Natalie's Secret

April 18, 2005
Launching the Camp Confidential series, this lukewarm tale centers on an 11-year-old New Yorker whose mother sends her to Camp Lakeview for eight weeks. Convinced she is "allergic to nature," Natalie is anything but thrilled about experiencing the great outdoors and eating camp food rather than sushi. But her attitude improves after she bonds with an artsy, sensitive bunkmate and takes a shine to a "boy-person with denim blue eyes" who shares her love of The Simpsons
("We're perfect for each other!
' she thinks). Given the obvious clues, readers will likely guess Natalie's "secret": her father is a famous film actor, a fact she has hidden from her fellow campers so that they could get to know her on her
terms. Alas, all is revealed when the superstar and his girlfriend roll into camp in a limo for a surprise visit. Natalie's consternation about her friends' reactions verges on the melodramatic: "Natalie's head was spinning. The scene felt almost completely surreal. Her friends were being polite but awkward, and Chelsea was suddenly her bestest best friend in the world? This was so not what she wanted! This
was why she hadn't wanted to let people know who her father was!" Despite Morgan's typecasting (the athlete, the comedienne, the practical joker, the manipulative bully), these young characters—Natalie included—are curiously bland, offering readers little incentive to reach for this month's second camp caper, Jenna's Dilemma
(0-448-43738-4
). Ages 9-12.

April 1, 2005
Gr 4-6 -Natalie Goode, 11, is a true city girl who loves all the wonderful amenities of her life in New York City. Imagine her trauma when her mother tells her that she is going to spend eight weeks at a camp in Pennsylvania. When she arrives, things are worse than she imagined. Her bunk is run-down, the showers are gross, and she finds a spider in the toilet. Fortunately, her bunkmates come from different places and Natalie begins to appreciate their unique talents and personalities. When she meets Simon, a cute fellow camper, things definitely begin to improve. However, complications arise when Natalie's father makes a surprise visit, for she hasn't told anyone that her dad is Tad Maxwell, the famous action-movie star. Soon, Natalie must face her new friends and deal with the fact that she hasn't been truthful. The first book in the series is a satisfying read. The subject matter and the characters are nothing new but fans of series books about girls will enjoy it." -Linda Zeilstra Sawyer, Skokie Public Library, IL"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.