Summer Recreation Blog

Summer Ball

Summer Ball

Grade 5–8—This novel continues the story of Danny Walker, the basketball-obsessed hero of Travel Team (Philomel, 2004). In the interval between the two books, the 13-year-old and his friends went on to win the travel-team championship. Now that they are heading off to summer basketball camp, Danny is feeling the pressure of being number one. He plays as well as ever, but he’s still the smallest boy on the court and anxiously hoping for a growth spurt. As the story begins, things quickly go wrong for him. He fights with his girlfriend before he leaves; at camp, he’s separated from his friends and assigned a berth in the younger boys’ cabin. There are many familiar elements and few surprises here, yet Lupica breathes life into both characters and story. Danny is a classic sports-story underdog, but he’s also sympathetic and engaging. He is surrounded by a cast of supporting characters who add humor and whose interactions ring true. When Danny befriends Zach, who is a younger version of himself, readers see the protagonist grow in empathy and self-awareness. Sports fans will relish the on-court action, expertly rendered in Lupica’s taut prose. This worthy sequel to Travel Team should earn a wide audience.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Another One of Mike Lupica’s Great Books
This book is just another one of Mike Lupica’s great books. I would highly recommend this book as a gift or as something to make your kid read. Before reading this book, the truth was that I hated reading. However, as a lover of sports, especially basketball, this book somewhat connects to what I go through in personal life and in the sport of basketball.

If your child likes sports, and isn’t exactly into reading, then this book might be the one that will make him start reading. Your child will be able to make many connections with the main character, Danny Walker, who is a short kid that just won the “Travel Team” Champs. By the way, I also recommend Travel Team, which is the book that made me start reading books from Mike Lupica, and it is recommended because you might have no idea what the story is talking about if you never read Travel Team. Summer Ball is the sequel to Travel Team.

Again, this book is a great book and I would really recommend it to boys between the age of 10-13. It deserves each and every one of the 5 stars.

5 Stars Summer Ball
My son loves this book. He is a big fan of Mike Lupica’s books.

5 Stars Summer Ball
The book, Summer Ball was one of my all time favorite books. It is the sequel to the book Travel team. If you don’t read the first one you won’t understand most of it. Both are very inspiring novels and have inspired me. If you like basketball you’ll like this book. It is about a boy named Danny Walker who everyone thinks is too small to play basketball in the NBA, like his father Richie. He attends the biggest basketball camp in the country where his coach tells him the same thing. Will Danny give in to everyone, or will he follow his dream and play basketball. It has an inspiring theme and a great plot. It is one of Mike Lupica’s best books too me. This I think, might be my favorite book.

5 Stars Another Danny Walker hit!
Danny Walker returns this time with even more baggage and more adventures. The majority of the book takes place at Josh Cameron’s Right Way camp. The usual gang is back with Ty Ross, Will Stoddard, and yes even Tess. A few more characters come into this book as well and you will be excited to read it. This book will have you turning pages through and through until the very exciting end. Any sports loving kid will love this book and you know what those ones who don’t like sports will love it too.

5 Stars another winner
As a middle school literacy teacher, I am always looking for books my students will want to read. Mike Lupica’s never disappoint. My boys, in particular, love them, and I am impressed with the way Lupica deals with the dilemmas his characters face. This is another great story.

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Night Camp

Night Camp

A spooky graveyard. A creepy basement. A pair of coffins.
Thirteen-year-old Shane Andrews hates summer camp. When his parents allow him to choose, Shane decides to pick the worst camp he can find. Night Camp must be terrible. For one thing, activities take place at night and campers sleep during the day. That can’t be good, Shane reasons. His parents will realize Night Camp is even worse than they thought and they’ll come back to get him. Then Shane’s plans for summer freedom fall apart. His cousin Brad, a boy with a huge collection of tabloid magazines, convinces Shane that two of the camp counselors are vampires. Shane enlists the help of Brad and a girl camper named Nicole. The three set out to save themselves and the other campers. Then Shane uncovers the secret of Night Camp…

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars A different summer camp adventure
Linda Evans has written a novel that is aimed primarily for teens/young people. It is something everyone will enjoy - it is a different take on summer camps - very different!

When I was a kid at grade school, there would be assemblies showing different day camps with horseback riding, fun around the camp fire, etc.

I’d go home pumped wanting to go to summer camp, and to my dismay, my folks said - NO WAY - Wasn’t the money - My 1st generation Greek American parents didn’t want their kid to go somewhere they didn’t know - So I have no first hand experience with going to Summer Camp - at least sleepover Summer Camp.

Apparently Shane Andrews does. His parents ship him off to Summer Camp each summer, and then strike out to do their own vacation adventure.

Usually they pick a camp for him - this year they promise it will be his choice where to spend these weeks.

Looking at all the brochures before him, he picks the one camp that sounds so off the wall - all activities will be held at night, etc. He chooses this camp hoping his parents will be freaked out by the camp’s strangeness.

But NO! They are cool with it and drop him off at the designated place.

The ‘camp’ is a castle! The ‘counselors’ are nice, but really strange. All activities are indeed done at night time and for those who object to having to go to bed before dawn are looked at directly in the eyes and zap! they fall asleep!

Something is happening here!

Shane and his cousin, and new friend, Nicole, soon think the camp is run by vampires! They think the campers are meant to be ‘lunch’!

Therein lies the understory of the book - does being different mean being evil, or bad?

Night Camp is a really cute book with a message that won’t hit you over the head. It will be enjoyed by the young it was intended for, but kids of all ages.

Perhaps older readers will recall their summer camp adventures - or like me, wonder about how cool summer camp must have been. Especially a camp as different as Night Camp.

Cute, good read!

5 Stars Great Book!
Good read for the middle school set. Shane and friends find out things aren’t always what they seem. My niece and her friends will enjoy this book about vampires. Not too scary for good younger readers either. Great pace, great story, great ending!

5 Stars mystery
Night Camp is bound to reach middleschoolers with its blend of mystery, horror and humor. Each chapter leaves the reader eager for more of the twists and turns of the vampire-related plot. And what pre-teen won’t relate to the concept of a camp where you are not only allowed to but must stay up all night and sleep all day? My 11-year-old grandson read it and in his words, “liked it allot.” If you want your children to enjoy reading, this is the book to get them started.

5 Stars Vampires With a Surprising Secret
Night Camp is a fun read from a gifted writer. From the moment main character Shane picks up the brochure for a summer camp that takes place at night, I knew something weird was going to happen and I was not disappointed. The book is funny and I laughed out loud in places as Shane and his cousin along with their friend Nicole got into one mess after another. I could never have guessed the secret, but the book had exactly the right ending. Highly recommended.

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The Parent Trap Special Edition

The Parent Trap Special Edition

Identical twins hallie and annie were separated at birth when their parents divorced. After the two meet at summer camp they begin plotting to reunite their estranged parents. Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 06/06/2006 Starring: Dennis Quaid Natasha Richardson Run time: 128 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Nancy Meyers

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Beautiful Natasha Richardson
I rented this movie recently after the tragic death of Natasha Richardson March 18, 2009. It made me sad to see this beautiful, talented woman in a lovely movie, knowing we’ll never see her in another one again. She was so young and vibrant, and she really shines in “The Parent Trap”. It’s really eerie watching a movie or listening to a song, after the actress or singer died young and tragically, and you realize you know how and when they’ll die, and under what circumstances. It’s not the same if they die old and by natural circumstances.

I always liked this movie, and now I appreciate it more than ever.

5 Stars The Parent Trap (Special Edition)
This was a gift for my 8 year old daughter for getting 100 on a spelling test. She saw this movie a few weeks ago and has asked for it ever since. She has watched it numerous times since she has gotten it.

It’s a very enjoyable movie to watch for adults as well. It’s well worth it to own in your DVD library.

4 Stars Rethinking THE PARENT TRAP
Words can’t express the disgust with which I heard this movie was being made, for why remake a perfect show? I know everyone says that, but I was really feeling it in the case of THE PARENT TRAP. I don’t even know who directed the original, but to me, I wouldn’t care if Ewe Boll decided to remake 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY, VERTIGO, or THE SEARCHERS, but leave THE PARENT TRAP alone! And so I existed, in a cold vacuum of contempt, for ten years or more until, accidentally changing the channel, I saw a little red head girl who looked strangely familiar. I clapped my hands and my wife came into the room, took a look, and commented, “Oh, is that Druggie when she was a child?”

“Druggie?”

I didn’t recognize the girl, and then it hit me that it was Lindsay Lohan. Wow, what a plain little thing, but then I remember Hayley Mills was not exactly a Jon Benet type either. Anyhow I was hooked when I saw there were two of Lindsay, and from then on I figured out it was the hated PARENT TRAP remake. My verdict? She is a fantastic little actress and full of original, fresh ideas. Dennis Quaid? Much better than Brian Keith! What’s her name Redgrave who plays the mother? Not as good as Maureen O’Hara, why even try, should have gone in another direction. The servants? Horrible little storyline–sorry servant fans. I’d give it five stars except for two things,

Why not have the two Lindsays sing “Let’s Get Together”? I have all of Lindsay’s records and I’m here to tell you, that girl can sing (with studio help of course). All through the movie I was feeling anxiety about how on earth they were going to top the two Hayley’s singing the number at the dinner they had planned to bring their parents together. Well, Lindsay and Lindsay put on the dinner, but never brought out the ukelele or whatever. Lindsay sings a smidgin of the tune while waiting for the elevator, and Alan Silvestri’s score manages to quote the familiar refrain once or twice, but it is not the same! Waiting that long for something that never comes, is like, well, I can’t say what it is like, not in a review of a family film!

Secondly, they still have never explained why Dennis Quaid and Redgrave designer woman ever split up and each took one of the twins and then never told either one! It seems so cruel and horrible. You’d think Family Services would step in, and take both kids away from each selfish parent, and give them to a needy family who would care for them both equally. What kind of parents give away their kids, content never to see them again except for the summer camp mixup! Bah, they’re narcissistic creeps, and thus I dock the film s star.

5 Stars Parent Trap soundtrack
Great CD, very diverse music. Amazon.com delivered the product in only a few days. I’m very please with the purchase.

2 Stars Where is it!
Great movie, we all love it…yes yes, now on with the soundtrack’s review.

These songs may have been in the movie, but I cannot recall hearing very many of them. The main reason I wanted this soundtrack was for that crisp version of Glen Millers “In the Mood,” which played for over 5 minutes during the whole hotel fiasco in the movie. Great song that had a major part in the movie, and yet it is not on the soundtrack. Disappointment…

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