This really sums up the average scout experience for younger kids, from what I've seen, though there are many troops that don't do so many scout-type things anymore. I can remember selling cookies through Girl Scouts and how intimidating our first camping trip. Kids that age used to get homesick all the time on overnights. I know how easy it is to be homesick with your mom right there at camp with you. I've been there.It's a cute read, though you can really start to tell how dated the story was with all the name-calling. I'm familiar with that because it reminded me so much of my own scout troop when I was little. It wasn't quite the same thing, but I remember having the same problem with learning to float. Canoeing on the lake was always my favorite. We had kids try to pull pranks and kids who were homesick. It really reminded me a lot of what it was like when I was younger.I think my kids are going to love this book. My daughter was in Girl Scouts for a while and this sounds exactly like her troop! My boys might not ever do scouting, so it should be fun for them to experience it. Though it's written from a girl's perspective I think my son would enjoy it. It's just funny enough for him.These would be a great early chapter book series. The plots move kind of slow, but faster than some of the other stories aimed at the same age group. There are also enough experiences in each book to keep them new, interesting, and entertaining.
