Gabe cannot believe how lucky he is to be getting a new brother; and even better, one who is the same age as him: ten! All his life, Gabe has hoped for a new brother, but since his mom and dad have been divorced for most his life, he never got his wish. Now that his dad is getting remarried, he is getting a new brother named Zack and all Gabe can think about is how much fun the two are going to have together.

What Gabe does not realize yet though, is the struggle he is going to feel when he actually meets and Zack and the worry that he won’t live up to the expectations of cool that Zack seems to have. Basically, Gabe is a nerd. He loves reading (geeky offense number one) and even though he is going to sleep away camp (which Zack is totally jealous about) it is a camp for gifted and smart kids. All summer, Gabe struggles with wanting to be cool in Zack’s eyes, and fully embracing the smart, talented, and yeah maybe a little geeky guy that he is.

This was such a fun book to read! I really enjoyed reading about Gabe’s summer adventures at camp and also wishing that I could help him understand that changing who he is to impress someone is not worth the trouble! It sounded like he had so much fun at camp, but it was always in the back of his mind, and in his algorithm chart, just how un-cool he must seem.

If you are looking for a fun and funny guys read pick for a tween book club, this is it! Gabe and his bunkmates get into all kinds of wacky situations and adventures! It puts a twist on the coming of age novel that many kids like reading and will get everyone asking to go to sleep away camp!

Characters: Gabe, Zack, Wesley, Nikhil, Amanda, C².

Subjects: Contemporary fiction, Geeks, Individuality, Realistic fiction, Stepbrothers, Summer camp.

References: Book information and award information retrieved from www.bwibooks.com. Accessed on October 22, 2011.

Nerd Camp. (2011, April 15). Retrieved October 22, 2011, from Book Links.

Elissa Brent Weissman. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from http://www.ebweissman.com/.