Camp Average: Double Foul is the fun sequel to the original Camp Average story. I really enjoyed the first one and was excited to read this sequel as all the same characters were together at camp again. Plus girls are in the picture at camp this summer which I thought would add a lot to the story. Even though it was a fun and interesting storyline, it was missing something that the first book had. I do think middle grade kids will enjoy this one, it’s just not as captivating as the first. I give this sequel a 4 star.

Mack is back at Camp Avalon after Camp Average, but things have changed. After the camp finally won a game, counselor Winston was promoted and has developed an elite athlete track at the camp. The camp is also taking girls for the first time, and Mack's friend Nicole transfers from a nearby camp, glad to have better facilities. Mack is happy just to drift along in the non-elite track, but when all of his activities mysteriously get canceled, he ends up on the basketball team, which is headed for an important basketball tournament. In another wrinkle, each camp can only send one team, so the girls are determined to defeat the boys. It doesn't help that Winston keeps throwing the team into competitions, even at Mega Fun Zone, that tear the team apart. There's even talk that a scout is coming to a game, which puts the athletes in a tizzy. Mack gets the upper hand when he registers the basketball team he has put together as "Camp Average", and Winston's entry is thrown out. The team does very well, but almost doesn't make it to the second round of competition because their bus to the event is mysteriously canceled. Andre comes to the rescue and gets a ride with Camp Killington, their rival, but this helps comes at a price. It looks like there's more to Camp Average's story when next summer rolls around.

Strengths: This was fast-paced, funny, had interesting characters, and had a nice turn with the girls being involved in sports. Young readers will love that Winston is evil and root for Mack and his fellow campers to take down the short-short, tube sock wearing villain and return their camp to its average roots. There are enough basketball play-by-plays that I got confused, which means there is just enough basketball for my sports fans.
Weaknesses: There was a lot going on, and a lot of characters. I got a little confused, but then I read too quickly.
What I really think: The first book hasn't circulated terribly well, but I haven't been promoting it as a sports book, either. I'll purchase this second title, which will help the series because basketball is definitely the sport of choice at my school.

I thought Camp Average: Double Foul was alright. I was able to see the point in how the students competed against each other. The book was fine, and I can see some of my students really enjoying it. I thought it is just like so many other books out there.

The coaches and kids of Camp Avalon/Average are all back for another summer of fun and this time there are girls in the main character category. After giving a 5 star rating to the first installment of this series, I was excited to see an ARC listed on both NetGalley and Edelweiss and was hoping for the laughter level of book 1. It didn’t happen. Once again, Mack must match wits with Winston in his efforts to just enjoy the recreational activities of camp instead of engaging in the hyper-competitive attitude of the adults in charge, but this time, he may alienate his friends instead of uniting them in a single goal. For me, the plot plodded rather than raced like it did in book one and it was a bit of a struggle to finish. The ending was satisfying, but I wonder if new readers and fans of the series opener will hang with it? Camp Average is a library “must-have,” but librarians may want to gauge the enthusiasm for that one as they consider purchasing “Double Foul.” On the up side, Battle keeps his novel free of any potential red flags and if diversity is a critical factor in purchasing decisions, book 2 is a bit more clear in establishing that the main characters come from varied backgrounds.

Although I really enjoyed the first book in this series, I wasn't a big fan of Camp Average: Double Foul. The characters felt undeveloped, and in many ways it felt too similar to the first book with Mack/Winston trying to undermine each other.