Snake Camp

December 1, 2000
Gr. 1-2. Stevie's parents arrange for him to go to what they think is a computer camp, but when he gets there, he discovers that "Viper"" "is not the name of a software program. It's a snake camp, where kids get to handle snakes and learn all about them. And Stevie is terrified of snakes. He's clever enough to hide his fear and lie his way out of direct confrontation, until he finds a pet snake he loves and overcomes his fear. The plot is decidedly contrived in this chapter book in the Road to Reading series, but the hissing, slimy, scaly stuff is fun, and the cartoon illustrations exaggerate the shudders. Many kids will recognize the common terror that camp might turn out to be a nightmare. They will also enjoy seeing a boy overcome his worst fear and find a pet. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2001
When Stevie arrives for his first summer at Camp Viper, he's in for a horrible surprise: it's not a Viper computer software camp, it's a snake camp! Quick thinking allows him to pass off an imaginary snake pal for a while, until a friendly Smooth Green Snake changes his attitude. The plot is somewhat thin, but in general the short chapters, illustrated with Lee's well-matched humorous cartoons, are funny.

(Copyright 2001 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)