This series has a lot to offer to young readers! It has adventure and friendship, intrigue and scripture. It has a great combination of ideas and I loved it. I am thrilled that I will be able to share these books with my daughters. They are clean, enjoyable and send a great message to girls.
Even though these books are geared towards girls ages 8-12. My boys found these books to be a wonderful series. We were given books 1 and 2 in the series. My boys enjoy mystery books and love solving Scooby Doo cartoons. They read these books from start to finish and I have to say I enjoyed reading them as well.
Finding suitable reading material for girls, ages 8 to 12, is sometimes tricky. With the abundance of vampires, werewolves and other icky creatures being the theme of so many “teen” novels, it’s a breath of fresh air to find a sweet, fun adventure series that is age-appropriate for young girls. The “Camp Club Girls” series features a group of friends, six girls in all, who meet at summer church camp and become life-long friends. Each girl is unique in her own way, and all of them are blessed with the gift of curiousity that sometimes leads them into a bit of trouble now and then. There’s Elizabeth, from Amarillo and, as the oldest, the group’s leader; Sydney, the active girl from Washington D.C.; McKenzie, the cowgirl from Montana; Alexis, the California cheerleader; Bailey, the golf prodigy from Peoria, Illinois; and Kate, the gadget girl from Philadelphia.
The first book, “Camp Club Girls and The Mystery at Discovery Lake,” introduces readers to the girls and tells the story of how they all meet at Camp Discovery, a summer youth camp. The girls, who live all over the country, soon find that they all love trying to solve a good mystery. And when they discover that the miniature golf course at their camp seems to be the center of some spooky activity, the girls form a super sleuth ring and are soon up to their ears in hunting for lost treasure, trying to catch a would-be thief, and keeping up with their camp activities all at the same time!
The second book, “Sydney’s D.C. Discovery,” finds Sydney and her friend Elizabeth suddenly at the center of a would-be terrorist plot to harm the President of the United States. When suspicious activities start occurring at the Vietnam Memorial, Sydney, whose aunt is a tour guide at the memorial, and Elizabeth, who is visiting Washington with her uncle, a Vietnam vet, decide to try and figure out what is going on. The girls, with a lot of help from their Camp Club girlfriends, soon are chasing down shady characters, and helping the Secret Service break up a plan to cause chaos in the United States.
The “Camp Club Girls” series is reminiscent of the “Nancy Drew” mystery novels of a generation or two ago, with a fresh spin that will keep a young mystery fan of today interested. Besides the adventure aspect of the books, there is also a faith-based message to each story that fits into each plot. Nothing too “in-your-face,” but important nonetheless. The series is scheduled to have two books per month published, each book featuring a different character, but involving all of the “Camp Club Girls,” and will run through 2011. Barbour Publishing is also featuring a great monthly contest to promote these books on their website at www.barbourbooks.com, with a grand prize of a basket of cool gadgets and books, valued at $2,000.
