Queen Bea at Camp Shalom
Joanne Levy perfectly captures the summer camp experience in her new middle grade novel The Sun Will Come Out, available April 13th, 2021.
This book has everything my little tweenage heart desires. References to the all time best movie musical Annie, mean girls, and new friends. When Bea ends up at summer camp without her best friend Frankie, she is at first mad and sad to be on her own but quickly makes a new friend in Regan. Fortunately they are in the same cabin together for the summer, unfortunately there are also a couple of mean girls in there with them. When Bea continues to break out in stress hives sending her to the infirmary, she discovers another new friend in Harry and together they help each other out in profound and life changing ways.
Summer camp is a unique experience and one that is mostly reserved for middle to upper class families. I found this out when I moved to Toronto and the first thing many people asked me was “What camp did you go to?” I only went to camp once for one week and hated every minute of it! I loved The Sun Will Come Out because it reminded me somewhat of my experience. I had a friend who spent the majority of the week in the infirmary as well as some mean girls sharing a tent. I do remember the counselors being so wonderful and supportive just like Julie in the story.
Camp Shalom is a Jewish summer camp and throughout the story there are lovely reminders of the Jewish faith, like Shabbat dinners and bubies and zaidies. I love how Joanne Levy has women these important fabrics throughout her summer camp story to give readers a full appreciation and understanding of the setting.
Bea has some hard truths to face in the story, the main one being her desire to flee stressful situations. It’s holding her back from the full camp experience and causing her so much internal turmoil that she continually breaks out in itchy red hives, on her face no less. Through the tough but fair questions by her new friend Harry, who has progeria, she begins to realize just how much she is missing. Likewise, through his friendship with Bea, Harry begins to acknowledge that he needs to stop hiding as well.
In this story Bea is twelve so right in the age when puberty will be hitting in full force. Joanne Levy acknowledges Bea’s age and includes moments with her mother where they talk about changing bodies and menstruation. Young female readers need honest information about their bodies and need to see that reflected in the fictional stories they are reading so we can break the taboo of the subject.
We don’t know if summer camps will be open this summer in Ontario but you can always feel like you are there in Joanne Levy’s wonderful book The Sun Will Come Out but be warned, Tomorrow will start playing in your head in a loop if you are not careful!
