July 27, 2007

Letters from Camp - by Kate (and Sarah) Klise

Imagine a summer camp in Missouri run by six adult siblings who, years before, used to be a popular family musical group. At this camp run by The Harmony family, once known as the Harmony Family Singers, brothers and sisters are invited to come and learn how to get along with one another. In this story, six children come to the camp, but find that things are a LOT different than they had expected! Instead of your normal summer camp, these kiddos were made to work hard, eat terrible food, wear hideous clothing, and much worse, while the Harmony siblings sat back and plotted their comeback musical tour. Just when you think this is bad enough, it turns out that something much more terrible is actually going on at camp Happy Harmony, and it's up to the children to save the day, before somebody gets away with MURDER!

This is a unique book, written in the Klises' usual style. The story is told through a variety of letters, memos, notes, and other forms of written communication between the different characters, and must be pieced together by the reader to make any sense. This is not only a more challenging way to read, it is also very enjoyable and rewarding. This book is great for mystery lovers, for readers who love using illustrations to understand the story, and for those who enjoy seeing kids outsmart adults time after time. If you like this story (and you will!), you must read Regarding the Fountain, the first in a series by the same sister duo. Kate does the writing, while Sarah illustrates, and the result is unforgettable!

To see random pages from this book, click HERE.