Camp Twisted Pine

Whispering Pines meets Small Spaces in this spooky “part campfire tale, part eco-fable, all charm” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade novel about a girl whose first summer camp experience is disrupted by a menacing creature abducting her fellow campers.

Eleven-year-old Naomi loves all things outdoors—birds and beetles, bats and bunnies—in theory. She explores nature in the best possible way: the cold, hard facts in books. So when her parents’ announcement of their impending divorce comes hand in hand with sending Naomi and her younger twin brothers to summer camp while they figure things out, it’s salt in the wound for Naomi and her avoidance of hands-on experience.

Camp Twisted Pine could be worse. The counselors are nice, and Naomi likes her cabinmates, especially Jackie, whose blunt personality and frank dislike of the camp draw Naomi in quickly. Jackie is also hard of hearing and uses a hearing aid, and the girls quickly develop a routine of sign language lessons in their free time, which Naomi sees as a welcome break when all the s’mores-making and nature walks get to be a bit much.

But the campers aren’t the only ones who roam the grounds of Camp Twisted Pine. When people start to go missing, including Jackie, Naomi has to find a way to save everyone—and herself. Her practical knowledge of the outdoors may still be rudimentary at best, but she has years of studying and the scientific method to fall back on. Can Naomi identify and stop the dangerous predator before it’s too late?

About the Author :
Ciera Burch is a lifelong writer and ice cream aficionado. She has a BA from American University and an MFA from Emerson College. Her fiction has appeared in The American Literary Magazine, Underground, Five Points, Stork, and Blackbird. Her work was also chosen as the 2019 One City One Story read for the Boston Book Festival. While she is originally from New Jersey, she currently resides in Washington, DC, with her stuffed animals, plants, and far too many books. Visit Ciera at CieraBurch.com.

Review :
Eleven-year-old Naomi Samuels spends the summer between elementary and middle school enduring both familial and paranormal aggravation in this sleepaway camp thriller by Burch (Finch House). Sent to Camp Twisted Pine by their parents, Naomi and her younger twin brothers Aman and Omar find themselves in the New Jersey Pine Barrens while the adults navigate a waning marriage. Apprehensive about the experience, science-minded Naomi nevertheless finds much to observe in the surrounding woods and befriends fellow camper Jackie, who wears hearing aids and teaches Naomi American Sign Language. Despite Naomi’s more logical thinking, she’s affected by a campfire story about the Jersey Devil and believes she encounters the folkloric creature during an unsupervised forest outing. Her fears that there’s something sinister about Camp Twisted Pine are confirmed when campers—including Aman—begin disappearing into the woods, setting Naomi on a rescue mission in a story that mixes light thrills, natural magic, and local legend. Initial horror movie flourishes give way to depictions of Naomi’s changing family relationships, stressing the interpersonal dynamics of summer camp and lending a gentler feel to this introspective dark fantasy adventure. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 8–12. Agent: Trinica Sampson-Vera, New Leaf Literary. (Sept.) Preteen Naomi likes learning about nature from books and the internet, not from firsthand experience.

But Naomi’s parents need some time to figure out their divorce, so she’s going off with her younger twin brothers, Aman and Omar, to Camp Twisted Pine in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Camp is just as miserable as she predicted, but Naomi manages to make friends with (and maybe develop a hint of a crush on) Jackie, a hard-of-hearing girl who uses both English and ASL. Naomi’s logical, rational mind makes it hard for her to bond with her other cabinmates, especially when they start telling stories about the Jersey Devil. But maybe the Jersey Devil is real—and maybe he’s kidnapping campers. Or maybe the oddly young head counselor has something to do with the mysterious disappearances? Then there’s the highly invasive and subtly unnatural kudzu that’s growing throughout the forest. Naomi is a lovable, nerdy protagonist who resides in a world where the adults, though often well meaning, aren’t listening and it’s up to the kids to save the day. The story is fun and gently spooky with no real scares, and it’s likely to spark readers’ interest in ecosystems and conservation. A genuine love and knowledge of the Pine Barrens is evident in the details of the setting. Naomi presents Black, and the supporting cast is racially diverse.

Part campfire tale, part eco-fable, all charm. (Paranormal. 8-12)