Books Like Breakfast Served Anytime

Warm summer days of hiking or canoeing and evenings spent around a campfire are all part of what makes sleepaway camps so memorable to many. Most people have fond memories of attending these days of summer camps in their youths and the sense of community that they shared with their fellow campers. But, of course, summer camp is also a place where rules are broken, and campers get up to all kinds of mischief. These kinds of misadventures make reading novels about summer camp so fascinating and entertaining. A big theme of most summer camp novels is friendship, romance, and maybe even a bit of danger. Whether you are a fan of this activity or simply enjoy reading about the misadventures of those who attend them, here are some books like Breakfast Served Anytime that are set at summer camp.

I Have A Bad Feeling About This

by Jeff Strand

I Have A Bad Feeling About This is a summer camp novel by horror-comedy author Jeff Strand. True to his style, the book blends horror and humor for a laugh-out-loud tale. I Have A Bad Feeling About This stars Henry Lambert, a typical teen who would much rather stay inside with his video games than in the great outdoors. Unfortunately, this makes him a wuss in the eyes of his dad, who promptly ships Henry off to Strongwoods Survival Camp. The upside is that his best friend, Randy, is also along for the ride. At camp, the duo meets three other boys in the same situation as them and their camp counselor, who acts more like a military drill instructor. However, things get really out of hand when gun-toting thugs show up to collect some money owed by the owner to the local mob.

The Lost Summer

by Kathryn Williams

The Lost Summer is a coming-of-age novel by Kathryn Williams about a 17-year old rookie counselor named Helena. After being a camper, along with her best friend Katie, for eight summers, Helena is given the opportunity to become a counselor. Unfortunately, Katie's birthday is too late for her to become a counselor, which causes a division in their status that leads to a gulf between the two friends. Helena also finds that the innocent fun of camp is not the same when you take on the mantle of responsibilities as a counselor. The one bright spot for Helena is Ransome, one of the counselors at the neighboring boys' camp who shows an interest in her, but even this causes trouble with the other counselors.

Perennials

by Mandy Berman

Perennials by Mandy Berman is the story of two friends who are as different as can be. Whereas Rachel Rivkin is a confident, street-smart city kid, Fiona Larkin is a much more insecure middle child. However, despite their differences, the two used to treasure their summers together as campers at Camp Marigold. After their first year of college, the two are reunited at camp, but this time in the roles of counselors. Fiona finds herself envying Rachel's popularity with the campers and counselors, and for the first time, the two friends keep secrets from each other. The story unfolds from the perspective of Rachel and Fiona as well as a varied supporting cast as a tragic event forces the two friends to confront their pasts.

Five Summers

by Una LaMarche

Five Summers is a story by Una LaMarche of four best friends and five summers of camp memories. From the summer that they were nine until the summer they were twelve, Emma, Skylar, Jo, and Maddie have been summer camp besties. The story is told from all their points of view as the group returns to camp three years after their last summer together. Now 17-year-old the four girls have been mostly out of touch but return to the camp for a weekend of fun and a chance to reconnect. Five Summers perfectly captures the bittersweet memories of summer camp with friends.

Sleepaway Girls

by Jen Calonita

Sleepaway Girls is a feel-good read about summer camp by Jen Calonita. When her best friend gets her first boyfriend, Sam finds herself being the third wheel and decides that she wants to be anywhere except near them over the summer. To void this fate, Sam applies to be a counselor-in-training at a camp in the New York Catskills called Whispering Pines. However, things at camp are not exactly what Sam expected them to be. Not only does she have to deal with Ashley, the alpha queen of the camp, but she also develops a raging crush on a boy named Hunter despite feeling more comfortable hanging out with another boy named Cole. Sam also becomes fast friends with a group that calls themselves the Sleepaway Girls.

There's a Bat in Bunk Five

by Paula Danziger

There's a Bat in Bunk Five by Paula Danziger was published in 1980 and is one of the genre's classics. The story follows Marcy, a fourteen-year-old girl who has never been away from her parents for an entire summer. However, when she is given the opportunity to become a junior counselor at a creative arts camp, Marcy believes it will provide her with the chance to reinvent herself. Unfortunately, her illusion that the camp will be perfect is shattered when the campers arrive, and she finds herself surrounded by nosy, giggling girls. Then there's the boys' counselor Ted who Marcy sees as a potential boyfriend, but she's not sure if she can balance that with the demands of twelve campers who she has to oversee for an entire summer.