CAMP MONSTER, by Kate Messner, Falynn Koch, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Feb. 3, 2026, Hardcover, $14.99 (ages 8-11)
What could be better than summer camp? Find out in Kate Messner’s Camp Monster, the first book in a young middle-grade graphic novel series.
Tasha’s family has run Camp Yeti for generations, but these days there just aren’t enough Yetis to fill the bunks. This summer they are rebranding as CAMP MONSTER–a superfun summer camp experience for ALL of monster-kind. Tasha can’t wait to show off all the camp traditions she loves!
But things get off to a rocky start–the goblins are causing a ruckus, the ogre is a total diva, and the werewolf keeps disappearing. This is not the perfect summer Tasha had hoped for. Then a series of mysterious mishaps occurs . . . someone is trying to sabotage Camp Monster! Can these monsters set aside their differences to find out who is behind the hijinks? —Synopsis provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Camp Monster is a fun graphic novel option for younger middle readers. The campers deal with a lot monster stuff that human kids will relate to like working together, problem solving, apprehension at experiencing something new, getting to know monsters that aren’t like you, etc. And there’s good interaction with Tasha and her family as they work to make camp a success.
Camp Monster isn’t particularly deep, but it doesn’t need to be. Kids will enjoy the humor in both text and illustrations. And they’ll have fun getting to know all the different kinds of monsters.
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