Brain Camp

by Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan, Faith Erin Hicks (Illustrator)

Overview

Neither artistic, dreamy Jenna nor surly, delinquent Lucas expected to find themselves at an invitation-only summer camp that turns problem children into prodigies. And yet, here they both are at Camp Fielding, settling in with all the other losers and misfits who've been shipped off by their parents in a last-ditch effort to produce a child worth bragging about.

But strange disappearances, spooky lights in the woods, and a chilling alteration that turns the dimmest, rowdiest campers into docile zombie Einsteins have Jenna and Lucas feeling more than a little suspicious . . . and a lot afraid.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250062925
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	06/16/2015
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	11 - 14 Years

About the Author

Susan Kim has written for more than three dozen children's TV series. This is her second graphic novel. Her first, also written with Mr. Klavan, was First Second's City of Spies. Laurence Klavan has published two mystery novels. Mr. Klavan and Ms. Kim both live in New York City. Faith Erin Hicks is the author and artist of Zombies Calling and The War at Ellsmere. She lives in Nova Scotia.

Reading Group Guide

Questions for Discussion

1. Brain Camp is a graphic novel, a story told with words and pictures. How do you think this story would be different if it was a novel, told with only words? Or a movie, with no written text at all?

2. At the start of the book, both Jenna and Lucas' parents feel that their children should be achieving more. From what you know of Jenna and Lucas' lives, what do you think?

3. If your parents had sent you to Camp Fielding, do you think you would have figured out what was going on?

4. On page 128, Jenna and Lucas realize that their parents have known what was going on at the camp the whole time. What would prompt their parents to go along with the camp's plans? Did they think they were doing what's best for their children? Or acting purely selfishly?

5. Think about the events of this story from the perspective of the purple bird-alien. Do you feel sympathetic for him at all? What do you think will happen to him and his species?

6. There are a number of adult characters in Brain Camp, but few (if any) of them are portrayed as ‘good guys.' Pick one of the following characters and think about their perspective. Could their actions be perceived as positive? Jenna's parents; Lucas' mom; Don Fielding; Tracy Vanderheuven; Hal Braymin.

7. At the end of Brain Camp, it is clear that the threat of bird-alien invasion is not yet over, and Jenna and Lucas are prepared. If you knew that the earth was going to be invaded by aliens, how would you prepare? How would you convince people that this is something that needs to be taken seriously?

Editorial Reviews

Bright and expressive drawing.” —Publishers Weekly

“From its shock opening right out of a horror movie, this graphic novel sets the scene for an old-fashioned scare story. . . . Well-rounded adventure.” —Booklist

“Kim and Klavan offer a sly social commentary with a fizzy dash of stomach-lurching horror. Hicks's chunky art goes to town with the revolting possibilities. Smart, disgusting fun.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A quick and quirky graphic novel.” —School Library Journal

“Excellent, and the combination of horror, suspense, and love story are likely to interest a much broader audience than any one theme alone. Illustrations support the plot well and offer a great, if revolting, view of the aliens.” —Children's Literature

“Though Jenna and Lucas are a rather typical offbeat pairing, they are still a fun duo to follow as they try to get to the bottom of Camp Fielding. The art is very well done and complements the story, depicting it exceptionally well. . . . Great read.” —VOYA

From the Publisher

This story by First Second veterans Kim and Klavan, who wrote City of Spies, is unconvincing in both plot and characterization. Lucas and Jenna are both supposed underachievers in an overachieving world--Jenna’s sister attends Yale at age 14--but though we’re told again and again, their dialogue and actions don’t bear this out. Dragged off to a place called Camp Fielding to explore their “potential,” they encounter a mish-mash of mysteries, none of which attain clarity. Among the clues: the smartest campers have left their cabins; girls sprout strange growths on their foreheads; a dead bird is found outside a cabin, all of which leads Jenna and Lucas to their discovery of the missing campers in a barn and some odd nefarious activities by camp directors. When the camp director admonishes, “We’re only trying to help you, Lucas… Do you really want to end up in prison like your dad?” it’s just one example of the heavy-handed exposition that mars the story. While readers may be pulled along by Hicks’s bright and expressive drawing, the workmanlike writing and rushed plotting won’t do much to keep them engaged. Ages 11-up. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 7 Up—A quick and quirky graphic novel with a bit of an identity crisis. Two misfits, Jenna and Lucas, are sent to a summer-camp-of-last-resort by their respective, exasperated parents. Despite some hate-at-first-sight, the pair, in a predictable fashion, soon start up a friendship and eventually fall for one another. Unfortunately, something funny is going on at Camp Fielding: some kids disappear while others become suspiciously more intelligent. This is a fun story, one that moves well and is illustrated with excellent full-color artwork. But there is one issue that prevents the book from receiving top marks. Brain Camp appears to be targeted to a tween audience; the majority of it would be perfectly at place in a "Goosebumps" novel, complete with snappy banter, suspicious goings-on, and a handful of kids who save the day. Similarly, the book's artwork would also appeal to younger children. However, a few scenes, including one wet dream sequence complete with stained underwear, place it in the teen section.—Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada

School Library Journal

Ever wonder what would happen if the men of Stepford conferred with evil aliens and decided to open a summer camp? Dubbed "losers," immature Jenna and delinquent Lucas seem to be perfect candidates for the mysterious Camp Fielding, which guarantees "to prepare any child for the SATs and beyond." Most of the campers are well behaved, obedient and intelligent; in their spare time, they enjoy solving equations and learning the bucolic camp's giant maze. However, as Jenna and Lucas settle in at the camp, they begin to notice that things aren't quite right: Campers keep disappearing, and every day more of the kids go from being surly or stupid to downright perfect campers. A little snooping leads them to a disgusting and horrifying discovery about the camp, but can Jenna and Lucas impede their own transformations before it's too late? Kim and Klavan offer a sly social commentary with a fizzy dash of stomach-lurching horror. Hicks's chunky art goes to town with the revolting possibilities. Smart, disgusting fun. (Graphic suspense. 13 & up)

Kirkus Reviews