Sworn city girl Natalie Goode is actually back-voluntarily-at Lakepuke for more. More mess-food cooking, more bug-infested bunk beds, and even more nature shack (well, maybe not nature shack; a girl has to maintain some standards, after all). And even though the returning 3C-ers have been split up, she's still got Alyssa as her bunkmate and official summertime BFF. Unfortunately, there's a new camper on the scene! Tori is sophisticated, literate, and very cute. Good thing Natalie's not the jealous type . . . or is she?
When the summer ended, the girls from bunk 3C assumed that everything would be the same at home as when they had left. But with middle school starting, they couldn't have been more wrong. Now Natalie and Jenna are finding their social lives rapidly changing, and Grace and Alex are working harder than ever at school and sports. But when they find out that their bunkmate is going through some really tough times, they are eager to do anything they can. But how can they help her when they all live so far away?
Presidents' Weekend is coming up, and Tori's parents have invited four of her closest friends to their Tahoe home for a ski trip! No sooner have the girls booked their tickets to California than they learn that the Lakeview reunion is also scheduled for that weekend. Will the fourth years be separated for reunion weekend?
Athletic, quiet Sarah loves Camp Lakeview and is psyched to be back for another summer in the sun. She gets along with everyone and never makes waves. But when Sarah meets the girls of bunk 4C, she's in for a huge surprise: Phoebe, a classmate of hers from back home, has come to camp this summer! Phoebe's friendly, sure, but . . . well, she's from Sarah's other life, her 'real' life, the one she leaves behind when she heads off for Lakeview. And if Sarah isn't careful, Phoebe could spill her secrets to the rest of the campers. Sarah could never live that down . . .
The girls go on an overnight and share horror stories around the campfire. But it's the one about Cropsy, the creepy old man who lives just outside the campgrounds and is known for torturing Lakeview campers, that hits closest to home. Especially when Chelsea leaves the group for a bathroom break in the woods and doesn't return after 45 minutes. No sooner do her bunkmates go after her then do they realize they've completely lost their way and are now at the mercy of the evil Cropsy's whims!
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 ajock 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?
Jenna Bloom is a Lakeview legacy. She's been coming to camp for three years and so have her brothers. All of her brothers. Jenna used to think that was cool, but lately she's been dying for some independence. Bubbly, outgoing Jenna has always been known for her pranks. But now her jokes are less and less funny. Are the family ties pulled too tightly-or is there something else going on?
Henk was hidden on the farm when he was young and the Nazi soldiers came. But the war is over now, and Henk finds out that the people he lives with, the people he loves, are not his real family. He doesn't remember his real parents, and now a new life in the city lies ahead of him. Will things ever be the same?
When Natalie's dad is nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, she flies to L.A. for the week, where she plans on hanging out with Tori and also taking her to the Oscars. But when Natalie hits it off with Tori's friend Reed, Tori feels left out and picks a giant fight, which culminates in Natalie rescinding Tori's invitation to the Oscars and giving it to Reed instead. Cut to: Natalie and Tori and their tearful reconciliation. Unfortunately the only way for Natalie to really enjoy this happilyever- after ending is to find a replacement ticket to the Oscars!
Brynn's just transferred to a brand-new school in a town close by. A town in Bizarro World, that is, where academic excellence is the fast track to popularity and Candace-yes, quiet, seemingly insecure Candace-is the reigning queen bee. Brynn's not sure how she'll ever fit in to this parallel universe, until one day she notices Candace crumbling under the weight of some serious self-imposed stress. So Brynn takes Candace under her wing and teaches her the fine art of chilling out before she turns into a complete basket case at the tender age of thirteen.
Alyssa finds an amethyst, a stone believed to aid in psychic awareness. Suddenly she's interpreting dreams and making predictions, all with 100 percent accuracy. While half the camp girls are believers, the other half are skeptics, attributing the gem's track record to coincidence. Not that Alyssa cares what anyone thinks. In fact, she's so attached to the amethyst, she names it Amy. But when a prediction causes the bunk to miss a Phillies game-where Justin Timberlake sings-even the believers cross over to the dark side. Still, Alyssa proclaims that the chances of her giving up the amethyst are 'as likely as a snowstorm in July.' And lo and behold, the next morning the campus is carpeted in snow. Coincidence? Only Amy knows for sure . . .
A young family must leave their comfortable London life for a house in the country when their father is taken away unexpectedly. Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis spend their days at the nearby train station, befriending the station master and porter and many of the passengers. Waving goodbye to the departing London train each day and sending their love to their father who is detained there, they strike up a friendship with a kindly old man who may be able to help them get their father back.
From Australia's favourite storyteller comes a story, within a story, that shows us the extraordinary power of true love and solves a decades-old mystery."Once upon a time, in a dark city far away, there lived a boy called Walter, who had nothing but his name to call his own ..."The handwritten book, with its strangely vivid illustrations, has been hidden in the old house for a long, long time. Tonight, four kids and their teacher will find it. Tonight, at last, the haunting story of Walter and the mysterious, tragic girl called Sparrow will be read - right to the very end ...From one of Australia's most renowned children's authors, comes an extraordinary story within a story - a mystery, a prophecy, a long-buried secret. And five people who will remember this night as long as they live.
