Camp Daze

Bad Kitty Chapter Book #11

by Nick Bruel

Kitty’s life is really hard. Like really, REALLY hard. All she asks for is twenty-two hours a day to sleep and food to be delivered morning and night. But does she get it? No. And when Puppy and Baby get a little rambunctious during her naptime, Kitty gets bonked on the head and starts to believe she’s . . . a dog.

This new dynamic freaks out Puppy, so he’s sent away to Uncle Murray’s Camp for Stressed-Out Dogs to relax with other canine campers.

But guess who sneaks along?

Still believing she’s a dog, Kitty fits right in. That is until she and Uncle Murray encounter a bear, and then the feline claws come out.

Nick Bruel's Bad Kitty Camp Daze is perfect for any kid with or without camping experience.

Genres: Humor, Childrens, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Chapter Books, Animals, Cats

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 2, 2018

About the author

Nick Bruel is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of children's books including Bad Kitty, Bad Kitty Gets a Bath, Bad Kitty Meets the Baby, and Boing!, among others. Nick is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist, and during his down time, he collects PEZ dispensers and grows tomatoes in the backyard. He lives in Tarrytown, NY with his wife Carina and their lovely cat Esmerelda.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/nickbruel

Reviews

[Rebecca Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the second night in a row, I read Ellie a Bad Kitty book. This time it was the newest Bad Kitty book, Bad Kitty Camp Daze. All Kitty wants is a little peace, 22 hours of sleep and giant delicious meals. Does Kitty get that? No. Instead, she has a wild puppy and even more wild baby that want to play all the time. During some of this rough play, Kitty get bonked on the head, and she begins to believe that she’s a dog.

Puppy is so stressed out that their owner decides to send puppy away to a nice relaxing camp. Unfortunately for him, Kitty, still thinking she’s a dog, stows away in his back pack. Kitty fits right in for a while until it becomes apparent that she really is a cat.

Ellie loved this book. She was too tired to give it a full review, but she says she loves it and gives it five stars.

I really enjoyed this book. It was better than Bad Kitty Takes a Test, and I enjoyed the Dog/Cat interplay. I also learned about how catnip affects cats from the book. I have always thought it was really weird that our cat eats catnip instead of sniffing it, but I found out that this was actually a common response for cats, and that eating catnip actually calms a cat down. Totally cool to learn from a book, right?

[Thomas Scholtes · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a grown man (over 25), I do not think I am the target demographic for this book, but I'll write a review anyway. I entered the giveaway to win this book for my nephew, so after he takes a look I'll try and get some additional feedback from the best audience perspective possible.

Knowing nothing about this series, I was interested in what would happen to "Kitty" since I am a fan of cats, and this cat appeared to be one to get into trouble. Although not a page-turned in the sense I've been accustomed to, there were multiple occasions of turning the page and actually getting a laugh or chuckle from the action that continued unexpectedly from a prior page. The art was also well-done, and I appreciated the style. The plot also made for some interesting situations - a cat being in a dog's world - and I definitely believe a younger audience would get a kick out of it. The actual language just seemed odd to me while reading, and I wonder if reading it aloud would have made more sense (although I don't know if the suggested age of 7-10 would be reading out loud, either).

Overall, it was an easy read, and very different from everything else I've been looking at recently. It had a good moral and should be engaging for children, especially those who already have an affinity for cat's or dogs, or the rest of the series. I might look at picking up the collection of prior books since the series seems easy to get into and enjoy.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Bad Kitty and all the Bad Kitty books. In this one, a head injury causes Kitty to think she's a dog. Since her new collar is misspelled, her name is Katie, no big deal at first, but it will cause problems later on. The change in her behavior confuses Puppy so he is sent away to a camp to recover from his trauma. Uncle Murray's Camp for Stressed-Out Dogs provides an idyllic setting for canines to recuperate and get back their canine confidence. But Kitty can't bear not to be included so she smuggles herself in Puppy's camping equipment. Although the other campers wonder about whether Kitty is a cat, they accept her. She struggles with learning to fetch and swimming, but she enjoys the stories the dogs tell by the campfire. After sniffing some catnip, she channels her inner Bastet and realizes that her feline nature is her true strength. When she finally realizes that she's a cat, problems ensue, and she races off by herself with some traumatized dogs left behind. But the woods are no place for a feline, even one like Bad Kitty, and she and Uncle Murray who has come to rescue her, come face to face with a bear. Readers know never to underestimate Bad Kitty, and she doesn't let them down. I loved the fact that the author/illustrator doesn't show us what happens to the bear, but it's quite clear that it wasn't pretty, judged by how proudly Kitty leaves the battleground. Like me, many readers find these books irresistible, often because of how well the creator knows cats but also because of how deftly he eventually weaves together things that might seem unrelated or unimportant.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

hilarious!

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Bad Kitty chapter books... a lot (obviously, as Kitty it's my profile pic) However, this one fell flat for me, and I was so bummed out by that. Usually I'm laughing pretty uproariously while reading these chapter books, however, with this one, I only cracked a smile too few times.

Still love you Nick Bruel!

[Hudson Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this five stars because it is funny

[Libby Claerbout · Rating 5 out of 5]

The girls loved this book!

[🎲🎧❤️CHanCE💔🎼🎲 · Rating 4 out of 5]

When kitty banged her head really hard she started acting like a dog

[Brooke Shackelford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a funny graphic novel about a cat that thinks it’s a dog and goes off to doggie day care camp where hijinks ensue. It had my 4 and 7 year old boys giggling! My son checked this out of his school library so he didn’t know it was book 11 in a series. But it didn’t matter to the plot. I think you could read the books in any order.

[Genres and Journals *Tia* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine but I don’t think it is as good as the earlier books in the series. I’m not wild about the addition of the baby…the baby isn’t in the book that much but I hate the baby talk stuff. *shrug*

[Rebecca Bealmear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received for Christmas - kids loved it!

[Courtney Umlauf · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being hit in the head with a food dish, Kitty has started to act a little odd. In fact she's starting to resemble her furry companion and nemesis, Puppy. In the fog of head trauma, Kitty thinks she's a dog, and so she sneaks off to Uncle Murray's Camp for Stressed Out Dogs along with Puppy. For a while the other dogs accept that Kitty is just one of the group, she does bark and fetch after all, just not very well. But when Kitty encounters a bit of catnip, the Egyptian goddess Bastet (a fellow feline) comes to her in a fevered dream, imploring Kitty to return to her true nature.

Why do you hide behind this mask of the hound, the cur, the mongrel, the beast who rolls in filth? Have you forgotten who you are? Why do you deny your heritage?

Kitty comes to her senses just in time to rescue Uncle Murray from a horrible fate, but how will the dogs at camp react to knowing she is in fact, a cat?


This series just keeps on delivering. A very enjoyable addition to the world of Bad Kitty.

Series Review | TpT Store | Pinterest

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always loved how accessible the "Bad Kitty" series is for emergent readers. This is an area in quality literature that is greatly lacking, usually, books at this grade level are pretty lame but these books have always filled that void well. Their quick pace, comic book style is intriguing to young readers and sneaking some useful animal facts into these books draws in the non-fiction audience. Having read the vast majority (if not all of) the books in this series I feel as if they are becoming an old hat. I'd love to see Bruel come up with something new and unique because the format of this series is starting to becoming boring. Another beef I had with this specific book is how deceptive the title is. I imagined Bad Kitty exploring the wilderness and all of the things he would encounter while camping, but honestly that wasn't a big part of the story. Instead, it focuses more on Kitty going to a camp for dogs and even the fact the setting is there is irrelevant.

Worth the read for fans of the series as it continues to pound away at the Bad Kitty charm.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

ruel, Nick Bad Kitty: Camp Daze, 160 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan), 2018. $14. Content: G.

Bad Kitty is frustrated with Baby and Puppy because they have knocked over her Chinese food, so she kicks her food bowl, but it bounces off the wall and hits Kitty in the head. Kitty now thinks she is a puppy and she runs Puppy ragged as she barks and plays with him. In an attempt to give Puppy a break, Puppy’s owners send him to a dog camp, but Kitty has hidden in his luggage. Camp hilarity ensues.

My kids enjoy the entire Bad Kitty series. The illustrations and facial expressions are funny and the story line is action packed. There are a few page spreads that give actual facts about things such as Catnip and why cat’s avoid water. Bad Kitty Camp Daze is a fun fast read and entertaining.

EL (K-3), EL – ESSENTIAL. Reviewer, C. Peterson.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Maggie Mattmiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review

I have not read the Bad Kitty series, but know a number of kids who are super into it. I entered this giveaway, thinking I could put it on the shelf in my classroom, or share with kids in my life.

I'm glad I won, because it gave me the opportunity to start to get to know the series and the character that I hear kids talk about and laugh about. I can totally see the appeal for kids, and I could hear certain students' voices reading this in my head as I was reading it. I could picture which kids would be laughing so hard, which ones would be super into it, and which pages they would be pointing out to me and making me read with them.

While it wasn't majorly engaging for me, I can see that it will be for them. I know kids will enjoy this one!

[Teresa Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad Kitty has it tough. Baby screams all the time. Puppy barks all the time. Kitty needs a vacation. But instead, Puppy gets sent to camp. Kitty wants to go and have a break from all this noise and mayhem. So Kitty sneaks into Puppy's backpack and gets to go to camp. The snag...Kitty has to pretend to be a dog. Everything is going well until Kitty finds some catnip and turns into a crazy cat. The dogs are NOT happy. Just when Kitty thinks all is lost, a big Bear comes to camp. Will Bad Kitty survive? Will Bad Kitty get to stay at camp? This is another fun, simple Bad Kitty book that students will enjoy. The book also includes a few facts about dogs and cats throughout the book to add a little education to entertainment.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad Kitty does it again. This time he and Baby wear out Puppy so much that his nerves are frazzled, so his owners send him to Uncle Murray's Camp for Stressed-Out Dogs. Unfortunately, Kitty has been hit on the head so many times that he begins to think he's a dog, which is why he smuggles himself into Uncle Murray's camp as well, where he manages to convince Uncle Murray and the other doggies that he's one of them. What kind of havoc will he wreak? Read and find out. This was not one of my favorite Bad Kitty books, but it had its moments. At least Bad Kitty does one good thing that puts him in everyone's good graces--for the moment. We all know that won't last long!

[Shanna Hurd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad Kitty gets a bump on the head and thinks she's a dog! So when Puppy is sent to Dog Camp, Kitty tags along. Hilarity, of course, ensues.

Plenty of humor abounds in this latest Bad Kitty outing. This book is great for reluctant readers, with plenty of illustrations, a funny story, and plenty of real life facts about cats and dogs mixed in. The social lesson about helping each other despite our differences is always welcome for kids (and doesn't hurt for adults to remember as well). Recommended.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "Camp Daze" installation of Bad Kitty was written and illustrated by Nick Bruel and published in 2018. This book is a chapter book that uses simplistic language but is still funny and engaging for young readers. In this story Kitty thinks that she is a dog after getting hit in the head during nap time and this causes all sorts of issues as the book progresses. The book uses Onomatopoeia throughout the book and could be a tool for discussing those with students. I think that this book would appropriate for 1-3rd graders/lower and middle elementary aged students.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Kitty gets hit with her cat dish and begins acting like a dog. Since Puppy is getting stressed out, the family sends him to Uncle Murray's Camp for Stressed Out Dogs, where Kitty is hiding in his duffel bag. Bad Kitty causes havoc at the camp with all the dogs who have well developed personalities themselves. Her true nature doesn't come out until she runs into a bear. This well loved series provides humor in a graphic novel format.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitty gets hit in the head with a food dish and thinks she's a dog. She sneaks off to Uncle Murray's Camp for Stressed-Out Dogs in Puppy's bag. But will everyone at camp buy she's a dog and what happens if Kitty remembers who she is?

Another fun adventure with Bad Kitty. I loved the bone chasing scene, but there were several other great comedic moments as Kitty deals with amnesia. Hand this to a kid who thinks they don't like reading, and of course, animal lovers.

No content issues.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad Kitty goes a little nuts from dealing with puppy and baby all day every day. She sneaks off to dog retreat camp pretty confused and thinking she is a dog. The text highlights some differences between cats and dogs before Kitty, high on some catnip, sees the ancient Egyptian goddess, Bastet, who reminds her to be who she was meant to be. Ultimately she is accepted at doggy camp as the ferocious, wild, hero cat she is cut out to be.

Silly surprise ending- Puppy now thinks he is a baby!

[Tammie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I opened the package containing this book my son grabbed it and read it. I do believe he read it twice. This a great graphic novel that kept my 7 year old engaged. He didn't put it down until he finished it. The story is engaging and the characters are great.

Thank you so much to Nick Bruel and Goodreads for this book. I would recommend this book to any child who loves to read.

[Miss Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book for my middle school library visit and also for my middle school inhouse book club.
I did an extension activity of having the kids draw a story/cartoon/graphic novel book given a theme to write/draw around. They enjoyed it. Cute story of a Kitty who is mistaken as a dog and visits a dog camp. Cute story and pictures.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad Kitty just wants to sleep away the days but is roused to play with the puppy and the baby. An accident happens and she thinks she's a dog. She stows away to go to the Puppy Retreat too.
Typical funny events ensue.
Another humorous book in this series.

[Renee Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Bad Kitty series - and Bad Kitty Camp Daze and is full of fun, mischief, and even a little mayhem. With plenty of physical comedy, it is sure to appeal to young readers - but is also appealing to adults who need a good chuckle.

[Kelley Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giggled the whole time. The humor is surprisingly sophisticated. The facial expressions and situations will appeal to the children too young to understand the whole joke, but even older children - or 47 year old women - will appreciate the jokes in the words :).

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read most of the Bad Kitty books. They are a type of graphic novel for 1st-3rd graders. I enjoyed this book as much as the others-all three of my kids enjoy this series. Also reviewed on Kiss the Book Blog.

[Catrina McKittrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the perspective that the Bad Kitty books are told from! It is told like the author or whomever is talking to the cat, which I think is really unique! When Puppy gets sent away to to a canine camp, Kitty sneaks along, because she gets hit in the head and thinks she's a dog! A very fun and quirky book for younger kids.