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Stories From the Forest -- stories by a counselor at a camp for children with special needs
No matter how many years I go to camp, or who my campers are, one thing remains constant. I always leave feeling like something special was given to me, not the other way around. I take seriously the awesome responsibility I see behind the love and trust visible in the eyes of the campers. I can only hope they get out of camp at least a small percentage of what I do. I am not the same person who first stepped into that cub scout room almost 20 years ago. Because of the people, campers and counselors, on the pages of this story I am a better person. I have been taught the real meaning of courage, perseverance and unconditional love. I have been shown a standard I can only hope to one day live up to and I am deeply indebted to each of them for that.
This book traces 20 years of experiences at a camp for children with special needs. The camp accepts children with all levels of mental, physical and emotional handicapps.
This book traces 20 years of experiences at a camp for children with special needs. The camp accepts children with all levels of mental, physical and emotional handicapps.
Nook
First published May 30, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 6, 2025
Plenty of cute and touching stories in this short book. Simplistic writing style
July 8, 2014
A quick read documenting the author's 20+ years spent as a camp counselor for children (and some adults) with special needs. It chronicles his early days of answering an ad to help run a Cub Scout troop for special needs boys, despite having no relevant experience, which blossomed into a lifelong commitment to these children and giving them the opportunity to have a camp experience like their able bodied peers enjoy.
Roth mentions which camper he worked with during camp each year, what made their week together special, how they learned from each other. Some years' notes are just a couple paragraphs, others take up many pages. In some cases, especially when he is counseling a camper he's had in a previous year, he discusses other campers and events that made that particular year memorable.
All in all, a fun read, as it is evident Roth loves doing this, and while there are some typographical errors, I've found that to be common in self-published eBooks, and it shouldn't take away from the enjoyment of the book. I would have liked it to be a little longer, as I'm sure there were plenty more interesting stories from camp and children who deserved their stories told, particularly ones who have come to camp over the course of many years and have thus grown and changed as the book progresses, but I think the book was well worth reading despite its brevity.
Roth mentions which camper he worked with during camp each year, what made their week together special, how they learned from each other. Some years' notes are just a couple paragraphs, others take up many pages. In some cases, especially when he is counseling a camper he's had in a previous year, he discusses other campers and events that made that particular year memorable.
All in all, a fun read, as it is evident Roth loves doing this, and while there are some typographical errors, I've found that to be common in self-published eBooks, and it shouldn't take away from the enjoyment of the book. I would have liked it to be a little longer, as I'm sure there were plenty more interesting stories from camp and children who deserved their stories told, particularly ones who have come to camp over the course of many years and have thus grown and changed as the book progresses, but I think the book was well worth reading despite its brevity.
August 7, 2013
A simple but endearing book about a camp councelsor's experience with children with handicaps during summer camp. Each chapter was a year in which the author spend at a camp in Pennsyvania and the interactions he shared with his camper. Filled with antics and humorous happens this book with leave your heart filled with warmth and hope.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews