Karen's Campout

Reach for this book when your child is preparing for their first overnight camping trip or a backyard sleepover and is showing signs of 'the jitters.' It is an ideal choice for normalizing the mix of excitement and anxiety that comes with new experiences in the great outdoors. The story follows Karen Brewer as she plans a backyard campout with her best friend Hannie, but soon finds that the dark of night and strange noises are much scarier than she imagined. The book gently explores themes of bravery and friendship, showing children that it is okay to feel afraid and even better to talk about it. It provides a helpful model for how to handle nighttime fears without making the child feel embarrassed. Parents will appreciate how it validates a child's imagination while grounding them in the safety of family and routine.