Where were authors like Andrea Wang when I was growing up?? Where were these incredible identity-affirming books when I could have really used them to navigate my identity as a first generation Chinese-Canadian?

SUMMER AT SQUEE (written by Andrea Wang, published by Kokila) is a middle-grade novel about Phoenny Fang, a second-generation Chinese-American tween. Phoenny is excited about returning to Summertime Chinese Culture, Wellness and Enrichment Experience (SCCWEE, affectionately nicknamed “Squee”) to reunite with The Squad, a group of her closest camp friends. Phoenny and The Squad are determined to have the best camp experience as this summer would be their last as senior campers. However, Phoenny quickly realizes that things were not going to go the way she had anticipated with lots of changes at Squee, including an influx of new campers (some not so friendly!), The Squad being split up into different groups, the threat of online anti-Asian trolls, and… a new crush?

I LOVE THIS BOOK. I often use “identity-affirming” to describe the books I share on here— in fact, it is a criteria in which I choose books to review and recommend. But what is “identity-affirming” exactly?? Well, SUMMER AT SQUEE is that for me and other readers who are Asian-American/Canadian. Andrea Wang manages to capture the complexity and diversity of Asian-Americans in this one book. In this story, Phoenny learns to expand her definition of Chinese-American and to respect that not all Chinese-Americans experience their identities the same way she does. I really appreciate that Andrea Wang includes the experiences of Chinese adoptees, queer and questioning Chinese-Americans, new immigrants, as well as the differences between Cantonese and Mandarin. A favourite part is when Phoenny contemplates whether some of the campers are either not Chinese enough or too Chinese to be at the camp. This idea of being “Chinese enough” has personally been a part of my identity struggle growing up as a “CBC” (Canadian-born Chinese), and so I particularly appreciated how the author addresses this in the book!

Please get this book. Please include this on your inclusive bookshelves, especially if you have young people in your life! This book is definitely a mirror, window, and a sliding door!

A very sweet coming of age story, Summer at Squee accurately navigates some of the different facets and experiences that come from being Chinese diaspora. The plot is engaging and characters likable (if plentiful) and as someone with a similar heritage to the characters, the discussions the on their personal feelings and relationships with their cultural heritage are accurate. Growing up I had an imposter syndrome like relationship with my identity, and it wasn’t until college that I was able to meet other people with similar backgrounds to have the conversations that helped. I imagine Summer at Squee will be enjoyable for kids who are interested in hearing about cultural experiences different from their own and very validating for those who share similar experiences to the characters. I hope Phoenny and her friends return as CITs so we can visit them again for future adventures!

Phoenny Fang and her friends are pumped for their last summer as campers at Chinese culture camp, affectionately known as Squee. There are so many campers her age this year though that they have been split into two groups and she won't be together with all of her friends. Also, some of the new girls in her group act like they don't want to be there. This last year of camp is definitely going to be different than Phoenny pictured. Will she and the other girls ever get along? Why come to a Chinese culture camp if you don't want to learn about being Chinese? Phoenny and her friends must learn that even though they all may be ethnically Chinese, they all have vastly different experiences. This is a great middle grades book filled with typical camp experiences as well as the addition of cultural content.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a really fun camp romp written for Middle Grade. I would love to buy this book- its a fun summer read.

This is the kind of book I like to read and recommend to middle grade readers. To me it shows that you can write a book in which nothing earth-shattering happens and yet have the book be engaging. and well-worth the time spent reading. It is an ordinary story about ordinary people - nobody has any superpowers or magical abilities, nobody. has a huge crisis in their life, and nobody. needs to be saved from something or someone evil. I like that in a book now and then.

The book tells the story of a group of kids at a Chinese Culture Camp. The main group of characters are in their last year of camp and one of them, Phoenny, wants it to be the best year ever. Many of the campers are American Born Chinese (ABC) but a new group of girls are actually Chinese born adopted by American parents. The groups clash at first on their attitude toward learning Chinese culture, with. the new group either ambivalent or against the idea. The book is mostly about how the two groups come to understand each others' point of view and find commonalities and friendships based on interests outside of the culture.

The only hokey part for me was the introduction of internet trolls who make fun of the camp and campers and create fear among the kids as well as the adults in the camp. I understood, at the end of the book, what this odd side-plot was there to accomplish, but it wasn't really ever dealt with in a real way and it just fizzled into nothing at the end. Still a good. book and a good read.

Summer at Squee takes the best of summer camp memories and overlays them with a cultural element for campers with a Chinese heritage. I appreciated all Wang incorporated into this book as it opened my eyes to the many ways of being Chinese American, especially when the campers shared why they were “Bad Asians” or the transracial adoptees shared their experiences. Being that this book was billed as middle-grade fiction, I wish it had been targeted squarely there. Going into 8th grade is a hard age and I know that many of the readers in my classes will not like this title because of the sappy crush elements that tip over into whether a 13-year old should be dating, particularly dating an older boy. That element made me uncomfortable, along with some of the overly positive messages and behavior changes. I’m glad to have learned more about Chinese culture camps, but this isn’t a must-purchase title for my classroom library. Thanks to NetGalley for this digital copy for review.

After reading and enjoying The Many Meanings of Meilan by the same author, I was so excited to read this. I was especially drawn in by the setting of the Chinese Heritage summer camp. I have never seen this type of setting in a book before and was really happy to see it. I think the author did a wonderful job of exploring how each character wanted (or didn't want) to connect to their heritage in different ways. Additionally, the examination of how adoptees may feel about their heritage was also handled well. However, there was a large cast of characters that could be difficult for me to keep track of at times. The only way that most of the characters could be differentiated was by their chosen hobbies. I think fewer characters with more development would have worked better for this story. Also, the characters' voices sometimes didn't match the age of the characters. That being said, this was a nice slice of life glimpse at a cultural summer camp.

I'm a sucker for a camp story, and though this one did not take place at a traditional summer camp (it's on a college campus), it still explored the traditional themes of identity and finding yourself and your people in a camp community. This one will be sought after by my students,

a nice cozy story about children coping up with life’s ups and downs and finding friends within their camp. i feel like this’ll be much more fun as a graphic novel because i really love all oft he character and i was so invested in them ! i honestly want to get to know them more but i loved the story nonetheless <3 i gave this a 3.75 star rating !

thank you so much to the author for this wonderful read and to NetGalley as well !

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book was very charming. I can imagine slightly more mature readers enjoying it. I think I would've enjoyed this book as a young girl.

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This is a really great look at what it's like being Chinese- American. But even though people might look similar, they all have different stories.
I really loved Phee, and understood how she didn't want camp to change. But I was glad she changed her views and in the process made some new friends.
All of these characters were really great and I liked that we learned what they each liked and were good at. I also liked that they all supported and lifted each other up in the subjective talents.
I feel like I learned a lot about this culture and the stigma behind it. I think a lot of middle grade readers can learn from it too.
A great middle grade read about friendships, fun and camp and how cultures affect our everyday lives.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

First up a big BIG thank you for allowing me to read this one! This is a book I have had my eyes on for a while. I just LOVE stories about camp, US summer camps are just SO much different from the camps I went on so I just want to soak it all up. See all the fun events. Meet fun characters. Have late night snackings. And I adored the cover as well! But sadly, I just wasn't a fan of the MC. I get that it sucked that she wasn't able to be with her friends fully but they are still close by. Yes, you won't be able to do all the events or be in the same team, but is that really that bad? I just got tired of her constantly bringing it up and being negative about things. I also didn't like how she assumed about the new girls in the group and how she kept going on about how they could have been in another group. I would just have made the best of it. Made new friends. I also didn't understand the fact that these kids took sewing machines (and lots of fabric and other items) and keyboards with them? They do live in a separate room dorm building thingie (sorry, it was late last night), but still. I have NEVER heard of a camp that allowed kids to take these things with them. Oh, but apparently taking a laptop or equipment for a computer is a no given how the girls reacted to someone bringing all that.. Sorry, but isn't that the same? At times these girls also felt younger than their supposed age. Oh, and the font on my phone (NG app) didn't work entirely but putting it to my Kindle broke some things up which also didn't help with reading this book.
But I did like things as well. Like the cover! I like that this one is about a Chinese cultural camp with cultural activities. That sounds so fun and I just adore that these kids have the possibility to connect to their roots. While our MC was very negative, I did like her at points, she seems so creative and sweet and I am sad I didn't see more of that. I also love the idea that these girls have been here since tiny kids and really bonded and made friendship really happen and also work out, I mean, most of these girls only see each other a short bit. I also love that the kids named the camp (or at least Phee and Lyr did) Squee instead of SCCWEE. It made the camp sound even more fun. Oh, and I love that there is a big big event at the end of the camp, even bigger than most camps I read about. I also love that Phee's family is also so big on the camp with her mom and aunt being camp directors and her bigger brother a CIT. So for those points I am giving it a 2.5 stars.

This book tells the story of a summer camp for Chinese American kids to learn and practice their heritage. I loved learning about the music, dancing, art and more! The main character is the daughter of the camp’s owner/director so she has literally grown up going to this camp. This is her final year before she ages out so she wants this final summer to be epic and filled with her “squad” of friends from over the years. Things don’t turn out as she planned. This year’s camp has new campers who are none too friendly, not being with all of her usual friends, and navigating her first crush. The characters were diverse, beyond being Chinese American. The MC was believable with all of the angst that goes along with being a middle schooler. Kids will identify with the story and the feelings the MC goes through. Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for sharing this ARC with me.

Fun summer camp story for upper middle grade readers that deftly explores complex topics like racism, culture, identity, first crushes, and evolving friendships. I appreciated how Phee, the main character, evolved over the course of the story, as well as the story's balance of fun and serious moments.

Phee is excited for her last year as a camper at Summertime Chinese Culture, Wellness, and Enrichment Experience aka SQUEE. She’s has gone there since she was 6. She can’t wait to get together with the Squad-all her friends that have been together forever. When she gets there she realizes that a set of new girls and now the Squad is split into 2. Phee meets 2 of the new campers and already has problems with them. What is her summer going to be like? Follow Phee and her friends through 2 weeks of camp. She learns to navigate through many changes-adoption, finding yourself, budding romance, internet trolls, just to name a few. Phee finds that camp is even better than she expected and she is so sad to see it end!

What a great story. It was a little hard to keep track of the characters at first, but soon I had them down. I did learn about Chinese culture and problems facing Asian students. I can see where this was gong to be a popular book for middle grade. Can’t wait to share this with others!

Phoenny, the narrator; is a camper at “Squee” (a summer camp for kids who want to explore Chinese-American culture and experience), and it’s the last year she will be young enough to attend. Andrea Wang explores not just the ordinary themes of friendship, change, and independence common to sleepaway camp stories, but examines differences in privilege and culture, and adeptly addresses what makes kids sharing a common experience the same versus what isolates or excludes them.
It’s the summer between seventh and eighth grade: Phoenny and her friends are navigating firsts and lasts, and the story is Tetrised with moments and experiences that will resonate with any reader: crushes, embarrassments, navigating old and new friendships. In addition, Yang explores adoption, what it means to be Chinese-American, and anti-Asian hate crimes that surged in the wake of the pandemic.
Wang does a lovely job giving us details that make the story and characters vivid and real: colors, personality quirks, names all stand out because they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Nothing is wasted, and nothing feels outsize or unrealistic. Even Phoenny bringing her sewing machine to camp - held on a college campus (how envious my 11 year old self would have been of this!) - feels true.
The inclusion of contemporary tech is deft: I can think of few other writers for middle grade readers who handle this at all well. Here, computers, social media, and the online shadows we cast are simply a seamless part of the story. It’s refreshing to find a book where references don’t feel forced or plastic.
We are introduced to a memorable cast of characters from the very beginning, but the way Yang writes makes it easy to remember who’s who - each one is fully-realized and Yang gives us the idea that each has a life beyond the story. The writing is clear and brisk; nothing feels wasted. The dialog is never awkward, and Yang uses it in a kinetic way that spotlights her characters and enriches the action.
This is a deep and intricate narrative, but not a stodgy or sad one: Phoenny learns some hard lessons about making assumptions, and she discovers that people bound by a seemingly common denominator all bring different and sometimes contradictory experiences.
I hope this book gets the attention it deserves: it is a rich, generous, joyous story that updates the summer camp stories I loved as a kid. Highly recommend this one - no reservations.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The vibe of this middle grade novel is fun-filled and upbeat from the first page. The pranks, friends, and laughs make the reader not only want to be there, but it pulls the reader right into the cultural overnight camp.

This book is about a Chinese American tween who is attending her final summer at camp – a camp where she has grown up with her best friend.

This year, though, her usual friend squad is split up and new attendees add an element to the experience she did not anticipate. The events turn out to be transformative and Phoenny grows more than she ever thought possible.

I really enjoyed this middle grade book about Phee and her “squad” who are attending their last year at a sleepaway Chinese Cultural Camp. This was a fun book that also tackled some serious subjects, but did so in a way that didn’t make the book too heavy. There are lots of middle school themes like pulling pranks, crushes, not getting along with fellow campers and figuring out who they are in the world. The underlying theme of racism appears when people write negative comments on the camp website. I liked the way the author handled this serious subject matter. The characters were likable and I loved Phee’s spirit. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Summer at Squee is a relatable, realistic fiction book filled with summer camp, fashion, crushes, and friend drama that will appeal to many readers 4th grade and up. I appreciated that the author consulted with Asian American adoptees when writing the book.

My one issue with the book was that there were too many characters to keep track of. The OG squad at the camp had 8-10 members, not to mention the various new campers, the counselors, and other campers. I had trouble keeping track of them, and feeling invested in many of the storylines as there were simply too many of them.

Phoeny has attended Summertime Chinese Culture, Wellness, and Enrichment Experience (aka Squee Camp) for years. Her mom is the director and she has lifelong friends from camp. Now in 8th grade, this is her last year as a camper. Lots to like about this book: fun camp antics, the sense of belonging that campers feel, the friction with the new campers who are adoptees and not raised by Chinese parents. However there's a bit too much going on in this book. I felt like there was a mismatch between the age of the campers and the intended audience. (Although innocent, there is romance involving counselors but otherwise the book felt solidly like at book for 5th and 6th graders.) Some other story lines could have been left out (mom being the director perhaps?) Still a great addition to any library.