Natalie's Secret

Camp Confidential #1

by Melissa J. Morgan

Summer camp means lots of things: new friends, roommates, bug bites, bathroom duty...But it's also a chance to be on your own and to reinvent yourself. A shy girl can become the belle of the ball, and a jock might find new competition. Natalie, Jenna, Grace, and Alex have all found themselves at Camp Lakeview for different reasons. And each is keeping a secret. But if everyone is hiding something, how will they ever become friends?

Natalie Goode is a city girl-way more interested in fresh sushi than fresh air. So she's bummed when her mother ships her off to "Camp Lake-puke" to broaden her horizons. But before long, Natalie notices there are some pretty cool girls are camp (and even some cute boys, too). If she can loosen up, she might even enjoy herself-unless the secret she's been keeping gets in her way...

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult, Fiction, Friendship

141 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts out with a girl named Natalie who is a complete girly city girl who is not used to the concept of camp like everyone else who going is. When she gets their she is not into anything dealing with wilderness. Natalie ends up working for the school newspaper and doing a nature activity. She makes a couple of friends and one really good one named Simon who she has a crush on. She doesn't like the nature thing at first but then she really starts liking it and people start liking her. People really start liking her when her dad comes in because he is like a big movie star. Everyone try's to get close to Natalie just because of her dad and even after her dad is gone everyone got to know her and likes her. But Natalie knows her real friends are the ones in her cabin because they never treated her different because her dad was a big star. This was Natalie's big secret because she really didn't want anyone to treat her different just like her bunk mates and her other friends treated her like a normal camper. Then she is told that she gets to go on a camping trip because she did the nature thing. She really did not want to go to the camping trip at first but then after a while she warms up to the idea and starts really liking camp, and she made lot of really good friends. Then she goes on the camping trip and gets into a little trouble and gets lost trying to keep up with her friend when they try to go catch a bunny. They do get back to camp though after a little hike. The story has a little romance to with Simon but nothing but a exchange of numbers at the end of camp really happens. She also gets all pf her cabin mates numbers and emails to and she ends up having a awesome time at camp.

I really liked this book because it is just like a camp i go to. I could also relate to a lot to a lot of the girls. I would recommend to any girl really. You could be girly or sportys this book is good for everyone. I thought the plot was really good and I am very happy it is a series.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember obsessing over this series back when I started middle school. It made me wish I could go to sleep away camp for the summer so badly. Mainly so I could meet friends like the girls in these books. I adored the series so much that every Saturday, I made my way to Barnes and Noble just to buy the following book.

I am sad to say that I am saying farewell to my complete set, needing more room on my shelves. Thinking about shipping the set out on eBay, but it seems they don't sell particularly well (more like there aren't any bids for any of the auctions for these books). So it seems I'll have to think of another way to be rid of them. *Sigh*

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I read 14/25 Camp Confidential books in elementary school, and I think it was this series that established my love of summer camp books. I also found them through an ad in a Discovery Girls magazine, which if you recognize or even read those you're my new best friend.
Since I read them in elementary school, I barely remembered them! So it was a really fun reread; there were definitely moments when it'd hit me that I wasn't the target audience for this book, but I had a lot of fun reading it and I think the characters are really strong and well-established in this first book. Natalie was a really good, smart, introspective kid who still sounded and felt like an actual eleven-year-old.
Because I decided to pick up at least the first four books, it made me realize that I never finished the series all those years ago. So I'm finally (hopefully) going to be doing that now! I might try and buy them too, but that's another 21 books I'll have to buy, so we'll just see how much longer my library is closed and then decide.
Overall if you like middle grade and are interested in stories set at summer camp I would really recommend this book: if you like it, well then there are 3 sequels to get you through the first summer. If you really like it, there's a whole 25 books series to dive into! They're cute, sweet, easy to read, and a really nice pick-me-up/distraction in this crazy time.

[Lilian♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75. This was a re-read, and it wasn't as good as I remember it being the first time around!

And the character Chelsea is SO SO ANNOYING!

Also, the characters are 11 but are acting like they are like 20!

Other than that, it was decent.

[Madi · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book! have read all of the series, great 4 camp lovers like me!:)

[Maddie Toner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember this being better when I read it in 5th grade

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Random fact, but I always picture Matt Damon when I read about Nat’s dad. Maybe because Tad Maxwell’s spy films sound kind of like the Bourne films?

[Anna Melomed · Rating 4 out of 5]

reallly short

[Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5*

[SAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book so much because I think its alot like real life. The main character, Natalie, is my favorite character in the whole series. Its really cool to pick up a book as good as this one because you cant put it down! It's almost like the book wants you to read it. After reading this book I had to get the rest in the series! I like Natalie beause she is a spoiled, new york, rich girl whos dad is mega-famous. In the book she is sent to an 8 week sleepaway camp with, pranks, boys, friends, fights, and of course spiders on the toilet! For those of you who have read this book you know what I'm talking about, for those of you who havent all I can say is, read the book!

[Hayley Pieper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was GREAT! It was about a girl named Natalie. Her mom makes her go to overnight camp called Camp Lakeview. She hates it at first but then starts making some new friends and meets a cute boy she likes named Simon. She has a secret and she is trying to hide it. Then everybody figures out her secret and she has to fix the chaos and make sure her friends are not mad at her for not telling them her secret. This was super fun to read and figure out her secret. I can't wait to read more of Camp Confidential books!

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

This narrative style was wayyy too comprehensive for me...I’m talking never a single “said” but only “scoffed,” “conceded,” or “puzzled.” And like holy cannoli was Natalie the world’s most self-aware & empathetic 11 YEAR OLD. All of the other girls pretty much fell on stereotypes which I am JUST. SO. OVER. I got my camp fix in this book & I’ll probably read at least the next 3 bc I do things but oh my lanta

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like, 2.5?

I enjoyed it, it wasn't awful and it had a MAJOR nostalgia factor for me, but it was also incredibly unrealistic, and having worked as a camp counselor, there are so many glaring duty of care errors I feel sure that this camp should be closed. Also, the MC is supposed to be 11. 11yos don't act this way.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good book about girls who go to a camp together and it's about their lives and their friendship with eachother. I loved this series!

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also, this series is really good too! If you go to Camp Wapo, this will sort of remind you of it! There are 20 books in the series so far so keep on reading!

[Laurie D'ghent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Nothing inappropriate. Great for girls in that awkward tween stage. Only swearing was a few, "Oh, my G**"s. I would read more.

[YRM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personally, I like this book.
Sure, it took me, like, years to actually finish it (I constantly borrowed it in the hopes of finishing it but never really finished it until this year). It's not as if I read a part and then read the other part over the years, it was more that I couldn't focus on this book much because I assumed it wouldn't be interesting.
I had a friend who loved these books so I lent them, but never read the 'Summer Camp Secrets' books properly. This year, I decided it was time to get this book over with. So, I gave it a try.
This book took me a while to finish, like maybe a month or two, but I'd say this book was pretty good. It wasn't deep or anything, although it did remind me of simpler times, when I was a little kid who made magazines and newspapers with my friends, wrote letters to my cousins and played paper games in class when we were bored. Plus the Capture the Flag scene reminded me of chasing people around at school or playing tag or ice-water.
'Summer Camp Secrets: Miss.Manhattan' is a simple story, about Natalie, who's sent to camp by her mother, finally breaking out of her comfort zone. She makes friends, learns new things and realizes there's more to life than just staying in a comfortable bubble all the time.
I'd definitely give the rest of the series a try, now that I've finally finished the first one. I probably won't read the books in order though...

[Elle Creed · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, written by Melissa J. Morgan is a story about a whole bunch of tween girls (and boys) going to camp for eight whole weeks! Even though all the girls are very different from each other, the girls have a lot of fun together and some even want to come back next summer. The girls have a bit of a struggle the first week or two as an example, they have trouble sharing a small/tight bedroom in the beginning especially the city girls. They fight over boys and gossip to each other and waking up very early in the mornings for camp activities and cleanups. However, in the end, they manage to figure everything out and they have a blast! I feel like Melissa Morgan was talking about maybe a summer camp that she went to before because the way that she described: the taste of the nasty dinner to the tight dorm. This book I read in a day mostly just because I was bored of watching my phone all day long so, I decided to read an easy book and I feel like I made a good choice because I loved the book. Thank you, girls, for all of the laughs!

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I have been wanting to go back to reading this series and actually finishing it. When I was younger, I was able to get through I believe half of the series. I also need a break from science fiction and fantasy books.I I am so happy to be reading this again purely because of the nostalgia and the escape from adulthood! It's funny to think back when I was younger I thought that the characters were older than they were and I just thought they were so cool. Reading it as an adult now, it's still good and I still laugh and get all the feels, but I can see how the characters are 11 years old. So it does read young because of that, but honestly reading this book over 10 years later, I feel like this book is still relevant.
Anyways, on to the review. As young as this book reads, the character development and story is good. It's entertaining. The author does a good job of writing so that you feel pulled in to the Camp Confidential world. The emotions are real and the characters are real. The problems, drama, and adventure are also real. It's a good quick read that entertaining. I would recommend to anyone that is just looking for a break in their usual reads and doesn't mind walking in the world of tween.

[Cara]

With summer on the horizon, I found myself wanting to revisit a childhood favorite: Melissa Morgan's "Camp Confidential" series, and it didn’t disappoint.

Having devoured these books growing up, I felt compelled to purchase the series again. And let me tell you, it was just as good as I remembered! “Camp Confidential" is like a warm hug, filled with wholesome characters, sweet friendships, and summertime fun.

Starting the series off with a character like Natalie, someone who wasn’t used to the environment she was thrown into, was a great choice by the author. Not only do readers get to witness camp life through fresh eyes, but Natalie also has a compelling secret - one that I was totally enthralled by as a kid … I mean, having a famous dad that acts? How cool!

“Camp Confidential” is a series that stays with you long after the last page (say, 15+ years?), reminding you of the importance of friendship, the joy of new experiences, and the magic of summer.

[Lianna Kendig · Rating 2 out of 5]

(LL)
I remember these being way better, however, I was about 12 when I read them so that’s probably why.

The language in the book is problematic, and even though some of the materialistic things Natalie believes at the beginning are resolved at the end, it really doesn’t make up for the stuff that happens in the middle.
She labels people very quickly as weird, and a girl bringing stuffed animals to camp made Natalie “concerned” about them. She judged someone’s passion for plants and animals and negatively called them a vegan, even though she admits at one point she was a vegetarian?? Hypocrisy at its finest.

I hope it’s better as the series goes on because Natalie isn’t that likable as a character so far, and the lessons of the book are almost nonexistent besides “don’t judging a book by its cover,” which Natalie does throughout the entire book. Ugh.

[Tazendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another camp story to pass the time for the long wait to summer camp. :)

It felt like to me the book didn't have as much stuff packed in as Sleepaway Girls or Summer State of Mind (which I feel is a disadvantage in some ways), and the same with the characters, I felt like.

However, the lack of more substance also counts towards being more of a relaxing read, which can be good too.

And this book is the first of 25(?!) in a series! Suspicious. I guess we'll see what happens with me reading the next books in the series.

[Ciara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natalie was not excited about going to camp before she got there, but when she meets the other girls in her bunk and starts getting into the activities, she starts thinking that maybe it won't be so bad. There's just one problem... Natalie has a secret.

I enjoyed this, but not enough to give it five stars. I am still going to keep reading this series though, and if you're a fan of The Baby-Sitters Club, The Friendship List, or similar book series, this will definitely be for you.

[Francis L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pictures are a great supportive detail to anything.

I think every one should read the Camp Confidential book series because it is an amazing/wonderful book series Camp Confidential is an wonderful book series and if you like/love camping you would love this amazing and wonderful book series!!!!

[Adriana Bayless · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this entire series in elementary school and was obsessed. Having gone to summer camp three summers in a row, I loved reading about other kids going to summer camp too. Anyways, I'm very excited to be rereading this series... despite the fact that I'm almost 22 and first read this series 10+ years ago, I really did enjoy reading this!

[Ritika Chhabra · Rating 4 out of 5]

"New York was a special place, no doubt about it. But then, so was Lakeview."

For a book that I finished reading in just a couple of hours, Natalie's point-of-view went from this extreme to that pretty fast. Not that I hadn't expected it to happen, of course. Cute read. Definitely MG recommended.

[Linawati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andaikan membaca buku pelajaran sama menyenankannya seperti membaca buku ini. tapi ini sungguhan, buku ini asik banget. Persahabatan, kegembiraan, pondok, percintaan, perkemahan, semuanya diceritakan dengan luwes. Sayangnya buku ini berseries dan aku nggk bisa nemuin series selanjutnya...

[Johnna]

Reread this book for the first time in I think 15 years LOL. This was my favorite book as a kid, I would argue it somewhat got me into reading. Nice to rediscover what made me enjoy what I love so much today.

[Marisahh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer camp books are my niche so I had to read this since it’s basically a classic. It was basically what I expected, I am absolutely not the target audience and it was very obvious, but it wasn’t bad, just a very mundane camp story

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie had a hard time after everyone found out that her dad was tad maxwell! And she totally saved the day evan if she is too modest to admit it. No matter who her dad is I think she deserves freinds and maybe evan greatness as long as it doesn't go to her head