The extraordinary - and extraordinarily powerful - follow-up to Hey, Kiddo. When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was in high school, he was part of a programme that sent students to be counsellors at a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Going into it, Jarrett was worried: wouldn't it be depressing, to be around kids facing such a serious struggle? Wouldn't it be grim? But instead of the shadow of death, Jarrett found something else at Camp Sunshine: the hope and determination that gets people through the most troubled of times. Not only was he subject to some of the usual rituals that come with being a camp counselor (wilderness challenges, spooky campfire stories, an extremely stinky mascot costume), but he also got a chance to meet some extraordinary kids facing extraordinary circumstances. He learned about the captivity of illness, for sure but he also learned about the freedom a safe space can bring. Now, in his follow-up to the National Book Award finalist Hey, Kiddo , Jarrett brings readers back to Camp Sunshine so we can meet the campers and fellow counselors who changed the course of his life.

 

 

There are 240 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2023 by Scholastic US .

Jarrett J. Krosoczka is also the author and illustrator of Baghead and Annie Was Warned .