Camp Camp: Where Fantasy Island Meets Lord of the Flies

by Roger Bennett, Jules Shell

Dear Former Campers,

Do you recall your glory days at summer camp as some of the best months of your life? Was your camp experience

*OK
*fun
*bunktastic!

When you think about camp, what are your best memories?

*singing "If I Had a Hammer" around the campfire
*winning color war two years in a row
*getting to third base with your camp crush

Open Camp Camp and head back to the one place on earth where appropriated Native American terminology, competitive sports, social heirarchy, and libido-soaked nights lived in wholesome harmony. Here is your trip down memory lane, a trip so beautifully illustrated and fully remembered that you can almost smell the pine of the cabins when you open the pages.

Camp Camp is a love letter to camp, a chance to relive every Champion sweatshirt-wearing, accidental-bed-wetting, sky-hook-wedgie-receiving, tie-dye-making golden moment via hundreds of photographs and stories straight from the source, including tall tales from AJ Jacobs, Rachel Sklar, Paul Feig, David Wain, Jamie Denbo, and Rodney Rothman.

Do you miss...
*camp friendships
*camp freedom
*camp fun

If so, then Camp Camp is your one-way ticket back to this magical world in which Fantasy Island met Lord of the Flies .

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 20, 2008

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a lot here to look at, and some funny stuff. In the end, though, it just made me think about how weird and upsetting things like "camp" and "kids" and "the world" really are. Certainly not badly done, and it really had the feel of something I might enjoy, but man was I glad when this thing was over. So in that sense it replicates the camp experience rather effectively.

I should probably be rating this more stars but I'm not going to. You ever read a book or watch a movie that you knew was basically well-done but somehow felt nothing but distaste for? That's what I got from this. As a disclaimer, I assure you I was not cornholed, caressed, or otherwise abused at summer camp by a wayward counselor, but that certainly would have been par for the course. I sure do hate outdoor activities and energetic youngsters!

Crap, here I am rating camp instead of "Camp Camp". That's exactly what's happening here, isn't it?

[Weathervane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even those who never went to a Jewish all-summer camp in the seventies or eighties will have slipped into their ribs the anesthetic-dipped blade of nostalgia. Truly there was no place so free for a kid than these patches of woods in which adults were kept at a very comfortable distance -- though not so comfortable for the kids being bullied, I'm sure. Interestingly, this book lends verisimilitude to the proceedings of Lord of the Flies. Adults are cruel -- but children and teens are
merely adults sans self-restraint.

There's always a power structure.

Wonderful photos. Check out the big hair on girls and the short shorts on boys.

[Hank Stuever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely thorough and dear.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick kitchy read. So fun.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun book, filled with images, memorabilia (to some extent) and letters from campers. I really enjoyed this, and although I was very poor growing up and my camp time was never longer than a week or two and sponsored by a school or church group, I could relate to a lot of what was included.

My only criticisms are that there was some repetitiveness, probably because the book only covered a few states and used entries from a lot of the same people. It also passed by a few areas (nerd-o arts and crafts) and focused intently on others (sports), which is odd.

And I'm not sure if it was meant to be a story of Jewish campers' experiences, either, but it was a common theme, too, and often repeated. Jewish kid escapes big city to head into great wilderness. Not having the privilege of being Jewish, I couldn't relate to this aspect. Not a big deal, but it did limit the focus, which was probably necessary because the book was HUGE!

Which leads to the final criticism: The quality of paper is pretty lame. You look in the general direction of the book and the page it's open to becomes an instant crinkled mess.

Still, some serious fun to be had here!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I was a shy teenager, I can't quite imagine spending weeks on end trapped at an overnight summer camp, but after reading this book I truly felt as if I had missed some sort of transformational experience. Ben, who spent many summers at camp, assured me that -- despite the purple nurples and atomic wedgies -- camp was a pretty amazing experience. The pictures, for those of you who grew up in the 80s, are priceless. I laughed out loud as I read this book and smiled in recognition (and embarrassment) at some of those mid-80s pictures, particularly the one with the girl who had the same asymmetrical Flock of Seagulls haircut that I did.

[Elaine Meszaros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, another thrilling tome from the authors of Bar Mitzvah Disco! As in their previous book, you don't need to be a wealthy east-coast Jew to enjoy this collection of stories and pictures from late 70s and 80s sleep-away camps. If you've been to any camp, worn your socks rolled, had huge bangs or listened to Duran Duran waves of nostalgia will come pouring out, like Aqua-Net from the girls bathroom. Great stories, oh-so-familiar bubble-handwriting notes, mix-tapes, cheers and some of the most accurately 80s pictures ever. Love it. http://campcampbook.blogspot.com/

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having never been to camp when I was a youngster, I was interested in learning what I missed. Filled with photos that brought back so many memories of the clothes and hairstyles that were so important to us back then, those alone are worth the time to read this book. The main memories seem to come from wealthy campers from the northeast so that was a little of a letdown, but overall, it was enjoyable to read about times long gone and how we thought back then as teenagers. A funny book.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former camper, I was cracking up at all the stories from camp in the 1980's and 90's. As a former counselor, it was good to know I was not the only one who worked with a hangover and finally as a mom about to send her kids to sleep away camp for the first time-I am wondering what I am thinking! Great book.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never went to camp , but I did bug my parents for space camp but they never sent me. This book gave me a peek at camp life. MAn it had photos form the 70's all the way to the 90's. Lot of big hair and tye-dye. I can't believe our parents let us dress like that.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever attended camp in the 80's-90's, this is a must read. Camp Camp is a collection of stories and photos of a not-too distant time where we were dumped off in the middle of nowhere and left to discover. My only disappointment was when I finished the book.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dear friend from camp recommended this as a must read for anyone who ever went to overnight camp in the 70's. Although my camp wasn't in this book, it's interesting to see how similar the camp experience was during our glory days.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this book on one of our date night borders trips when we hang out and read books for a few hours and drink coffee....we rarely buy a book, just read them for a while. Anyway, this book was funny. If you went to sleep away camp in the 80s or 90s...this book was dead on!

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of funny, but the book is endless. Could have been half the size.

[Alysssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hysterical....even better than bar mitzvah disco....a must read if you went to overnight camp in the 60-90's

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It reminds me of the many summers spent at Camp in the Poconos. There is even a picture of one of our counselors in there. Best times ever.

[Jed Lamprey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly funny collection of anecdotes from summer camp experiences. Anyone who went to summer camp in the late seventies through the nineties will love this one.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

good memories of camp, but too heavy on the pictures! this book weighs like 50 lbs.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So funny, only $1.00... photos and stories that made me laugh out loud and remember my camp days fondly.

[Jenny Hoerauf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brings up many fond memories of camp. Although those Jewish camps seemed to have a lot more hanky panky going on than I ever saw at LLL. Maybe I was naive?

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was entertaining, but it's definitely not for the squeamish.