Ratings8
Average rating4.6
The extraordinary--and extraordinarily powerful--follow-up to HEY, KIDDO.
When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was in high school, he was part of a program that sent students to be counselors at a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Going into, 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.
Featured Series
1 primary bookHey, Kiddo is a 1-book series first released in 2022 with contributions by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.
Reviews with the most likes.
Like Jarrett's experiences I expected this to be dark but it ended up being sweet and life affirming. The ONLY reason I didn't cry was that I read it while being tattooed and I didn't want my artist to think they were making me cry.
a PERFECT followup to [b:Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction 37822650 Hey, Kiddo How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction Jarrett J. Krosoczka https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529196573l/37822650.SX50.jpg 57294506] (which I think is also an incredible book). moving and hopeful–I love that he addresses right away how his grandparents were worried that working at a camp for kids with cancer would be depressing but actually it was meaningful and fun for him, and it shows in the book. (Tho OFC there are sad moments) And it really captures a lot of the ~magic~ of the summer camp experience–I didn't work at a camp specifically for children with illnesses but a lot of the joys of camp Jarrett describes here still really resonated with me. Also I think the way he incorporates his own art education and career will be really interesting for young artists reading.