I love books set during summer camp and this story was a charmer! The plot includes the hijinks, fun, friendship, and events of a wonderful summer adventure. However, this is also a special camp for kids who are at RISK. It stands for reoccurring incidents of the strange kind. It seems more and more kids are born with strange and uncontrollable abilities; like floating, turning into a dog at random times, time-traveling, or spontaneous combustion. The government mandates that these children are always watched and Camp Outlier is one of their summer choices. Camp turns out to be an experience of great freedom as kids can forget for a time about how strange their life is from other kids back home.
Despite the humor and fun, there is a serious message which is subtle but impactful. RISK kids being set apart is expensive and difficult for schools and families. The ethics of how much can be afforded is hinted at with a time travel plotline. Kids might not pick up on the serious message but teachers and parents can guide kids into seeing how this fantastic story applies in today's world.
I enjoyed reading this story so much. I could just feel, hear and smell camp! This book would make a great read-aloud. I give it a 4 out of 4 rating.
- Age Range: 8 - 12 years
- Grade Level: 3 - 7
- Reading Level: 5,5 (11 points)
- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins (May 29, 2018)
I enjoy 1 Minute Books YouTube Channel where youth services librarian gives quick 1-minute book talks. Here is her book talk about Float.
No comments:
Post a Comment