Camp Sylvania: Moon Madness - by Julie Murphy & Crystal Maldonado (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Last year, Maggie and Nora didn't exactly get the summer of their dreams. Instead, they had to survive a camp run by a covert clan of vampires. But this year, Camp Sylvania is back and under new management--gentle, hippie-dippie Luna Lupowski. So the girls are convinced to give camp another try. All Nora wants is an unforgettable experience with her best friend. But it's hard to have fun with Maggie fixated on all things otherworldly--and spending time with Logan, the boy she met at camp last year. When creepy things start happening, Maggie insists on investigating. But Nora has found an interest of her own--the strange effects of Luna's homemade moon water. It removes zits, adds lustrous shine to hair, and even seems to straighten teeth! No braces? No problem! It isn't long before the girls are caught up in another supernatural adventure. But when their friends find themselves in danger, can Maggie and Nora put their differences aside to save them? Is it possible to just have one normal summer, please?"--

Book Synopsis

From Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin', and acclaimed coauthor Crystal Maldonado comes the sequel to the hilarious and creepy middle grade summer-camp story--this time featuring werewolves!

Last year, Maggie and Nora didn't exactly get the summer of their dreams. Instead, they had to survive a camp run by a covert clan of vampires. But this year, Camp Sylvania is back and under new management--gentle, hippie-dippie Luna Lupowski. So the girls are convinced to give camp another try.

All Nora wants is an unforgettable experience with her best friend. But it's hard to have fun with Maggie fixated on all things otherworldly--and spending time with Logan, the boy she met at camp last year.

When creepy things start happening, Maggie insists on investigating. But Nora has found an interest of her own--the strange effects of Luna's homemade "moon water." It removes zits, adds lustrous shine to hair, and even seems to straighten teeth! No braces? No problem!

It isn't long before the girls are caught up in another supernatural adventure. But when their friends find themselves in danger, can Maggie and Nora put their differences aside to save them? Is it possible to just have one normal summer, please?

Review Quotes

"Nora and Maggie take turns as narrators, their engaging voices giving insight into both sides of their middle-school friendship drama. Snappy dialogue and gentle poking fun at New Agey-ness add to the humor." - The Horn Book
"A speedy but satisfying read that should appeal to a wide range of readers who want the perfect combination of scary, clever, funny, and quick." - School Library Journal
Praise for DEAR SWEET PEA: "Murphy creates a wonderfully realistic portrait of tween life in her first middle-grade novel.... Sweet Pea is a treasure of a protagonist." - ALA Booklist (starred review)
"Full of cringe-worthy but funny seventh grade moments... [there's also] plenty of room for more serious reflection about the people around her in her small Texas town, a cast diverse in ethnicity, sexual orientation, and body size as well as in attitudes." - Horn Book Magazine
"Dear Sweet Pea is a truly irresistible story about a family in flux, brimming with humor and heart." - Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach M
"With gentle humor, ageless wisdom, and charming, genuine characters who represent a diversity of experiences, Murphy's novel offers all the emotional highs and lows of pitch-perfect middle grade." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Murphy succeeds yet again at crafting a touching, quotable coming-of-age story, this time exploring divorce, shifting friendships, crushes, queerness, and much more." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"Endearing and funny... An excellent blend of eccentricity, humor, genuine sweetness, and mild drama." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Praise for CAMP SYLVANIA: "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 Maggie's witty first-person narration, Murphy reveals the fat camp's horrors, both benign and supernatural, as Maggie, who experiences performance anxiety, realizes that she and her body are just right the way they are. It's a character-driven summer camp romp that takes on anti-fat bias while underscoring how parents don't always get things right." - Publishers Weekly
Praise for CAMP SYLVANIA: "Readers of gentle horror will enjoy the eerier elements, and fans of contemporary middle-grade fiction will be delighted by Maggie's realization that she's perfect just the way she is." - ALA Booklist
"Successfully handles tough topics with humor." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books