist investing more, especially when she learns that the ghost was the last of the Rhee family women who all died in suspicious accidents.  This is a satisfying level of scary, together with Ronnie connecting more with her heritage, learning to branch out with her friendships, and finally being willing to try new things while still remaining true to herself.  

For more scary summer happenings, try Just South of Home by Karen Strong or Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh.