The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp

The Berenstain Bears

by Stan Berenstain, Jan

This beloved story is a perfect way to get your own little cubs ready for an adventurous summer at camp!

Come for a visit in Bear Country with this classic First Time Book® from Stan and Jan Berenstain. Join Brother and Sister as they head to Grizzly Bob’s Day Camp for the very first time. The cubs will get to play soccer, go swimming, kayak, and even make crafts! Includes over 50 bonus stickers!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Summer, Classics, Juvenile

32 pages, School & Library Binding

First published March 1, 1982

About the author

Stan and Jan Berenstain (often called The Berenstains) were American writers and illustrators best known for creating the children's book series the Berenstain Bears. Their son Mike Berenstain joined them as a creative team in the late 1980s.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bears go to summer camp. Sister bear is afraid of going overnight. Surprise, they end up having a ton of fun. A simple story for the bears about facing the fear of camp and how fun camp is.

The kids thought this book was ok. We all gave it 3 stars.

Mama bear needs a need dress if you ask me.

[J.T. IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was as a child and remains one of my all-time favorite Bernstein Bear books. I’m not sure if it is because I have such fond memories of going camping with my parents as a child or if it is just me being a boy and liking the outdoors, campfires, and camp outs. Whichever it is, if your kiddos like the outdoors, if they like fishing and camping, and having hot dog roasts then this is a fantastic book. In addition to the detailed pictures and the wonderful story, the bears as always bring a little wisdom out by talking about determination and grit, and giving things a try. I highly recommend Go to Camp and the series as a whole as always.

[Sonja · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is fairly typical of a Berenstain Bear book, although Mama and Papa are not featured very clearly. The kids go to camp, and there's some gendered sports/craft events. My biggest issue is that there is a character who is associated with a specific Native American tribe, but yet dresses up in fake Native American regalia and tells the campers stories. The art takes up two full pages and is very stereotypical, without actually being authentic to any tribe. This storytelling overnight is something that Sister Bear is scared of, then it turns out to not be scary. However, it does instill stereotypes of Native American people that aren't helpful to Sister Bear, me, my kids, and certainly Native American people. Summer Camps should not be places were kids play act cultures that are not their own. I took this book out of my library and recycled it, and I bought more books by Monique Gray Smith and Julie Flett.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cute book about giving new things a try.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

There Bear brother and sister attend camp for the summer. Some days they liked it, others, not so much. But each day something new and exciting happened that kept them entertained and learning all summer.

[Jonathan Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. First off to say the The Berenstein Bears series is a great work of art this story of the two young bears summer vacation is the ideal book for children. The story begins at the end of the school year which many children always run into that boredom problem and can't find nothing to do. So the bears head off to a day camp where they have good and bad days but overall enjoy their time at the camp. However, they were anxious on spending the night at skull rock but after experiencing a great vacation at camp the two bears are ready for school again.

2.This book is one of a few that really connect with a child and stick with their age group. As an example, the book displays the enjoyment of camp because as a young adolescence going to camp never sounded fun but this book gives a different perspective. Another part that connects the reader to the story is the fact the illustration showed a typical family in the form of bears because you had the mom, dad, brother and sister.

Furthermore, one final take from this book is that the text is easy for a first time reader as stamped on the front cover because I have read books that I stumbled upon reading to children. However, considering the flow of the text and the story this book is one you can grab and read for the first time to someone else.

[Rachel Hatcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:
This book is about two bear cubs, sister and brother, going to summer camp for the first time. Both cubs were nervous at the beginning, especially about the end of camp powwow and sleepover at Skull Rock on the last night of camp. However, both cubs try new things for the first time and end up loving camp, especially the powwow sleepover.

Evaluation:
I grew up reading all of the Berenstain bear books so I definitely enjoyed reading this book again. I think this book is well written and presents a realistic viewpoint because of going through the emotions of trying something new for the first time.

Teaching Idea:
One idea for teaching would be to incorporate this book into a end of year lesson. Then, kids who may be going to summer camp for the first time, or can be broadened into anytime they are trying something new. The book teaches us to try new things, even if we are nervous about it, and also about determination and sticking with something that is hard at first. This book could also be used for a morning meeting activity for lower grades to discuss ideas about what they learning from the book.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, those Bear kids are kept busy!

School is out and the cubs are already bored. Mama Bear has the perfect solution - a day camp that will keep them out of her hair all summer long.

I think I'm a little dismayed that the kids are just packed off on a bus all summer when that's what's been happening to them all throughout the school year. Don't take me wrong - they get to enjoy a lot of brand next experiences, but they also are kept busy from dawn until dusk.

What I liked was that not every activity or day even was perfect fun for everyone. This is very honest. Also, Sister's fears about the campout are very real. I wish that they had been addressed a little better though.

Overall, it's not a bad book, but not my favorite in the series. Still it's fun to see what they do at camp.

[Miss Meghan's Class · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun for me in particular because I was lucky enough to go to camps (day camps and overnight camps) when I was younger and because I refer to the group that come over and spend time with me as Camp Meghan (I try to do a lot of nature stuff, outdoor stuff, arts and crafts, etc that you would do at summer camp - I'm much cooler than a daycare haha). The little girl that I read this to had never been to a camp before and when we were reading it you could see her eyes just lighting up at all the fun that they had while there.

[Findlay Pennekamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Camp sounds cool. I can't wait to go there someday. This book seems suspiciously like camp propaganda, though. I mean, it doesn't seem like Sister Bear had any fun at all even though she claims she did.

Also, this book is LONG! I mean -- wow! It took five tries for my parents to read it through one time to me.

[Stef · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these early Berenstain Bears books, where there's no moral, just all the fun things and opportunities awaiting you. It was books like these that made me think camp (which I've never gone to) was a magical place. The cubs go to day camp, which culminates with a sleep-out on top of Skull Rock with the camp leader wearing a Native American costume.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I have said in previous reviews, I absolutely love books about summer camp and this is no exception. This is good for the younger set because the cubs attend a day camp not sleep-away, which is far more likely to be the case with the target audience.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is the summer holidays and Brother and Sister find that they can't find anything to do. Mama suggests sending them each day to a local Day Camp where there are lots of different activities for cubs. Brother and Sister get to try new things and find that the summer can be a lot of fun.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another classic BB tale about the cubs being bored at home during the summer and Mama sending them off to day camp. Grizzly Bob's Day Camp includes a sleepover at the end, which Sister Bear is pretty nervous about. Of course it turns out to be exciting with a big campfire and great stories.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture Book 17
Yet again another book in this series I enjoy reading. I have read this to my campers back when I was a camp counselor two years ago. I wanted them to not be afraid in being away from home for a whole week for the first time.

[Sarah Winters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be a little simple, but it still had something children can relate to. It is a little longer so it makes it more difficult to read but it has a very good lesson. Recommended for second to fourth graders.

[Slow Man · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something so real about this series. Burnt hot dogs, getting hurt during camp activities, some cubs throwing dodgeball too hard. Camping encourages getting outdoors, learning other skills and making new friends and I am glad there is a book about camping in the series.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading the Berenstain Bears to my kids. The stories are great and the illustrations are fun.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my favorites when I was a kid. Having never gone to any kind of summer camp myself I lived vicariously through Brother and Sister Bear.

[Dimps · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my childhood favorites. :)

[angrykitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg this was so my fav bear book. i loved everything about it, and so wanted to go to camp because of it. unfortunately, when i did finally get to go to camp, it was nothing like the bears camp.

[Cws]

JAR4-Ber

[Heather Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best!

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kind of like day camp.

[Benjamin Plume · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if this had anything to do with it, but I never had any problems at any of the camps I went to.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love all berenstain bear books!

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice fun book about going to day camp for the first time.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good story about having something to do during the summer while school is out.

[Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part is when Grizzly Bob tells a story and there's animals that he's telling about from the fire.

[Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

We discussed our Camping Trip experiences after I read this and the laughter filled the room!