Member Reviews

Loveddddd this! I’ll never say no to a comic and the art in this one especially worked so well with the story telling. Seeing the characters develop over the page and the story go on, really enjoyable. Definitely a great book for kids and teens who casually want to get into comics style books.

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This was a breathe of fresh air to read and I completely devoured this adorable tale with such powerful message that everyone can learn from. There were some things that I was a little skeptical about (I.e.: the story taking place at a musical camp) I chalked it up to having representation from all areas of life even the stereotypical ones for queer identity.
That aside, I enjoyed the story and I believe the struggles the characters faced were handled with such care. The art style was not my favorite but as I dove deeper into the story the art style seemed to just add to the over energy of the plot.
This is such a heartwarmingly sweet read and I might need to do a re-read in the near future.

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This story was so cute! I loved the two friends supporting and inspiring each other through their own separate struggles. I think a lot of kids will be able to find something to relate to in this book.

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Graphic novels are all the rage right now and I am a huge fan! Camp Prodigy is a great read for middle schoolers, especially those who are questioning their identity and and being free to be who they are!

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Tate once heard a violist performing before a big recital. That musician inspired them to take up the instrument. Yet despite Tate trying their hardest, they aren't the best player necessarily. They hope that summer camp will allow them to find the confidence to play, and come out to their parents as nonbinary.

By coincidence, the musician that inspired Tate is also attending, under a different surname. Eli wants Tate to keep it a secret so they can make a comeback by earning it fairly. Being a prodigy means judges are biased. Tate understands; they just want pointers on how to improve at viola. Soon, the two become friends as Eli has to learn to let go of perfection, while Tate sees the competitive world of music and tries not to lose themselves in the stress.

I am totally not the musician that fights to get that first chair. When I was in university orchestra, I was happy to vibe in the back as a non-music major. My goal was to learn and have fun. Eli and Tate both risking burnout and having to learn when to let go is so important.

This graphic novel was a fun reminder that you have to know when to let go, and choking at an important moment isn't the end of the world. The timing couldn't have been better.

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Perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson and Raina Telgemeier, this heartwarming middle grade graphic novel follows two nonbinary kids who navigate anxiety and identity while having fun and forming friendships at their summer orchestra camp

This was so much fun! I loved the writing and the art and highly recommend it!

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My favorite part – the non-binary representation in the book! That alone makes this book stand out and makes it something I want to shout from the rooftops about! A middle-grade graphic novel with excellent art, with a well-told story, and with awesome non-binary representation: perfection, this one was chef’s kiss!

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4.5/5

I adore this book. I like that it shows different aspects of growing up and trying to be the best but also realizing that your best is good enough.

Tate wants to become the best violinist they can be. They go to a summer camp to start learning more and get better. There they meet a prodigy that choked at their first big concert, Eli. Eli is the reason Tate wants to be great. Tate ends up asking Eli to show them the ropes and help them get better. There are also aspects of this story showing Tate coming to terms with their gender, dealing with people who aren’t the type of person you usually deal with, and just understanding if you are trying your best, you are doing your best.

I love this story and how it goes about making you care for the characters and seeing them grow. I would recommend this to honestly anyone that has kids, and people who are kind of down thinking they aren’t achieving what they expect to be (all ages for that).

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What a beautiful and perfect graphic novel for middle age children to learn how to accept each other. I would absolutely recommend this book to my young readers at the library and I can see them absolutely loving it.

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Tate was inspired to make music when he overhears Eli practing. They have just started learning and want to get better, so Tate's parents' send them to a music based summer camp. There, Tate meets other kids passionate about music, and starts to make new friends. But can Tate overcome his feelings of not being good enough and embrace who they really are?

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'Camp prodigy' is a gorgeously illustrated fun camp story featuring two non-binary children, both musically driven. It was so wonderful watching Tate begin to see themselves in Eli and Eli get to let go a bit around Tate. Together, they found their places with each other and with their hopes and dreams. Paired with a beautiful art style there was so much to love. This is a story that proves having a queer found family is everything you need to see yourself, accept yourself and give yourself the chance to flourish and start again.

This is a middle grade novel I will eagerly place in the hands of anyone that needs to be reminded that queer joy is not only possible, but real, reachable all of the time.

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You know I love a good graphic novel and this one sure fits the bill. This summer camp adventure has newly-forged but deeply impactful friendships that any young reader can relate to!

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Non-binary youngster, Tate, grapples with opening up to friends and family about insecurities related to their musical abilities and gender identity, while fellow non-binary musical prodigy, Eli, grapples with conversations surrounding mental health and being too hard on yourself in this EPICALLY CUTE young-reader graphic novel.

Camp Prodigy was an adorable young reader graphic novel that tackles issues of insecurity, setting boundaries, and finding yourself- both musically and regarding gender-identity. Tate, a contemplative youngster, wants to improve “his” musical abilities after overhearing a fellow child violist, Eli, practicing a beautiful piece. The two non-binary kids meet up again at a summer music camp and embark on a journey of friendship with each other and other campers. While forming tight-knit friendships, Tate opens up about THEIR gender identity questions, and Eli opens up about their struggles with stress, anxiety, and mental health related to being a child prodigy.

Along with colorful side-characters, endearing mentors, and a very cute plot, Camp Prodigy is a clear winner in my book. The characters felt like actual kids, not mini grown-ups facing crazy, over-the-top situations and acting like children. There doesn’t seem to be any sort of chosen-one-type trope, which is great to see since the title made me nervous that would be the case. Also, this was an overwhelmingly happy LGBTQ+ story, and so often in books with gender identity themes, young audiences are exposed to the negative situations surrounding a character’s self-expression- bullying, characters who make them feel bad for who they are, etc. In this book, any moments of hesitation or self-doubt are purely treated as any other part of a coming-of-age story. When do you tell your friends that you feel a certain way about yourself or want to change something big? What about your family? Why is something nerve-wracking to tell to the people you know love you the most? With such a genuine, positive story plot and outlook on the process of self-discovery, this is an EXCELLENT graphic novel for kids to read this June for Pride Month. Or if your kid has questions about non-binary individuals. A 5/5 for me!

And the art is so stinking cool. I was endlessly studying the details of characters' faces as they reacted to things and reminiscing about my Pokémon TV show days. It’s a great introduction for kids wanting to see more examples of that style of cartoon.

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The representation in this book is very important, however, I unfortunately didn’t connect with the story and found myself bored of it. I think you’d need to be a band kid to understand and relate more to this story, but it was still cute and important. Books like this are very important for a lot of people. If it helps a kid out there feel better, I’m all for it.

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This was a super cute coming of age graphic novel with non-binary main characters. While attending a summer orchestra camp, friends are made and limits are pushed. It would be perfect for a middle grade reader or anyone else interested. The book felt like a natural way to explore gender identity while telling a compelling story. Representation of anxiety was told in an accessible way but was still fun to read. It also explored confidence and being your true self. Thank you Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Atheneum Books for Young Readers for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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My daughter plays the Viola in the PR Youth Symphony Orchestra So she was extremely excited that this book specifically featured Viola players in a Orchestra summer camp.
We both loved reading this, and thelt the art style was coloful and attractive, the story was interesting and well paced, the characters detailed and relatable. The references to music and in particular to the instrument practice were realistic and on spot woth the musical terms. It features 2 nonbinary MCs characters and the concepts are well explained for younger readers.
Overall it was a fun and entertaining read, with beautiful and attractive illustrations.
It’s the perfect pick for GN lovers, music lovers, for the summer camp book readers and for Pride month.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really solid debut graphic novel. It was set at summer camp (a favorite setting of mine!) for kids who were really good at band It was about two nonbinary kids' friendship throughout the summer. I have to say though, it was SO fast-paced, to a point where there weren't really any fun storylines going, just things about what chair you were in band and sometimes talking about coming out to their family. I felt like it lacked in that realm and could've been more entertaining and enjoyable.

Camp Prodigy releases June 11, 2024.

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This was an enjoyable read that I believe many students can relate to. The ideas of friendship, internal pressure, and coming out are all discussed in this book. The illustrations are beautiful!

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I love a sweet graphic novel that covers topics of anxiety, social pressures and coming out. This was sweet and fun. I enjoyed the art style and the bright color palette.

Thanks to netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an eARC.

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Thank you Storygram Tours, Caroline Palmer, and Simon Kids for sending me a physical copy for this tour! And thank you NetGalley for sending me an eARC! 🥰🫶
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Camp Prodigy follows two nonbinary violists as they are a summer orchestra camp. Tate is more of a beginner violist and isn't out as nonbinary until they come to camp and get the courage to start telling people. Eli is a famous violist who is out and proud as nonbinary and also inspired Tate to begin playing. The two become friends at camp and Eli begins to help Tate with the violin. Eli begins to realize they don’t need to be perfect at the violin and can just do it for fun, while Tate takes the weekly rankings too hard and gets burnt out. The two learn that you don’t have to be perfect and that it's ok to express your feelings to others! Such a sweet story with some amazing queer rep! ☺️
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Aside from the story, I just loved the vibes! Y’all know I adore a summer camp graphic novel and it delivered with some beautiful illustrations! 😍
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☀️Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer is the perfect read for queer kids, music lovers, and for the summer, and is out June 11th!

🌈Rep: Nonbinary MC, Black nonbinary MC, MC has two moms

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