Willows vs. Wolverines

Gr 5 Up—Izzy Cervantes and her best friend Mackenzie reluctantly head to a new summer camp (Camp Foxtail) after a family dispute makes attendance at the familiar Camp Sweetwater no longer possible. The girls are assigned to different cabins, and while Mackenzie decides to accept fate and be miserable alone, Izzy wants to break out and make new friends. When she hears about the long-running prank war between her cabin, the Willows, and the boys' cabin, the Wolverines, Izzy concocts a story about her older brother Tomás (she does have a brother Tomás, but he is only five years old) being a former Camp Foxtail resident and genius prankster. She hopes her lie will help her become accepted (and respected) by the other girls. Each successful prank against the Wolverines cements Izzy's bond with her new friends while also straining her relationship with Mackenzie. As summer camp draws to a close, Izzy discovers who her real friends are and Mackenzie learns that she can stand on her own. Through Izzy's detailed, first-person narration, the novel provides a humorous look at the summer camp experience, and although the pranks seem overly elaborate, the book does offer a realistic view of fleeting summer camp relationships.