Sue heads to summer camp hoping for independence, only to find her sisters and a confusing first crush standing in her way.
Kat Fajardo brings back the Gutierrez family in this companion to the award-winning Miss Quinces. In this story, Suyapa (Sue) travels to Camp Willow for two weeks of hiking, archery, and LARPing. Her plans for a solo adventure change quickly when her older sister arrives as a counselor and her younger sister won’t leave her side. At the same time, Sue has to manage a friend’s unexpected romantic feelings and her best friend’s new “camp bestie”. There are currently two graphic novels in this collection that share the same cast and vibrant art style.
This book is an excellent choice for English learners or students who feel intimidated by long novels. The dialogue is very accessible, featuring short, simple sentences that reflect authentic “kid talk”. Because it has a Lexile level of 350L, students can focus on complex social issues—like setting boundaries and managing jealousy—without getting stuck on difficult text. The expressive, full-color panels do a lot of the work, helping readers understand Sue’s feelings of embarrassment or annoyance. Having familiar characters from the previous book helps students feel comfortable, which makes them more likely to pick up the next book and keep their reading momentum going.
Total Books in Series: 2 Best Starting Point: Miss Camper: A Graphic Novel
