Secrets at Summer Camp

A Story of Friendship, Courage, and Summer Memories

Where the Pineberry Adventure Begins

There’s something about summer camp that stays with us long after the season ends.

The cabins. The campfires. The nervous excitement of arriving somewhere unfamiliar. The possibility that the person in the next bunk might become a friend you’ll never forget.

That feeling inspired Secrets at Summer Camp, the first book in my Pineberry Friends Series—a middle-grade mystery with friendship, curiosity, and courage at its heart.

Where the Pineberry Adventure Begins

Twelve-year-old Ava Reynolds arrives at Camp Pineberry unsure of what to expect. Then a hidden journal beneath the floorboards of Cabin 7 draws her into a mystery.

As Ava and her new friends begin looking for answers, an ordinary summer becomes something much more unexpected. Their adventure asks them to pay attention, trust one another, and find the courage to keep asking questions. Pineberry Friends Series

But the mystery is only part of the story. Just as important are the friendships taking shape along the way.

Friendship, Trust, and Finding Your Place

Being somewhere new can bring a mix of excitement and uncertainty.

Will I fit in? Will I make friends? What happens if I don’t feel as brave as everyone else seems?

Those questions matter to me as a writer. I want to make room for characters who are still finding their footing—children who hesitate, wonder, make mistakes, and discover that they have something valuable to contribute.

At Pineberry, friendship grows through shared experiences and the choices the characters make together. Trust takes time. Listening matters. And belonging begins to feel possible when someone makes room for you.

The Courage to Speak Up

One of the themes I wanted to explore in Secrets at Summer Camp is the courage it takes to use your voice.

Sometimes bravery means asking a question. Sometimes it means admitting that something doesn’t feel right. Sometimes it means telling someone what you know, even when you’re uncertain how they will respond.

I hope this story opens the door to conversations about honesty, friendship, and knowing when to ask for help.

A mystery can give young readers something exciting to follow while also leaving them with questions worth talking about after the book is closed.

A Summer Read to Share

Secrets at Summer Camp may appeal to middle-grade readers who enjoy a mystery woven into a story about friendship.

It can also become a shared reading experience—at home, during a summer holiday, or with a classroom or reading group.

You don’t need to turn every chapter into a lesson. Sometimes a simple question is enough:

What would help you feel welcome somewhere new?
What makes someone a trustworthy friend?
Was there a moment when you would have made a different choice?
Who could you turn to if something worried you?

Let the conversation follow the reader’s curiosity. Their questions may lead somewhere you hadn’t expected.

The Pineberry Friends Story Continues

If your reader enjoys meeting the friends at Camp Pineberry, there is more to explore.

Reading order	Book
Book One	Secrets at Summer Camp
Book Two	Shadows Across the Lake
Book Three	What the Records Remember

The series continues beyond the first summer mystery, giving readers more time with Pineberry and its unfolding stories. Pineberry Friends Series

Explore the Pineberry Friends books in the Children & Youth Reading Room.

An Invitation to Imagine Your Own Adventure

A summer setting offers so many possibilities for storytelling.

A cabin with an unusual history. A note tucked inside an old book. A friendship that begins when two children notice the same mysterious detail.

If reading about Pineberry sparks a story idea, encourage your young writer to follow it. They can begin with a character, a place, and one question: What happens next?

For a little help getting started, try The Story House’s Story Starter.

A Note From My Heart

Writing Secrets at Summer Camp was about bringing together the summer atmosphere I love with the themes I return to so often: friendship, imagination, and the quiet courage of finding your voice.

My hope is that readers enjoy the mystery and also recognize something familiar in the characters—the wish to belong, the uncertainty of trying something new, or the relief of discovering that they don’t have to figure everything out alone.

Those are the parts of a story I hope linger after the final page.