Camp Sunnyside Friends #01: No Boys Allowed

In the first book of the Camp Sunnyside Friends series, Katie, Trina, Megan, Sarah, and Erin are back at the all-girls camp, a haven from their brothers and the boys at school. But this year there is bad news: the boys from Camp Eagle will be staying at Sunnyside, too, until the fire damage to their camp is repaired. The Cabin Six girls are outraged and determined to rid Sunnyside of the boys. At first Katie, the ringleader, proposes confrontational tactics--such as picketing. But when the camp leader makes it clear that she doesn't approve, the girls turn to more subtle techniques, such as the silent treatment. At first Katie's followers are gung ho about their ideas, but they soon learn that even well-intentioned plans can be hard to carry out. Although Kaye's characters are interesting and likable, they could star in any of a number of other unexceptional series now available. And the book is tediously slow--it takes the girls far too long to figure out that their plan is not working, and Cabin Six's continued outrage at the Camp Eagle boys is implausible. Ages 8-12. (June)