Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/01/2017 Gr 5 Up—Izzy Cervantes and her best friend Mackenzie reluctantly head to a new summer camp (Camp Foxtail) after a family dispute makes attendance at the familiar Camp Sweetwater no longer possible. The girls are assigned to different cabins, and while Mackenzie decides to accept fate and be miserable alone, Izzy wants to break out and make new friends. When she hears about the long-running prank war between her cabin, the Willows, and the boys' cabin, the Wolverines, Izzy concocts a story about her older brother Tomás (she does have a brother Tomás, but he is only five years old) being a former Camp Foxtail resident and genius prankster. She hopes her lie will help her become accepted (and respected) by the other girls. Each successful prank against the Wolverines cements Izzy's bond with her new friends while also straining her relationship with Mackenzie. As summer camp draws to a close, Izzy discovers who her real friends are and Mackenzie learns that she can stand on her own. Through Izzy's detailed, first-person narration, the novel provides a humorous look at the summer camp experience, and although the pranks seem overly elaborate, the book does offer a realistic view of fleeting summer camp relationships. VERDICT Tween and young teen readers who have had their own summer camp experiences will enjoy this title and appreciate the inclusion of a strong Latina character.—Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State University, NH - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/15/2017 Izzy and her best friend Mackenzie have spent all their summers together at camp, until this year, when their parents break tradition and send them to Camp Foxtail instead, where they aren’t even in the same cabin! Mackenzie seems determined to be miserable, but bolder and more outgoing Izzy can’t help but make friends in her cabin, Willow Lodge—especially when she learns about their long-standing prank war with a rival boys’ cabin, the Wolverines. Izzy is bursting with good ideas, but some of the cliquey Willow girls aren’t ready to let a Foxtail newbie call the shots. So Izzy makes up an older brother, a former Wolverine who passed all his prank ideas on to her. But as Izzy gets caught up in her lies, she pays less attention to Mackenzie. Bursting with diverse, dynamic characters, this is a good old-fashioned battle of the sexes. The breezy narrative is met by an exploration of complicated female friendships and the intensity of preteen emotions. Fun reading for summer and beyond. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.