Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse

Gone

by Tamera Will Wissinger, Matthew Cordell (Illustrator)

Hiking in the great outdoors, catching fish, watching the stars come out at night—camping is fun. Until it’s time to sleep. Then, Lucy wonders, what kinds of creatures lurk in the dark? With only her brother and grandpa as tent-mates, will Lucy be able to face her camping fears?
      Filled with a variety of poetic forms—from aubade to haiku—as well as exuberant art and helpful writing tips about rhyme and rhythm, this entertaining companion to the award-winning Gone Fishing is packed with family humor and adventure. So grab a flashlight and get settled in to experience the joy of campfires, s’mores, and storytelling!

Genres: Poetry, Novel In Verse, Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile

112 pages, Hardcover

First published March 26, 2019

About the author

Tamera Wissinger writes stories and poetry for children. Her book Gone Fishing: A Novel In Verse, HMH, is an ALSC 2014 Notable Children's Book, a Children's Book Committee 2014 Best Children's Book of the Year, and an International Reading Association 2014 Teachers Choice Book. This Old Band, a counting concept book from Sky Pony Press is a 2015 Read to the Rhythm selection, and a 2014 Southwestern Book of the Year for Kids. Tamera is a graduate of Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program. Her second picture book, THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO GOBBLED A SKINK, released in 2016. Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse from HMH Children's is a 2017 New York Public Library Best Books for Kids, NCTE Notable Verse Novel for Excellence in Poetry Book, Nerdy Book Club Best Poetry and Novel in Verse, and a Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee. Tamera is a graduate of Hamline University's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Albeit I am not into camping (and that my family has also never really been into camping, into spending weekends or vacations living in tents, going hiking, fishing etc. either) and that for me, stories about the joys (and also the potential trials and tribulations) of camping are therefore often not all that interesting and engaging in and of themselves (and in particular if the entire textual focus is on camping and on nothing but camping), I have still rather enjoyed Tamara Will Wissinger's featured featured poems for Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse (and if not so much for the camping thematics then most definitely for the over forty different types of poetry being shown by Wissinger in her text, in her novel in verse, from alarm to wish poems and of course also for the supplemental information on techniques and on the different poetry forms encountered in the story portion of Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse).

And yes (although I do think that Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse features in many ways a much too similar plot-line to the the prequel, to Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse and that frankly I personally would certainly prefer a story not all that outdoorsy in scope but regarding something entirely different, since in Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse there are also quite a number of fishing scenarios and that this overlap does get a bit repetitive and rather too much the same as the first book), I am finding it quite fun and entertaining reading how siblings Lucy and Sam in Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse are at first both annoyed and also worried that their grandfather is taking them camping (since the father is sick with a very bad cold and obviously cannot go camping) but soon discover that camping is still very much decently fun with Gramp, that their weekend at the lake is not at all ruined but is basically as delightful as it would be with their father. And of course, the presented poems for Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse, they are penned by Tamara Will Wissinger as both fun and also engagingly educational, not only telling an engaging and joyful camping themed tale (and how much fun Sam and Lucy end up having) but also introducing a plethora of poetical forms and devices, basically using an engaging storyline to make poetry not only understandable but also something enjoyable, something entertaining, with Will Wissinger's featured poems flowing very nicely and with Matthew Cordell's lively and visually amusing accompanying black and while pictures providing a lovely and wonderful visual mirror (and a general rating of four stars for Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse, although I am lowering this to three stars, as Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse is just a bit too much identical to Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse for me to keep considering four stars).

[Rehan Abd Jamil · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first children's book for the year. loved the illustrations a lot!

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Gone Fishing, Sam and his younger sister Lucy has some sibling issues to work out on a fishing trip with dad. Now, they're back. This time they are going on a camping trip with dad, and while both kids are really look forward to this, as the trip gets closer, Lucy is feeling some apprehension - after all, she doesn't like the dark, and there are all those night critters that could crawl into their tent.

Then, all packed and ready to go, dad wakes up sick on the morning of the trip and has to stay home with mom. But rather than cancelling the trip, much to Sam and Lucy's disappointment, Grandpa has agreed to take over, adding to Lucy's anxiety. After all, he be a little absent minded, on the other hand

"...Grandpa's funny, shares his candy, drives, can barbecue
Maybe we'll still have fun without Mom, Dad, or the canoe."

But Grandpa actually turns out to be lots of fun, as the three campers do all the usual camping things like pitching the tent, building a campfire and cooking weenies and bean over it, and enjoying that favorite campsite dessert - S'mores.

But as bedtime draws closer, Lucy's fears begin to worry her again:

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Mighty Mars
In the sky among the stars. Ruby planet, bold and bright
Here's my wish this camping night. Let me be alert and strong
And keep the bears where they belong."

But leave it to Grandpa to provide just the right thing to help Lucy with her fears - a gumdrop that will keep away the bears. Little did Lucy or Sam expect that the thing that would keep them both awake would be neither excitement nor fear, but their Grandpa. Luckily, however, sleep catches up with the kids and next thing they know, it's early morning. Lucy has (sort of) conquered her nighttime fears and they are ready to enjoy a whole day of camping fun before heading home.

Using a variety of poetic forms, Wissinger has certainly captured the excitement, fun and fears of camping in the forest, where it can feel too dark and scary. Just as she did in Gone Fishing, Wissinger traces each aspect of the camping trip with its own poem in the voice of either Lucy, Sam, or Grandpa, beginning with packing up the equipment to returning home, safe and sound.

Gone Camping explores a nice range of emotions and themes from disappointment, anger, and fear to excitement, realizing that Grandpa can be lots of fun given the chance, and most importantly, facing and overcoming childhood fears. For Lucy, the camping trip is a real milestone.

At the back of the book, Wissinger has included a section called Provisioning for Poetry where she discusses rhyme and rhythm, and how rhythm patters come from syllable combinations, and how line lengths come from rhythm pattern combinations. There is also a section called Poetry Techniques which includes a variety of literary terms, and a section on Poetic Forms and Stanza Patterns.

Mathew Cordell's lively colorful pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations go far in capturing just what each poem is saying, using facial expression and bodily gestures, as well as Lucy's fears - did you catch that red fox running along side Grandpa's car as they enter the woods?

Looking at the poems in both Gone Fishing and Gone Camping, I can see where they are a wonderful resource for teachers teaching their students about poetry in a fun, lighthearted, yet relatable way.

This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this story about a grandfather taking his grandchildren camping is told in verse. What's more, myriad types of poetic forms, meters, and techniques are depicted as well as explained at the end of the book.

From lyric poems to rondels to tongue twisters to limericks, the various poems are whimsical and humorous and I think this book would be an excellent resource for educators who want to teach a unit on poetry and show how fun it can be.

The pen and ink with watercolor illustrations are rendered in black and white and are fairly rudimentary, but the characters are very expressive and the pictures help to tell the story as much as the poems do. They remind me strongly of Quentin Blake's style.

Overall, it's a fun, fast read and I really enjoyed it.

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome resume on the camping trip!

Complete with meter and in rhyme.
Stupendous! Ok, I wriggly giggly loved this! Such fun! So clever!
Took me back to my childhood. Us kids and the car packed the night before and then up and out by an early 2am morning! Rolled from our beds into snuggly places in the car. Dad always wanted to miss the traffic.
Did I mention how much I really liked this book?
The illustrations are lively, humouress and easily associated with.
A fun, fun book!

So free ...
and easy to read.
A big, big hit with me
How could it not be?

This book is a treat in more than one way.
The variety of poetic aspects is a real winner. Adding amusement and vigour.
An entertaining look at the camping experience, great for kids and the kid within.
I'm rushing out to buy it for all my families with kids that go camping. And that's quite a few!
A winner!

A NetGalley ARC

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great continuation of Sam and Lucy's story, but I flet like the type of poems were forced (though I did appreciate how they are explained in the back - I just preferred the more poemier poems of Gone Fishing)

[Beth Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as fantastic as the first! These are some of the very best books of poetry/novels in verse that I’ve ever read. I read this one aloud and it was perfect.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and sweet book of poetry about camping. Explore all kinds of poetry formats while camping with grandpa. Makes me want to read more poetry and go camping. Or read poetry while camping. Sounds like a success to me!

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed digital review copies of this book through Edelweiss and NetGalley.

[Marnie Bimm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genres for this class fulfilled by this book: Poetry and Easy reader

Copyright Date: 2017

Estimate of age level of interest: K-4

Estimate of reading level: 2.5

Brief description: The kids are ready to go camping but Dad wakes up sick, so grandpa is going to take them instead. They aren't sure and they would prefer mom and dad, but grandpa turns out to be an excellent camper. This story is told through different types of poems with a reference at the back about the different types.

Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and sub-genre and discuss how they appear in your book: Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse, creates not only the images of camping but also the smell and feelings one has when camping. At one point the girl describes her fear of a critter getting in the tent but she know she will be okay because her Mom and Dad will be there to protect her. As a early reader this book has less separation of images and words than a picture book. It has more pages and richer vocabulary with greater variation in sentence pattern as it is all in verse.

In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience? The quirky verse and silly illustrations will be enjoyed by children in K-4th grade.

Awards if any: N/A

Citations:
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 02/01/17
Kirkus Reviews, 01/15/17
School Library Connection, 03/01/17

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

GONE CAMPING: A Novel in Verse is a companion to Tamera Will Wissinger's award-winning GONE FISHING (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013). It's a delightful family story that picks up with Sam and Lucy, the same true-to-life siblings featured in the first book. While Gone Fishing was told largely from Sam's point of view (he didn't want his special fishing trip with his dad hijacked by his little sister), it's nice that Lucy shares equal billing in Gone Camping. Both kids are excited about the family camping trip, until Dad wakes up with a miserable cold! It's decided that he and Mom will stay home, while Sam and Lucy go with Grandpa instead. Uh-oh. Hesitant at first, Sam and Lucy settle into a different kind family adventure from the one they expected.

Like it's predecessor, elementary-aged kids are going to love Gone Camping for its humor and familiarity, its playful storytelling, and for Matthew Cordell's exuberant, often silly, line drawings which are more than capable of garnering giggles all by themselves. The supplemental back matter that describes the poetry "provisions"—techniques and forms—used in the writing of the book is a huge plus for both teachers and aspiring poets.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gone Camping is a children's novel told in verses. A family with two children, Sam and Lucy, are excited to go camping. But when Dad falls ill, and Mom needs to stay with him, Sam and Lucy are taken camping with Gramps. Surprisingly, Gramps is shown to be a good camp director and the siblings get to do all fun sorts of exploration and camping activities. They go through all sorts of experience: going fishing, scavenging, fire-making, and enduring snoring. And they return home, ready for the next camping trip.

Gone Camping shows all the fun experiences of camping, mainly from a kid's point of view. The restlessness and anxiety of being out in nature is all very relatable, and played straight in this book. Each event that happens in the story is told in its own form of poetry, which is pretty unique. The author puts in many different styles that greatly shows the details of the plot at hands. The illustrations are also pretty nice, giving me some Ronald Dahl vibes with it. I think most children will be fond of reading Gone Camping for both its simple story and learning poetry in the process.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam and Lucy have been looking forward to their camping trip with their family. They have everything ready and are about to leave, when their dad wakes up sick. It is now up to their grandfather to take them camping. Sam and Lucy are not sure how exactly this is going to turn out, but they actually have a lot of fun in the end.

I have never read a book written exactly like this and it was really interesting. They different techniques the author used to tell the story kept me hooked. The verses are not too long and are perfect for younger children to read.

I would use this book in two different ways. The first way is this book is a fun book to read when waiting in lines or during breaks during the day. The second way is I would read the book to my classroom and afterwards I would give the students a writing assignment and have them create their own story. I would assign a topic to the whole class and each student must come up with a verse on their own and we will put it up on the board and create our own novel in verse.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚 read #27; Gone Camping
.
Saya liat buku ini di BBW Surabaya tahun lalu, tapi msh ragu mau beli. Ketika muncul lagi di BBW Jakarta, saya putuskan beli.
.
Sesuai yg tertera di cover, bentuknya a novel in verse. Lucy, Sam dan ayah ibunya hendak berkemah. Mendadak sang ayah sakit dan ibu harus mendampinginya. Kakek yg akhirnya menemani dua anak ini.
.
Karena formatnya verse, saya bacanya cepat. Asyik loh menikmati kisah mereka berbentuk puisi/prosa seperti ini.
.
Lucy;
A Trick

This must be a trick.
Dad is never sick.

The tent, no Mom? No fair!
We won't be safe without her there.

Say it isn't true.
We won't go camping without you two.
.
.
Grandpa;
Good to Go

One, two.
So much to do.

Three, four.
Behind the door.
They've never asked me to camp before.

Five, six.
Fiddlesticks!
I'm almost out of candy mix.

Seven, eight.
I'm running late.
I don't want to make them wait.

Nine, ten.
I'm done -- amen.
I'm good to go, kids; just say when!

[Peggy Tibbetts · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Sam and Lucy prepare for the family’s camping trip they eagerly anticipate all the fun they will have at the lake. But when the big day arrives Dad is too sick to go along and Mom has to stay home with him. Sam and Lucy are less than thrilled to hear that Grandpa will be going instead. But Grandpa proves to be seasoned camper and a lucky fisherman. Wissinger’s clever storytelling in verse unfolds in a series of poems, with each poem being a chapter. Cordell’s gray washed line drawings fill in the details with a flair for the dramatic and oodles of silliness. Rhythm, rhyme, poetry techniques, and how-to books are presented in the appendix, which raises this lively novel in verse to the level of a fun beginner’s guide to poetry. “Gone Camping” brings poetry to life in this wonderfully wacky outdoor adventure.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my past life, I was a school librarian and I loved April because it was poetry month. I LOVED to introduce classes of all ages to poetry. I tried to gather as many different types of poetry and different structures of poetry to introduce to my classes. This book is the best of the best of the best! I grabbed it off the shelf because of its promise to be story told in verse about a camp trip. What I didn't know was that the author would write each poem in a different structure of poetry!! Oh the genius of this author!! And for the new poets amongst you, she tells you about the different structures in the back of the book. I am long retired from poetry month in the school library, but I WILL buy this book because it is what every classroom teacher should have, especially if she/he LOVES poetry!

[Christine Kallner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first novel-in-verse for younger readers— it’s described as a good fit for chapter book readers and I would definitely agree. Even as an adult reader though, I found my eyes glazing over while reading the back pages all about poetic techniques and forms that felt an awful lot like homework. I think it’s useful information to have as a reference, but just reading the story itself is a lot more likely to show kids that poetry doesn’t have to be difficult or intimidating. I’d use those back pages judiciously so as not to put kids off poetry completely — which I’m sure is the opposite of the author’s intention.

Overall, this is a fun, quick summer story about two siblings and their family. I would love to read more by this author.

[Victoria Elias · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I have never read a novel in verse before and I thought it was interesting on how the books dialogue was in poem form. My favorite part of the book was throughout they had "how too's" poems like for example, "How to build a bonfire, "Rules for eating s'mores", and campfire songs. The book is about a family who plans on going camping but within last minute, the father gets sick. The mother stays home with him so the grandpa is going to take Lucy and Sam instead. At first they were upset there parents couldn't go because they wanted the comfort of there mom and dad with them. Lucy and Sam were scared of the woods. They ended up having a great time with there grandpa! They went hiking, bug catching, fishing, swimming and had different poems for describing each.

[Turrean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar! A variety of poetry forms tell the story of a pair of sibs who end up camping with Grandpa, when their dad gets sick. The comic sketches by Cordell are a great match, and the expressions on various faces (Grandpa, as he contemplates his bug jar; Lucy, facing the dark; Sam, listening to Grandpa snore) are priceless.

There are short, manageable descriptions of the various poetic forms at the back. Readers will want to try their hands at one or two. (I never heard of a "krielle" before!) And the parody of Macbeth's witches' speech is pretty funny.

There aren't many poetry books that could be used as a read-aloud, but this one: YES!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenge: Middle Grade March - Book written in verse (4). The poetic tale of a family's camping trip told from the perspective of adults and children, both singly and together. A nice primer for children on how rhyme and rhythm are used, and includes explanations for twelve (12) poetry techniques and forty-four (44) poetry forms and stanza patterns. The ninety-one pages of short poems and fun illustrations include subtitles that indicate the type of poems that are being presented as they are cross-indexed in the back of the book. This could be a fun primer/review for adults as well to get the creative juices going.

[Wina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary novel in poetry for ages 6-9, I say that because this is much more actual poetry than other novels in verse. They are obviously poems with titles, rather than chapters. The drawings are fun, and the story is humorous and sweet. There are many styles or forms of poetry represented, and each one has the form written in smaller type under the title. The joy of discovery the different styles and how they made the poem work was part of the appeal. The book ends with extensive author's notes for anyone interested in poetry or trying to write poetry. It was more information than I've ever known about poetry! I didn't read it all, but it's really neat that it's there.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Dad gets sick and Mom has to stay home to take care of him, Grandpa steps up and takes Sam and Lucy on the weekend camping trip they've been looking forward to. Grandpa's not much of a camper, and Sam and Lucy are worried at first that his inexperience will ruin the trip, but of course they all bond and make it a wonderful weekend anyway. Kind of a weak story, but they telling is lovely: each "chapter" is a different type of poem, and the point of view switches between the characters so that they story emerges in a fun and unique way.

[Ismelda Andrade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fun, easy-to-read verse-type, playful book. It's filled with short poems and great little illustrations, and it's about two kids named Sam & Lucy who go camping with their grandfather. It is a playful verse story about camping and family adventures. The poems are short and easy to read, making it a great book for kids. It might be a bit harder for some because it does not have regular chapters to follow along with like a regular book. Overall it was a very entertaining book to read.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Spookiness, shadows, strange noises: Behave.
I am ferocious. I'm Lucy the Brave."

Lucy and Sam are disappointed when their Dad gets sick and so they have to go camping with Grandpa instead. It turns out that Grandpa is pretty fun, too.

Cute story and in the back there is a lot of information about the different forms of poetry in the book and the techniques used in writing poetry. A definite add to the school library collection.

[Tracy Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book introducing young readers to poetry, novels in verse, and the lives of a brother and sister. Lucy and Sam are at it again, but this time on the same side. They are going camping, and Sam is not upset that Lucy is tagging along with them. A family campout is planned and packing has begun; it is all thrown into shadow when Dad becomes sick. Grandpa steps in to save the day, but will it be a camping trip that is any fun?

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry always seems so elusive for many, but in this enjoyable book kids (and parents) can read poetry laid out in a fun, easy to read story about a grandpa and his grandkids out and about in the wilderness. In Gone Camping, Author Tamera Will Wissinger has created an approachable story as a subltle guide to experiencing many different types of poetry. Information about writing poetry is found in the back matter. For ages 8 - 12.

[sincerely · Rating 3 out of 5]

So adorable! Lucy definitely gets more pages in this one than in Gone Fishing. I found it disappointing that the males were calm and prepared and Lucy was dabbling in the occult (chanting while she cooks), meditating while wishing to remain alert, and putting charms on her sleeping bag. Like come on 🙄 females are perfectly capable of being reasonable in the outdoors, but whatever. The book is still great and one I'd recommend regardless.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel in verse tells the story of siblings who were supposed to go on a camping weekend with their parents. Then Dad got sick, so he and Mom stayed home and the kids went camping with Grandpa instead.

Lucy, Sam, and Grandpa all take turns telling the story.
Wide variety of poetry styles used (all of which are listed and explained at the end of the book).
Great mentor text.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah the memories of camping as a kid and then as an parent of three. Awesome novel in verse with so many different types of poetry all telling a fun story of prep, trip, fear, issues, fun and frolic on a wonderful camping trip with Grandpa!

Absolutely love the Provisioning for Poetry at the end of the book wit so much information.

[Reader50 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a story of two children on a camping trip with their grandfather told in verse in different styles which an explanation of the styles at the end. A nice, easily digestible introduction of poetry in various forms often with humor and accompanying illustrations. A reader need not be a poetry lover to enjoy the book but one may become one at the end.