Camp Monster

by Kate Messner

New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner invites you to Camp Monster in this fun-filled young middle-grade graphic novel series perfect for fans of InvestiGators.

Tasha's family has run Camp Yeti for generations, but these days there just aren't enough Yetis to fill the bunks. This summer they are rebranding as CAMP MONSTER--a superfun summer camp experience for ALL of monster-kind. Tasha can't wait to show off all the camp traditions she loves!

But things get off to a rocky start--the goblins are causing a ruckus, the ogre is a total diva, and the werewolf keeps disappearing. This is not the perfect summer Tasha had hoped for. Then a series of mysterious mishaps occurs . . . someone is trying to sabotage Camp Monster! Can these monsters set aside their differences to find out who is behind the hijinks?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Comics, Friendship, Humor, Childrens

224 pages, Hardcover

Published February 3, 2026

About the author

Kate Messner is an award-winning author, TED 2012 speaker, and former middle school English teacher. Her books for kids include THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.,SUGAR AND ICE, and EYE OF THE STORM (Walker/Bloomsbury Dec. 2010) the MARTY MCGUIRE series (Scholastic), SEA MONSTER'S FIRST DAY, and OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, Books). Kate also wrote SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE, both Lake Champlain historical novels published by North Country Books.

Kate lives with her family on Lake Champlain, where she loves to read, write, hike, swing on birch trees, and eat chocolate. She also hangs out in various places online.
Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemessner.com

Find Kate on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KateMessner

...or follow her on Twitter - @katemessner

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids love a camp story. Using various monster species as a metaphor for different groups of people, this graphic novel is about making friends with those that are different from you.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young yeti wants to bring back Camp Yeti just like his grandfather said it was. But there’s not enough yeti, so it becomes Camp Monster. And monsters of all types come together for a fun week of camp life activities. At first, it’s hard for everybody to get along, but eventually they do and have a wonderful time. There are things to fear like humans, but they’ll find a way to win in the end. This was a fun tongue-in-cheek graphic novel. Perfect for a 2nd through fifth grade.

[Lesley]

Kate Messner has written another story about peer relationships (see BREAKOUT), but this time in a different format—a graphic novel.

CAMP MONSTER, the former Camp Yeti, has opened its doors to a variety of monsters. The first group includes Tasha, the yeti daughter of the owners, and Kami, her cousin; Lupo, a werewolf; Tom and Zelbawog, goblin brothers; Vera, the vampire; Isabelle, an ogress; and Claude, a griffin. As with all children, they have very different personalities and strengths. For example the goblin brothers are the pranksters and even create a robot dog to join the group; Isabelle, on the other hand, is quite the dramatic diva.

The counselors are also an array of types of monsters with diverse personalities, such as Ms. Sphinx who not only prepares their meals but fabricates riddles the campers need to answer before they can eat. The staff members have their hands/claws full keeping the campers busy—teaching them to swim, hike, and create in Maker Space (without the use of magic), follow the Code of Conduct, and, most important, looking out for humans.

This is a hilarious and fun story, with a little mystery, about inclusion, collaboration, and getting along with others which could only be told in graphic format. The illustrations by Falynn Koch truly bring the story to life, and will engage the most reluctant of readers.

[Olivia]

See my full review here: https://yabookscentral.com/camp-monster/

CAMP MONSTER is a charming and engaging middle grade graphic novel about friendship and navigating social situations. Camp Yeti has not had enough campers to stay open, so they have rebranded to Camp Monster for all types to attend. Tasha, whose family owns the camp, is excited to meet all the new campers. However, right away, things aren't going quite as planned and everyone needs to learn to get along. When Tasha finds hoofprints and the camp rules sign is damaged, it seems like there might be something bigger behind it - if only they can work together to figure out what is going on.

What I loved: This was such a fun and unique premise with all the mystical monsters joining in the fun. While they are monsters, their problems are very relatable as they navigate friendships and getting along with others who seem so different from themselves. Hijinks and mayhem await them at every turn as kids make trouble - but they also face potential danger from humans that has them all on alert. All is well that ends well, however, and the camp ends with friendships and excitement all around - with the thrilling potential for more books in the series!

The characters were all well done with lots of personalities and backgrounds that felt genuine and compelling. Throughout the book, there are some letters to home that add to the character arcs and enhance the summer camp feel in a really fun and clever way. The mystery elements were light but kept some excitement and the pages turning quickly.

The illustrations are fantastic throughout with lots of detail and care, bringing each scene to life. There is a good balance between images and dialogue that works well in the graphic novel format. The dialogue and speech bubbles are easy to follow and attribute, which is great for middle grade readers, particularly those on the younger side.

Final verdict: With a charming and relatable story, CAMP MONSTER is a middle grade fantasy graphic novel that keeps readers on their toes and eager for more!

Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful graphic novel seems destined to be loved by many young readers. Camp Yeti's change to Camp Monster brings monsters of different kinds together at camp for the first time. Unfortunately, things go wrong right from the first. Pranking goblins, a lunch lady who looks like she wants to eat the campers, and hints that humans might be in the area create plenty of tension. Tasha, the yeti daughter of the camp owners, believes that if things go well, the camp will continue to operate as she shares in her letters to her grandpa. But conflict between the campers occurs frequently and the activities don't appeal to everyone (a werewolf avoids swimming fervently). And the pranks seem to be increasing in intensity. And if humans discover the camp, the camp will have to shut down. Many humorous touches make this book lots of fun to read. Riddles that must be answered before the campers can eat, a magically enlivened makerspace project or two, and a werewolf whose full moon transformations aren't exactly what one might expect. The book that frightens the monsters into fleeing the library might just elicit giggles from young readers if they recognize it (it's a classic!). The bright, action-packed panels keep the story moving from start to finish with plenty of visual humor. A winning title that is bound to become a favorite for young readers as well as myself. Highly recommended.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel from Messner and illustrated by Koch is a hoot. I do hope that it becomes a series because I'll be signed up to read them all. For the younger crowd, this one has humor, cryptids, and the summer camp experience that includes the outdoors, friendships (and friendly annoyances), and figuring out who you are- even if you are a yeti, a goblin, and the like.

It it colorful and has a nice balance of dialogue too. The appearances of all of the camp adults like the security guard/librarian, the cook, and the counselors were all just as fun as the campers themselves which included an awesome layout at the beginning to get to know the campers which were interspersed with letters home from the campers. It was a full camp experience that reminded me of the delightful Camp Sylvania and Miss Camper and Be Prepared.

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for sharing a finished copy to read and review. This new middle grade graphic novel series is going to be a hit with my 4th grade students!

Camp Yeti has been run by Tasha’s family for years, but these days there aren’t enough yetis to keep the bunks full and the camp in business. So they decide to rebrand to Camp Monster, and campers include Tasha and her cousin Kami, goblin siblings, a werewolf, a vampire, an ogress, and a griffin. However, putting all these monsters together doesn’t go smoothly, and the counselors try to plan outings to help them learn to get along. On top of that, vandals have damaged the camp sign, and there’s been possible sightings of … humans!

I loved the short bios about each camper in the beginning pages of the book, the letters the campers wrote home, and the silliness of the jokes and pranks. The book also had great messages about navigating friendships and common camp situations. Looking forward to seeing more in book two!

Publishes February 3rd.

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tasha's family has always run Camp Yeti; a summer camp for Yeti children. However, times are changing so to keep their doors open, Tasha's family has revamped Camp Yeti to Camp Monster. From goblins to vampires and werewolves, Camp Monster is open to all, but being open to all comes with its own set of challenges including humans who seem to be inching closer and closer to camp. And, who vandalized the rules sign anyway?

Camp Monster is a middle grade graphic novel with pages full of bright graphics and an interesting story. There are themes of friendship and inclusion, which I think is really important in the genre along with team building and solving mysteries. I found each character endearing but Lupo was my favorite.

A series I have no doubt will go on, I can't wait to see what happens next!

Thank you Bloomsbury Childrens for the gifted copy.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books through NetGalley.
Readers get to spend a week at summer camp with a variety of monsters who figure out how to work together to protect their camp and enjoy the time together. We meet the Yetis first as they changed the camp to include other monsters to bring it back. The story is told in dialogue along with letters home that add more details. Messner pulls readers in with humor and adventure. Looking forward to sharing this one.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun sleepaway camp graphic novel featuring monsters as the campers. Great to send with campers going away for the first time or to read when they want to relive their memories. Lots of great monster puns throughout! Recommended for grades 3 & up.

[Meredith Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC courtesy of the publisher.

A silly, lively, pun-filled summertime graphic novel!

[Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun comic with monsters at camp that is sure to please middle grades readers

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet story about all things summer camp! I can't wait to show this to my Elementary students who are looking forward to a summer!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mom and Charlie

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

thid is cute

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Camp Yeti is remade as Camp Monster as two yeti cousins try to save the camp from humans and closure. Cute

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven storytelling. A lot of text up front, with characters introducing themselves, the counselors introducing the rules, and the kids writing letters home, but I guess that's accurate to camp.

What used to be Camp Yeti has opened up to all monsters. There's some troublemakers, some butting of heads, some fear of swimming. Friendships and chaos. There isn't exactly a through-story, just stuff happening. But it is cute and funny at times.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher

Tasha, a young Yeti, writes to her grandfather about the fact that her parents are reopening his summer camp. Because of the decline in the population of Yetis, they have decided to open the camp to other types of monsters. Tasha's cousin, Kami, will be attending, but so are twin goblins Tom and Zelbawog, werewolf Lup, vampire Vera, ogress Isabelle and Griffin Claude. The counselors are also diverse, with a mermaid life guard and sphinx camp cook, among others. There are some tensions; Isabelle doesn't get along well with Vera, and also struggles with the common perception of ogres, since she is all about glitter, pink tutus, and dramatic acting. Tom and Zelbawog use their magic to create a sentient robot, which causes some trouble. There is a constant threat from humans, and the campers are told to alert the staff if they see anything. Of course, when Tasha finds hoofprints, she assumes they are from horses, and tries to investigate. The camp sign listing rules is damaged, Lupo is reluctant to swim, and the cook is constantly harassing the campers and making the guess riddles before they can eat. In the end, a culprit outside the camp is found to be responsible for damaging the sign, and the camp experience has been so successful that the campers all decide to come back for another session in two weeks.

This was an interesting graphic novel that will appeal to young fantasy lovers who also want a dash of humor. Readalikes include Owen's Lumberjackula, Rivadeneira and Jones' FrankinSchool, and the rebooted Dadey and Jones The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids. There are some nice twists on the different types of monsters, and it's nice to see Tasha's family working together to resurrect the grandfather's camp while also changing it slightly to appeal to a wider variety of campers. There's even some excitement when the campers have to work together to ward off a threat from humans. I would have liked to see Gramp Abominable show up at camp, but I wouldn't be surprised if this became a series, so we may yet see him.

[The Library Lass · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge thank you to Bloomsbury for the free ARC! All opinions are my own.

💭 My Thoughts

This was such a cute book! I absolutely loved the colorful, cutesy artstyle. The story itself was fun, though what stood out the most to me was the mini character arcs throughout. I liked the use of different species of monsters to represent cultural variety. Overall, I think this is a great read for middle grade readers!