Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse

by Tamera Will Wissinger, Matthew Cordell (Illustrator)

Overview

A "playful, delightfully illustrated verse narrative" (Kirkus) about two siblings who take on the great outdoors with their young-at-heart grandfather. Exuberantly illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Matthew Cordell and filled with a variety of poetic forms, this camping romp is packed with family humor and adventure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781328596345
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/26/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	0.70(w) x 1.60(h) x 9.00(d)
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Tamera Will Wissinger writes poetry and stories for children. She earned her B.A. degree in English from Sioux Falls College, and her M.F.A. degree in Writing from Hamline University. She is the author of Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse and This Old Band.  www.tamerawillwissinger.com

Matthew Cordell has illustrated many picture and chapter books for children including Wolf in the Snow, which won the Caldecott Medal. He lives with his wife and their two children outside of Chicago, Illinois. Visit him online at matthewcordell.com and on Twitter @cordellmatthew.

Read an Excerpt

Sam

PROVISIONING
Tercet Variation

Late night.
House bright.
Everybody packs tonight.

Summer:    Here.
Trip:           Near.
Mom and Lucy check our gear.

Map out.
Plan our route.
Dad named me chief camp scout.

One more
Final chore.
Duffel mountain near the door.

Next day.
No delay.
Campsite:    We are on our way!

Lucy

PACKING LIST
List Poem

√     Tent
√     Poles
√     Stakes
√     Hammer
√     Rope

√     Grill kit
√     Food
√     Bucket
√     Soap

√     Sleeping bags
√     Canoe
√     Canteen

√     Lantern
√     Duffel bags
√     Sunscreen

√     Fishing gear
√     First-aid kit

√     Four campers
√     One car
√     Tight fit

Sam and Lucy

GOING CAMPING
Dramatic Poem for Two

Sam

Lucy

We’ll set up camp,

Go hiking,

Catch our bait.

We’ll build a blazing fire,

Stay up late.
 

We’ll cool off by the lake.

We’ll barbecue.

We’ll fish with Mom and Dad

In our canoe.
 

Tomorrow’s almost here.

Hooray!
 

Hooray!

We’re going camping in a day!

Editorial Reviews

"...this is a strong selection for school libraries." —Bulletin "Just right or young chapter-book readers, here’s an accomplished, upbeat introduction to camping, poetic forms, and verse novels." —Booklist "An uplifting tale showing what fun may be had when one summons the courage to head into the woods and off the grid." —Kirkus —

From the Publisher

2016-12-21
A much-anticipated family camping trip goes slightly awry.In a follow-up to Gone Fishing (2013), Wissinger and Cordell again present a playful, delightfully illustrated verse narrative for primary graders centered on a family outing for white siblings Sam and Lucy. Where the previous book was largely told by Sam, as he fretted over his little sister's hijacking of the fishing trip he'd envisioned alone with their father, here many of the poems reveal Lucy's thoughts, giving equal time to her hopes and fears associated with their upcoming adventure in the woods. Everything is set for the family's camping trip until Dad wakes up with a cold so fierce both he and Mom are forced to stay home. Though absent-minded Grandpa, who "putters" and "rarely goes outdoors," steps in to salvage the trip, Lucy and Sam can hardly contain their disappointment. With his signature scribbly sketches, Cordell hilariously nails the change of mood from unbridled excitement, as Sam and Lucy race to surprise their parents with breakfast in bed, to Sam glowering as he eats his cereal and Lucy flat-on-her-back disconsolate on the floor, dropping cornflakes into her mouth at arm's length with operatic affect, thinking: "This must be a trick. / Dad is never ever sick. / … / Say it isn't true. / We won't go camping without you two." But the three venture off to the forest as Wissinger again takes occasion to explore myriad lyric poetic forms, explained in several pages of backmatter. An uplifting tale showing what fun may be had when one summons the courage to head into the woods and off the grid. (bibliography) (Verse novel. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews