Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire [Hardcover]

Brenda A. Ferber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2009 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Jemma Hartman knows that her first summer at beautiful Camp Star Lake is going to be amazing. There will be swimming, sailing, and overnight trips – not to mention her best friend, Tammy, who moved away a year ago. But when Tammy’s cousin, Brooke, decides to come to camp as well, Jemma’s perfect summer starts to crumble. Brooke never laughs at Jemma’s jokes, and she thinks she rules the cabin. She even convinces Tammy to be her sailing partner, sticking Jemma with the camp weirdo. Jemma just can’t understand why Tammy wants to spend all her time with Brooke. And is it really possible to make new friends but keep the old, like the song says, or does Jemma simply need to let go?

Recalling the camp she attended as a child, Brenda A. Ferber offers an endearing look at friendships lost and found.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–6—Jemma can't wait for summer camp, where she will be reunited with Tammy, who moved away at the beginning of fifth grade. Then Tammy arrives with her cousin in tow, and Jemma's hopes for a fun-filled summer are dashed. She dislikes Brooke, whose eyes seem to roll whenever Jemma talks, and who insists on partnering with Tammy during sailing instruction. Jemma is at a loss to understand why her best friend has suddenly deserted her. Any child who has ever lost a friend will relate to her inner turmoil. Ferber has drawn a realistic main character who experiences pain and discomfort when Tammy continually rejects her. The plot moves along swiftly, and Jemma's first-person narrative rings true, as do the issues and the camp experience.—Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NY
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From Booklist

Rising sixth-grader Jemma is looking forward to attending Camp Star Lake with best friend Tammy, until she learns that Tammy’s annoying cousin, Brooke, will be joining them. Suddenly the somewhat insecure Jemma feels like an outsider, for Brooke has a chip on her shoulder (because her parents are getting divorced) and tries to outdo Jemma at every opportunity, leaving Tammy as the unsuccessful peacemaker-in-the-middle. As the summer progresses, Jemma comes to accept that her relationship with Tammy has changed, and she broadens her friendship horizons with Delaney, a girl with an overpowering older sister who pursues yoga just to be different. The author of Julia’s Kitchen (2006) offers here a lighter story for a slightly younger audience. Ferber has a fine ear for preteen dialogue and concerns, and her descriptions of overnight camp activities (especially sailing and waterskiing) will strike a chord with readers. Give this to first-time campers or fans of Kathleen O’Dell’s Agnes Parker . . . Happy Camper? (2005). Grades 3-6. --Kay Weisman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); First Edition edition (April 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374336725
• ISBN-13: 978-0374336721
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,666,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brenda A. Ferber grew up in Highland Park, Illinois, where she fell in love with reading and dreamed of becoming a children's book author. Before she found the courage to make her dream come true, she worked at a french-fry store, an ice cream store, and an advertising agency. She graduated from the University of Michigan, married her college sweetheart, and had three kids in 19 months. Then she finally decided to go for it. The result was Julia's Kitchen, winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award in 2007. She followed that with Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire. And her first picture book, The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine's Day Ever, will be published in 2013.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for any age, May 30, 2009

By 

Audra Halprin "Audi" (Bloomfield, Mi) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire (Hardcover)

I loved this book! I am 38 years old with a 16 month year old son. But I could totally relate to this book. It is a great book for any girl at any age. Brenda's detail and emotions are captured in a friendship web between 4 girls at camp. What girl hasn't gone through this? This book is a good read to help girls get through friendship issues that Tween and Teenage girls go through alot. I wish I had a book growing up to deal with this. Your girls will love it!!!!! So will U

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Off to Camp!, March 17, 2010

By 

Enid A. Grabiner "Enid Grabiner" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire (Hardcover)

JEMMA HARTMAN, camper extraordiane by Brenda Ferber is a wonderful example of how a book can help initiate discussion about fears a camper may have in anticipation of going away for the first time. It is a fabulous find for both mothers and daughters to share and many of my clients have read it for their mother-daughter book groups.

Jemma is going to Camp Star Lake with Tammy, her former best friend who has moved away. She looks forward to having a perfect summer with her, sharing activities and fun like it used to be. She doesn't anticipate that her once solid friendship has changed. Nor does foresee Tammy's cousin, Brooke, also attending, creating a threesome and lots of anxiety.

Although Jemma may know what the camp will look like and what the schedule is like, she can't predict the actions of other campers. She feels excluded by Tammy, in competition with Brooke, and plagued by Delaney, the camp oddball. In this touching story Jemma learns through experience how to manage relationships and build friendships.

An anonymous quote prefacing the book says it all: "You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sail."