Church camp includes some of my favorite memories of childhood. Time spent as a camper and a counselor grew my faith and led to strong friendships and relationships. I met my husband at church camp. Because of my own memories, I was excited to read this young reader's story about camp and relive a little of that experience. While the book didn't include a lot of details about camp, the snippets that it did were fun. This book focused more on EJ's worries and her family and friend dynamics. It was a cute, short read that touched on trusting God even when things get difficult-a great message for readers of all ages.

Emma Jean (EJ) Payne is going to be 11 in a couple of weeks and is super excited for that, but even better is the fact that she is going to be going to church camp - for a whole week!

"No more day camp (for babies!) or overnight camp (for slightly older babies!) but a whole Monday-to-Saturday week of adventure!"

I read this book with my 9 year old granddaughter and have to say that we both enjoyed it very much! EJ, like so many kids that age, has way more confidence than good sense more often than not, but is kind and thoughtful, too. She is written in a very realistic way, down to how often her head is in the clouds, and I love that her daydreams are written out in such detail so kids reading the book can see how normal this is, and will feel free to unleash their own imaginations. This was a very quick read, and we're looking forward to seeing where the next book in the series takes us.

In summary, my granddaughter and I enjoyed reading this book together very much, and she gives it an enthusiastic double thumbs up, so it must be good!

5/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and of course, the author, for the chance to read it.

We reviewed Diary of a Real Payne Book 1 when the series first came out and LOVED it, so we weren't about to miss Book 2 of the series. And we were not disappointed. Diary of a Real Payne Book 2 was filled with just as much adventure as the first book. Chaos and mischief follow EJ where ever she goes, even to Church Camp. You'll have to read to see what happens but I recommend this book series for all young girls to read. We certainly have enjoyed it!