A young boy learns to cope with homesickness during his first sleepaway camp in this supportive book.
Henry is so excited to go to sleepaway camp that he forgets to write to his dads and younger sister the first night! Kayaking, s’mores, and other activities keep him busy, but he still has moments of missing his family. He’s looking forward to the talent show at the end of the week, though—until he stays awake worrying about his performance. He wishes his dads were there to help him practice, and misses them terribly.
He tells his counselor, Jeff, that he wants to go home. Jeff affirmingly responds that everyone feels that way sometimes, even him, and that’s okay. He suggests that Henry reflect on all of the fun things he’s done at camp. Henry does, and that helps a little. Jeff says that Henry can always come back to talk with him.
Henry tells two of his friends about being homesick, and they share that they’ve also felt that way. Together, though, they decide to have a great week, and indeed they do. When Henry’s family come to pick him up, he’s both happy to see them and sad to be leaving camp. Jeff reassures him that “It’s okay to feel two things at once.” Henry takes that wisdom with him as he heads home, excited to leave and to come back next year.
There’s a clear pedagogical purpose in this story published by the American Psychological Association’s Magination Press, but author Seamus Kirst conveys it with the same thoughtful care he has used in previous books about sometimes challenging topics, such as getting a new sibling and navigating parents’ divorce. A Note to Adult Readers in the backmatter, from clinical psychologist Dr. Julia Martin Burch, gives further advice on helping children through their first stays away from home, whether they are at camp, school, a grandparent’s house, or elsewhere.
The fact that Henry has two dads is incidental to this recommended tale, which models best practices and offers gentle reassurance to both children and their adults.
