Praise for Camp Rolling Hills
The Book Series and Musical
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"Camp Rolling Hills is funny and sweet. It brought me back to those amazing summer camp summers and my very first taste of young adulthood." 
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-- Michael Showalter, co-writer of Wet Hot American Summer

"Stacy Davidowitz gets the magic of camp and the wonder of being twelve just right. Camp Rolling Hills is both heartwarming and laugh-out-loud hilarious." 
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-- Elissa Brent Weissman, author of Nerd Camp



​POPULAR PICK - "a must-have work for kids!"

A budding romance that culminates in a single three-second kiss and some hand-holding, the story is told mostly through funny, jocular dialogue among bunkmates and friends. Camp high jinks and s’mores by the fire lend a feeling of semiautonomy and freedom away from parents, while the part-epistolary format gives the novel an authentic kid feel.

Despite the generally upbeat tone, the characters work through some real anxieties and fears, relying on friends to help them through and build self-confidence. VERDICT: A light summer read for the middle school set, especially those who enjoy summer camp stories with a touch of puppy love romance."

-- School Library Journal (SLJ), February 2016 
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"The book celebrates summer camp as a safe place for children to reinvent themselves, to experiment and be more daring than they might otherwise be. The author's love for camp shines through, and it's a strong choice for first-time campers and for those who find camp and its rituals delightful."

-- Kirkus Reviews, March 2016 
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"Readers who love camp should feel comfortable with the lively fun, but even noncampers will relate to the theme of friendships renewed. The dollop of romance is the extra marshmallowy goodness cementing the story together. For those looking for a new series to explore, this will more than suffice." 

​-- Booklist Online, March 2016
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"Spot-on combinations of sweet adolescent romance and teenage angst round out an engaging summer read with plenty of energy and originality to keep kids tuning in for more."

​-- Publishers Weekly, May 2016

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"Camp Rolling Hills is one of the smartest shows I know. Together with a talented cast of youngsters Camp Rolling Hills is perfect for community theatre, schools, and children’s theaters throughout the country. The book is well written. The music is catchy. The choreography is perfect. The direction keeps the show moving. The cast is funny and endearing. Altogether this is the perfect show for a place who wants an intelligent children’s musical with a large cast."

-- Times Square Chronicles (T2C), August 2016

"The hormones are in full force at Camp Rolling Hills, a truly delightful new musical about pre-teens navigating the choppy waters of romance at sleepaway camp. The book shows a great deal of promise with a sensibility that appeals to adults as much as youngsters. Spiegel and Davidowitz's book is deliciously tongue-in-cheek, while their lyrics are super smart (case in point: a song called "Chicks Before Boys.") Spiegel provides a jazzy score that's very likeable. 

Director Jill Jaysen is perfectly in tune with the subversive sense of humor of the authors. As the romantic leads, Ignacio (The King and I) and Tulchin (Matilda) make a lovely pair. Their work is even more commendable, considering how young they are, when we realize how invested we are of their puppy love working out. In the main supporting role, Sophia Gennusa (one of the original Tony-honored Matildas) is superbly funny, with a line delivery wise beyond her years. 

With such enthusiasm from the rest of its young cast, Camp Rolling Hills is the place to be. It takes us back to our glory days of summer, when all we wanted to do was hang out, make friends, and have a lot of laughs along the way."

-- TheaterMania, August 2016
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"'All the Songs on My iPod' is a searingly straightforward declaration of affection ... could not possibly work better or hit harder ... when paired with those ... honest lyrics and Ignacio's unadorned portrayal, it became the highlight of not just Camp Rolling Hills - a Musical, but of New York Musical Festival 2016 overall .... I involuntarily wiped away a tear. At the Festival, as at camp, you never know what you'll find if you keep your eyes and your heart open."

-- Matthew Murray, Talkin' Broadway, August 2016
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"Under the exceptional direction of Jill Jaysen, this celebration of all things pre-teen summer features a bright score, smart lyrics, and a tight, comic pace.
 
The sizeable cast of young adults feature some of the best at-age acting of NYMF’s year. James Ignacio as Smelly makes a wonderful coming-of-age protagonist. Beatrice Tulchin plays the romantic interest, Slimey. Her heartfelt and intuitive scenes prove her wise beyond her years. All of the pre-teens wow, each with their own fully fleshed-out and textured characters.

The excitement of the cast’s sheer talent and zest makes Camp Rolling Hills more than worth the price of admission."

​-- Theater Pizzazz, August 2016

                      
                                             KID REVIEWS


"The relationship between Smelly and Slimey is so nice that when you are reading the book, you feel like you are wrapped in a furry blanket."

-- Michaela, age 11 years, 8 months, 5 Girls Book Reviews


"I read Camp Rolling Hills by Stacy Davidowitz. I really liked this book for many reasons. One of the two major ones is the fact that the camp was really similar to Micah. The second is that the two main characters, Bobby (Smelly) and Stephanie (Slimey), both have family problems. A lot of authors have all of their characters be perfect. Perfect looks, perfect grades, perfect families. I really like the change. I would definitely recommend this book."

-- Caro, Camp Micah, Bunk Reads participant


"I personally think this book embodies what overnight camp is. I went on an overnight trip with my school at a local camp where I live for a night, and when I read this book, I thought about that trip and could relate to the characters’ experiences. Both books are full of hilarious shenanigans and lots of laughs! This is an amazing series, and I hope they make more books for me (and maybe you) to read."

-- Lily D, age 10, 10 to 20 Parenting


"This book is a must read for anyone who loves summer camp with a twist! The characters are hilarious and really keep you reading!  I actually cried when I finished it the first time because I thought that there wouldn't be a sequel but broke into my happy dance when there was! Stacy Davidowitz outdid herself with this amazing read!"

-- Ally, age 11, Houston, Texas


"Camp Rolling Hills is a summer camp where the boys' cabin and the girls' cabin do pranks on each other. One of the boys and one of the girls like each other so they try to make both cabins get along. I loved all the silly nicknames."

-- Star, age 10, Honolulu, Hawaii


"I picked this book up as a short read while I was waiting to get another book. But once I had finished it, even though I had gotten the other book, I had to read the second book in this series instead, because it was so good! With awesome characters and a great plotline, I'm sure you'll love this series as much as I did.

-- Lucy, age 11, NYC


"I love the books! I just can't take my eyes off them when I feel like reading. Stacy is a fantastic author!"

-- Sophia, age 8, NYC


                                        BLOGGER REVIEWS

"A little league version of Romeo and Juliet."

-- Girl-Bibliobibuli 


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"Camp silliness and drama abound in this book. From the friendship and fun to bodily functions, backbiting, and crushes, readers are sure to read something they can relate to."

-- Children's Bookstore
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"So adorable!! This book was great and pretty hilarious."

-- Crossroad Reviewers



"The story gets funnier and sillier the further you go. This is a rootin' tootin' time at camp with ghosts, dares, and more."
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-- The Book Faerie Blog



"'Camp Rolling Hills' by Stacy Davidowitz is the absolute perfect summer read for anyone who’s ever been to camp, had a crush, or felt a little insecure in their own skin. We definitely recommend this series for anyone looking for a really cute summer read or any kid who’s totally nuts for camp like Smiley and the gang."

-- YAYOMG


"Young readers will want to devour books 1 and 2 in this quirky, laugh out loud series if they’re on the bus to summer camp, bored at home, or on a family vacation because where there is camp there are prank wars, s'mores, and the beginnings of lifelong friendship. 5 huge stars."

-- Mrs. Mommy Booknerd


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"The crazy cast of characters are what really make this book. Oh, and the reminiscing of camp. Camp really is something that is hard to explain unless you go yourself, but Stacy Davidowitz does a great job bringing the reader into Camp Rolling Hills and all of its quirkiness. And to add to the quirkiness, the characters in the books are so much fun! They are quite the mix of personalities. From stereotypical girly-girls to a cat-obsessed, sweet girl to a do gooder to a philosophical jock. Their interactions and characterization are what keep you reading the most! I also love the mix of letters home throughout the books." 

-- Unleashing Readers



"Camp Rolling Hills by Stacy Davidowitz is a great summer read for children aged 8 to 11, whether they attend summer camp or not. Davidowitz captures the mix of emotions that can arise when kids get to spend weeks at a time with each other in a place where they may experience camaraderie, acceptance, rejection, loneliness, and more. At times laugh-out-loud funny, this opener in the series sets the stage for stories about a range of campers with different personalities. It's a fun world to enter."

-- Mother Daughter Book Club



"Camp Rolling Hills - a Musical ...[is] a series of charming, genuinely funny vignettes starring genuinely funny kids. There are a staggering amount of talented children on this stage...the real highlight is just watching these young people have fun.

-- William Barnet IV - New York Musical Festival - "Unauthorized"


"This book is filled with so much humor and fun and it's clear that Stacy Davidowitz is very familiar with all things camp. I loved the characters!  I laughed so hard at all of their interactions whether it was The J-squad shrieking at each other or Slimey consoling her counselor. Everything was really clever. A lot of the different things that went on made me feel nostalgic for childhood, like dances and first crushes and those carefree summer days where you don't have to worry about anything besides not getting sunburn.  Not gonna lie, the final campfire scene definitely warmed my heart."

-- Marian Elizabeth, @quietlywritten