[(Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus )] [Author: Kristen Tracy] [Oct-2010]

by Kristen Tracy

just, equitable, what is right. the life of Camille McPhee.Imagine being Camille McPhee. She has low blood sugar, so she carries extra food in a cooler. Would you want to do that?Didn’t think so.And you wouldn’t want to fall under the school bus. That happened to Camille, too!Her cat, Checkers, is lost. And her best friend, Sally, moved to Japan. It would be hard to stay optimistic, right? But Camille is what her mom calls hopeful. Because really? There are plenty of things to be positive gifted reading, a nonsqueaky mattress, eating banned foods, the big blue butterfly.Even making a new friend. Imagine that!

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Friendship, Juvenile

Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[The Library Lady · Rating 1 out of 5]

My 10 year old JR started reading this book, then gave it back to me. And I am really starting to marvel at her excellent judgment for kids literature, which seems to be far better than most of the grownups who write the reviews.

This book is a mess. Nothing but trials, tribulations and whining by both Camille and her parents, all of whom seem extremely unlikeable. I kept wondering why Camille's classmate Polly tries so hard to make friends with her!

Then, after a book of everything going wrong, suddenly, everything gets better. Camille's cat isn't dead--Polly has her and they are going to SHARE her! Her best friend who moved to Japan DID write to her--and isn't it convenient that the letters finally arrived just before Camille tells her mother about it?

And now that Camille's parents have realized that their financial bickering has caused her so much pain and that they still love each other, everything is going to be as wonderful as it was awful before.

Feh. What was wonderful for me was getting through the pat, trite, less than believable ending and getting to close this book.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read as much middle-grade realistic girls' fiction as I probably should. Maybe it's all like this - emotionally raw and extremely internal but with a sprinkling of situational humor.

I kept thinking this read like an adult woman therapeutically writing out her childhood trauma - Camille is wounded and sad, forced to cope, at the age of ten, with quarreling parents and the sudden loss of a best friend. The strategies she develops for insulating herself from emotional harm and for soothing herself in case harm does occur are seemingly innocuous, but the adult reader recognizes them as having long-range consequences. Withdrawal, emotional eating, and self-induced wallowing - grownups will wince. I confess I do not know what kids will do.

The writing is good. Smart pace, clear style. Love the cover. I just don't know what to do with it.

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the reviews, I’m shocked that quite a bit of people had bones to pick with this book. I absolutely loved it - it reminded me of myself in fourth grade to some extent, while other parts of Camille could be my younger brother, who’s a fourth grader now. The writing reads a bit like Junie B Jones, and is overall very humorous. I finished this book in one sitting and have zero regrets about it.

Now for the reviews that I read and why I don’t agree:

“Her parents are always fighting and are unlikeable” : I think that’s what makes this a great book for upper elementary. Not only is Camille diabetic (yay, representation!) but she also has a family that is in debt and parents who fight all the time. It might make them seem unlikeable but there are plenty of kiddos out there who might need a book to see that they aren’t the only ones with parents who fight or aren’t the only ones with money problems

“Camille‘s strategy of being a dingo encourages social isolation and wallowing”: Yes and no. Throughout the book, Camille develops as a character and realizes that her strategy sucks. If anything this book helps kids realize they should go out and make friends.

There’s more like this, but I honestly can’t remember them all. I loved this book and I think it would be a great fit in any upper elementary classroom.

[Monica Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter read this book- I didn’t read- she’s in third grade going to fourth grade.

This is her review:
I really enjoyed this book because Camille has an interesting life and is funny and silly. I must say the events of her family were a bit confusing to me. Overall I gave it three stars because it teaches kids, like myself, about different topics. Also, I think a fifth grader might understand it better than I did. I might read it again when I’m older.

Thank you!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have wanted to read this since it came out. Maybe that’s why I was a little disappointed. I don’t know what I was expecting. Camille was a cute character, but her family life was depressing. I didn’t care for the ending...too wrapped up with no answers. It was a fine read, but not one I’d run out and recommend to everyone.

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used for a read aloud with kindergarten through 5th grade. most of the kids sat through it easily, a few didn't like it at all and fell asleep, and several asked if there were other camille books to read. that made me give it an average rating.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the plot. And the main character, Camille, is just fine. But, I really disliked her parents. And the setting seems more like 1989 than 2009.

[Kristen Landon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great voice. Great characters. A little light on plot for me.

[Wintermote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly humorous. Sometimes I found her 10-year old thoughts younger than a 10-year old and sometimes older.

[Shelley Logan]

Idaho books

[JustOneMoreBook.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life can be challenging and fair's got nothing to do with it. Parents are people. Friendship's a worthwhile risk. There's a lot to think about when you're ten in the real world. Which is why I'm so glad Lucy and I read this fun and fabulously thought provoking book.

You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.

Mentioned in this chat:
Life Without Limbs: Nick Vujicic
Don’t Need Friends
Horrid Henry

More books including less-than-perfect families on JOMB:
The Grandmother Doll
When-I-was-a-little-girl
My Dad’s A Birdman
Mummy Never Told Me
more here.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show

[Tasha]

Camille is having a rough time as a fourth grader. Her best friend has moved to Japan, and Camille has not gotten a letter from her yet. She has low blood sugar and has to carry extra food to school in a cooler which makes her stand out from the others. Her desk is right under a dangling hornet. And to top it all off, she fell under the bus when she was trying to get on. It’s enough to make someone give up entirely! But not Camille McPhee. Instead she is hopeful that things will get better. She even has a plan to avoid making new friends by acting like a lone dingo. And how could that fail?

Tracy has created a book that is modern and fresh. It speaks to everyone who has been accident prone, or a misfit, or just has days or years filled with things going wrong. In other words, it will speak to everyone. Camille is a great heroine with a spot-on voice that is wry, funny and entirely herself. Throughout the book, we can see Camille grow despite her own best efforts at staying the same. The secondary characters are equally interesting from her warring parents to the girls who just might become her friends if she lets them.

A funny book about self-esteem, friendship and life in general, this book is a winner of a novel. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Cat for TeensReadToo.com

Camille McPhee has a lot to deal with - the constant threat of low blood sugar, her health freak, home/self-improvement obsessed mom's mid-life crisis, best friend Sally Zook's relocation to Japan, science classes that are too advanced for fifth grade, and a pair of bullies responsible for her recent fall under the school bus.

Thank goodness she has "great, thick, caramel brown, movie star hair" and a plan to fly under the radar like the brilliant dingo she saw at the zoo, 'cause Camille's life is about to get more hectic than she ever imagined.

Kristen Tracy's CAMILLE MCPHEE FELL UNDER THE BUS... is a charming story featuring a sarcastic, spunky heroine dealing with the trials and tribulations facing many children today. While not specifically "issue oriented," the book addresses topics like the possibility of divorce, debt, the indifference of a self-centered teacher, alienation from one's peers, bullying, and death.

Ms. Tracy shows Camille facing her problems head on with her own unique brand of grit, intelligence, and determination, making this book one for the keeper shelf.

[jessica wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is with all the quirky titles in kid's literature these days? I have to admit that I picked up this book purely based on three things.

1. The Title (Camille McPhee1)
2. The cover art (I lurve Ms. Dardik's art)
3. I've been missing kid's books

Other than those three things, I had no idea what to expect. There are a lot of intermediate reads that are told in first person. And there are probably more than I can count that are about quirky girls and clever statements, but from the first paragraph to the last, Camille McPhee stands out. She is real and the writing of this ten year old matches what I know and remember about a fourth grade year.

Camille isn't perfect but she isn't troublesome either. She is simply a ten year old girl who desperately misses her best friend, her cat and her parents before they began fighting about being "in the hole".

A delightful story about a delightful girl...even if she has big hair and carries a blue cooler full of cheese.

[Vivian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I confess, I did not read this book. However, my daughter gave me a blow by blow and even though she got 3/4 of the way through it could not bring herself to finish it. She said that the character was a Junie-B or an Amber Brown wanna-be, but fell dismally short of the mark. At first she could see her teenage younger sister being like the character, but the character went further and further from the realm of being even slightly relateable. First of all, what child do you know who would even think about digging up a cherished pet from it's grave to turn into a science project? Really? What child would watch CNN as their show of choice? And where in Idaho (where this is supposed to take place) does spring manifest itself in April? There's plenty of p.c. here -- diet, exercise, carbon footprint -- all pounded in with a two-by-four, as it were.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this book was rather okay, I guess. Ten-year-old Camille McPhee has high blood sugar, so she carries around a cooler full of food. One day, she slips under the bus (hence the title). Her best friend moved to Japan, her parents always argue about financial problems, and her international calling card, well, more about that later. With the school play, Polly, Checkers, and Sally, it's hard to be optimistic in life. At least, for Camille it is. And I have to say, if I were in her spot, I probably wouldn't be, either. But if I were her mother, (which, I'm not, but IF I WERE) I would be more COMFORTING to poor Camille! Doesn't she have enough problems in life? *sigh* But overall, this book was not too bad :)

[Laura Pauling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten-year-old Camille McPhee relates the ups and downs of her fourth grade year at her Idaho school as she tries to adjust to the absence of her best friend, maintain control of her low blood sugar, cope with the intensifying conflict between her parents, and understand the importance of honesty and fairness. (from the inside cover)

I really enjoyed this book. The cover and title immediately made me want to read it. It had a bit of a slow start but Camille's voice was honest and funny and her ups and downs were very realistic. I loved that everyone in the family was lying either to themselves or to others. The author, Kristen Tracy did a great job of throwing more and more conflict at her character and then wrapping it up in a moving satisfying ending.

[Irasema · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of this book really caught my attention. It was such an unfortunate event for poor Camille McPhee to fall under the bus but, somehow, the author managed to add humor to such a predicament. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Camille and chuckle at the same time. The tragedies in her life may be seen at times as too many and, perhaps, too far-fetched but I think that, when seen through the eyes of a preteen, life often seems pretty tragic. I was, however, a bit bothered by Camille's snooty and mean attitude toward the other girls in her class. I was also a bit dissatisfied with the end because most of her problems seemed to be resolved in one fell swoop. Then again, perhaps it proves that Camille's hopeful attitude worked!

[Nielson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a huge fan of this book. As a young fourth grader, Camillie McPhee comes to realize that sometimes life just isn't fair. From her best friend moving to her parents separating to falling under the bus, she knows life has its ups and downs. But what she also comes to realize, with the help of her new friend, is that she always gets back up.
The final moral of the story is fantastic, but getting there was tough. I didn't feel like this book was written exceptionally well as it just seemed like a rumbled, jumbled, random thought process of a 10 year old. However, with that in mind, I think kids in 4-5th grade might like this book. It does do a nice job of touching on some issues young kids might have to deal with though. And the title and cover completely catch your attention.

[Boni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the voice of this book- Camille felt like a very real 10-year-old through her experiences (and the way she related those experiences) and her actions. I love how impulsive and imperfect she is, and how the author was so willing to let her be so. Quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, and I loved the satire of the play idea, and so many of Camille's observations... I also enjoyed the way the author didn't feel the need to over-explain things or make everything reasonable- made the story feel much more true-to-life. Great writing and such an interesting book- this one will stay with me for a long time.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The upper elementary crowd should love this laugh-out-loud funny book about the "unfair" life of Camille McPhee. From falling under the bus to her parents splitting up to her best friend moving to Japan to having diabetes and having to carry around a cooler full of food where ever she goes, Camille is a lovable yet somewhat pitiable character. Camille's deadpan humor and the fact that the author managed to precisely depict the thoughts, language, and actions of fourth graders really make this book stand out. However, at 293 pages, I felt this book was a little lengthy and that the story could have been more concisely told.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Camille McPhee is in 4th grade and her life is falling apart. She can't seem to keep from falling and bumping into things, her parents are always fighting over money, her best friend moved to Japan and she's been cast as a drowning cat in the school play. As Camille works through the difficulties in her life she learns to keep a positive attitude.

Not a great book. I have a hard time believing that an 9-year-old would think and act like this main character. Not believable. In my opinion this book did not deserve the SLJ Best Books For Children award.

[Judi Paradis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Camille is an odd kid and perhaps that is why she doesn't have a whole lot of friends. She's got low blood sugar and lugs a cooler full of food around, she pretends she's a dingo who needs no friends, and survives falling under a school bus in the snow. She is also really worried about her parents, who fight all the time. As the book unfolds, Camille eventually figures out how to make some friends, and how to survive with her difficult parents. While I don't think this book is going to be a great favorite with all kids, those who enjoy realistic fiction may find a lot to relate to here.

[Thais · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my 9 year old daughter. She loved it. You can't help but laugh at Camille and her over dramatic antics and clutsy mistakes. At the same time, her feelings and concerns over her fighting parents are portrayed in a real way but described perfectly for the age group this book was intended (it doesn't go to deep or to much). It isn't very often that you can find a book written for this age that is funny and realisticly serious at the same time. In a nut shell...real and entertaining too.

[Tanja · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I did enjoy some parts of the book - which stopped me from rating it with just one star - overall I was disappointed. I could not connect to any of the characters and at some point wondered whether this book had more of a strong message for parents than for kids. While I had sympathy for Camille who has to deal with quite a lot at such an early age, I did not see her developing and learning from the experience. Affected by all the problems around her, she too is not able to see someone else reaching out to her, offering her friendship. I wonder what young readers make out of this.

[Mary E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! I think this author is really a fourth grader in disguise. She captured the thoughts and feelings of Camille perfectly. I was disappointed that she did not know that almost all handcuffs can be opened with any handcuff key so, in chapter eleven, the police officer would not have used the Jaws to remove the handcuffs. (Which sounds dangerous knowing the size of the Jaws compared to a child's wrist.) I can imagine the hilarious thoughts Camille might have had considering how she imagined finding the key before she called 911.

[Kaethe]

We started it last night. Camille has a big head, and I rather like the cover illustration, showing her with an exaggeratedly big head, not quite pointy enough to be the football head of Arnold, but close. So far she has fallen under the bus, thus initiating what looks to be a really bad day.

***

I think we can declare this done. We just never went back to it

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know poor Camille has more problems than a 10-year-old should have to carry, but I couldn't feel sorry for her. I thought she was just mean. Maybe this book is supposed to explain why some girls are mean - they're just trying to prevent themselves from getting hurt. I will say, however, that my 10-year-olds were really feeling for Camille and rooting for things to work out for her.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say 3.5 on the side of 4. Camille is a great fourth grade character, trying to stay a float in life after her best friend moves away and her parents start having marital problems. I adored Camille and her insecurities and the strength she gains. Her mother, on the other hand, seemed kind of like an idiot.

[Yoonmee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book for 3rd-5th grade readers (book is about a 4th grade girl). The 5th grade girl I nanny loved it and thought it was hilarious, but I found the text a bit rambling. The story didn't really go anywhere. Still, it was cute and silly. It's not going to win a Newberry by any means, but it's a fun read for kids.