FREE 8-Week Virtual Book Club Camp
***IN BETA***
Calling all rising 5th-8th graders:
June 16-August 8th, VIRTUAL camp
Join us for a FREE 8-week online book club camp this summer, full of reading adventures and making friends.
We’ll run Book Campaigns, hold a Book Election, do a little Literary Learning, build personalized Reading Toolkits to help take the bookish adventure beyond the summer, and much more.
I hope you can join us!
~ Heidi M.
My Vision:
This is NOT a typical book club. My goal for each reader is to help them learn HOW to love reading—or how to love reading MORE—but not necessarily to read a specific, assigned book.
The benefits that come from discussing materials everyone in a group has read are important, and so is the reality that far too often, readers are turned off of a text—or reading in general—when required to read specific texts on a specific timeline.
I’m working to offer an interactive but flexible and personalized group experience designed to help kids learn to love reading and develop the habit of reading for fun, no matter where they are in their reading journey, and to make new and lasting connections.
A love of reading fosters a love of curiosity, learning, and critical thinking. It grows empathy and helps us to understand ourselves and the world in which we find ourselves.
Our educational models are evolving, but we still have far to go, and too many students are losing their love of reading and learning by the time they exit the educational system.
This beta course is an effort on my part, as an individual educator and advocate, to begin my own formal work toward answering this need for our students and our society.
Book Club
Camp Details
Do I have to read ALL the books? No! I invite you to participate in the camp activities and read as much or as little as you like from the list. If you need any help at all, please ask!
Ages 9-13, Rising 5th-8th graders.
Monday-Sunday, 6/16/25—8/8/25, final week ends on Friday.
2-4 synchronous zoom meetings scheduled by survey after enrollment, to foster social connections.
FLEX SCHEDULE: primarily asynchronous but interactive, so works well with vacation schedules. We will use discussion boards and other virtual activities to encourage engagement with books, peers, and teacher.
Students will be placed in groups of 5-12. If you would like to be in the same group as someone else, please note that on your enrollment form.
Students will need computer and internet access. We will be using Google classroom, docs, and forms; as well as YouTube, Kahoot, Zoom, and more. No paid accounts are required.
This course is in beta and is FREE OF CHARGE to committed participants.
We’ll be using a list of middle grade books as a starting point for our exploration. These books will be candidates in a Book Election, in which students learn about the titles, then campaign for the one(s) they most want the whole group to read and discuss together. Check those out here.
You can read more about what we’ll be covering here.
Daily active engagement will vary from student to student, with ample opportunity for expansion.
MEET YOUR BOOK GUIDE
Hi, I’m Heidi! You can call me Heidi, Ms. Heidi, or Ms. M.
I’m a life-long bookworm but also know what it’s like to get stuck in a reading rut.
Like too many students, I stopped reading for fun for years after leaving school.
Gradually, I rediscovered my love for books and reading.
Then I became a parent! And not long after that, I learned that I was a neurodiverse person and had a neurodiverse kiddo. It’s been a crazy ride!
Over the past decade, I’ve spent a lot of time as a homeschool mom, sometimes to one kid, sometimes to two.
In 2017, I started running book clubs for kids. My passion for books and connecting people to the joy of reading has been growing ever since.
I’m so excited to be offering this camp and can’t wait to meet you—if we haven’t already met—and explore all things books and reading!
“A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.” ~ Carl Sagan, Cosmos
“A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.” ~ Madeleine L’Engle
Summer Camp Book Elections Nominees! (To be finalized by June 9th)
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Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
Publisher recommended ages: 8-12
★ “A magical world readers will want to visit, blended with contemporary themes. An excellent middle grade fantasy.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
★ “This thrilling debut…confronts privilege and prejudice even while delving into a world of wonder, humor, and adventure…a sure-to-please winner.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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by Ruta Sepetys, Steve Sheinken
Publisher recommended age 10 and up
“Break out your Enigma machines! Sepetys and Sheinkin have written a thrilling World War II code-breaking adventure filled with ciphers, secrets, and spies.”
~ Alan Gratz – New York Times bestselling author of Refugee
“With broad appeal to both WWII and mystery enthusiasts, this highly recommended title is a first purchase for all libraries serving tweens and teens.” ~ SLJ
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by a Scott Reintgen
Publisher recommended Ages 10-13, GR 5-8
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Dragons, Space, Adventures, Intrigue
“Reintgen’s latest balances fraught interpersonal drama with expertly choreographed action and gleefully imaginative worldbuilding. The keenly rendered, racially diverse cast boasts jocularity, heart, and derring-do, enthralling readers while illustrating the revolutionary power of forgiveness and teamwork.”
~ Publisher’s Weekly, STARRED review
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by Caroline Starr Rose
★ A young wilderness lookout confronts family expectations and her fear of fire… Believable emotions, gripping action, and skillfully incorporated information about climate change and wildfire management make this a relatable and engaging read. A girl-versus-nature story that shines with evocative verse, a compelling protagonist, and a brisk plotline.
—Kirkus, starred review -
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by Geoff Rodkey
"A quirky sci-fi adventure with a surprising layer of political irony."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Rodkey explores heady concepts such as immigration, tolerance, culture shock, and relative humor in this slapstick-laden allegory"—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Whip-smart, wildly inventive, and truly important.” –Katherine Applegate, author of Newbery Medal winner The One and Only Ivan
"Who knew that giant talking mosquitos and brilliant marshmallow girls on a distant planet could provide such crucial insight into what is happening on our planet right now?" -Adam Gidwitz, author of Newbery Honor book The Inquisitor's Tale -
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by Erin Entrada Kelly
***Winner of the 2025 Newbery Medal***
“A teen time traveler from 2199 visits 1999 and befriends an endearing, anxious tween boy in this wholesome and splendidly entertaining middle-grade novel about embracing the unknown. Kelly has written one of the kindest boys in children's literature.”
~ Shelf Awareness
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by Aimee Lucido
★ “As Emmy learns Java, the language and structure of programming seep into her poems. Music and code interweave…. and readers will cheer to see them work collectively…to create something beautiful.”
~ Kirkus, STARRED review
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by James Ponti
“A must-read; Ponti has crafted a delightful tale that combines humor, history, and heart into one captivating adventure."
–SLJ, starred review
“An environmental mystery featuring lots of clever detecting, a bit of danger, and real felonies to investigate.”
~ Kirkus
"With an eye for atmosphere, history, and lively humor, Ponti brings the South Florida setting, as well as its quick-witted inhabitants, to vivid life, making for a worthy successor to classic kid mysteries that’s entertaining, educational, and exciting."
–Publishers Weekly, starred review
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by Brian Selznick
Grades 5-8
“—engrossing, intelligent, beautifully engineered and expertly told both in word and image—” ~ The New York Times
“This book was a joy, a challenge, and a puzzle to put together. I hope you enjoy meeting Ben and Rose, and joining them on their thrilling, dangerous and unexpected adventures in New York City.”
–Brian Selznick -
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All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team
by a Christina Soontornvat
***Winner of the 2021 Newbery Medal***
Winner, 2021 Kirkus Prize for Young People’s Literature
“Readers who already know the outcome will nonetheless be enthralled by this singular tale that captures the importance of STEM education, the beauty of Thailand, and the best of humanity—collaboration, innovation, sacrifice, family, and love.”
~Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
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by Donna Barba Higuera
SLJ: Gr 5 and up
***Winner of the 2022 Newbery Medal***
"Deftly blends Mexican folklore with science fiction in this thrilling and emotional post-apocalyptic novel."
~ Shelf Awareness, Starred review
"This is the work of a true cuentista: gripping, euphonious (“The wind carried it off far away into the stars”), and full of storytelling magic."
~ Publisher’s Weekly
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by Clare Edge
“The clever premise isn’t just a one-note joke; it’s the basis for a stellar story and a moving meditation on chronic illness.” — Booklist
“Deeply thoughtful, absurdly clever, and packed with heart.” — Rebecca Mix, New York Times bestselling author of The Mossheart's Promise
“Empowering.” — Kirkus
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by Bobbie Pyron
“An important purchase for all children’s and teen library shelves.”
—School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW“Pearl’s resilience, hope and bravery shine like her namesake.”
—Booklist“Perceptive, instructive, and hopeful.”
—Publishers Weekly“A full-bodied and authentic exploration of living with depression.”
—Kirkus Reviews“Pyron uses metaphor gorgeously in this compelling verse novel.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books“Octopus Moon shines with resilience, hope and kindness. Oh, how I wish I’d had this book when I was a kid!”
—Newbery Award-winner Katherine Applegate -
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by Allie Millington
“ Millington’s writing does us a great favor.” - Tom Hanks, The NEW YORK TIMES
★ “Debut author Millington skillfully delivers a complex storyline that deals with heavy topics. With plenty of quotable wisdom, richly textured language, and dry humor, this work reads like a classic. An extraordinary journey that speaks to the “before” and “after” of life-changing events.” — Kirkus, starred review
A lively and tender story about language, archive, and family history, Millington’s debut will keep young readers on their toes. ... Formatted in alternating chapters between Ernest and Olivetti’s points of view, readers will be delighted by the book’s playfulness, as well as its bittersweet look at the power of memory, and how a family can be broken and then healed. A quirky, heartfelt novel."--School Library Journal
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by Laura Martin
“With its dynamic plot, engaging characters, and sci-fi/historical fiction blend, this title will pull in a huge variety of readers, all of whom will be racing to see how the story ends.”
~ SLJ, STARRED review
CAMP SCHEDULE, WIP