For four or five years and with at least two granddaughters at a time, my car has beaten a path from Wenatchee to Dr. Fu’s special magic Kamp. Two girls come from California, and two from Black Diamond. If they all weren’t too old to attend, we’d still be driving up to Leavenworth every summer. They loved Kamp then and are still voracious readers. What an experience. -Happy Grandma Lippert
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Book Kamp has been a formative experience for my kids. It has given them confidence to write their thoughts on paper, given them challenges by delving into realms of monsters, Greek gods, princesses, pyrates, and their own ideas. We always plan our summers so not to miss Book Kamp. And all this cool learning and delving and challenging has been outrageously fun. Yeah for Dr. Fu and Book Camp. -Amy Massey, mom *
Last year was our first year participating at camp and we feel so lucky to have discovered this treasure in the community. Dr. Fu is creative, energetic, and upbeat–bringing out the best in the kids in a safe and positive environment. Both my son and daughter counted their week at camp as an absolute summer highlight! They are already envisioning themselves as counselors some day so that they can participate for as many years as possible. –Allison Gunter, mom *
This camp is superlative and supreme fun because Dr. Fu chooses superb books, and it’s really, really fun. -Josie Brennan, 9
* I never thought that having tons of fun while learning was even possible! But once I attended book camp, I found out it is. In the years I’ve been in book camp, I’ve learned deeply about writing and reading, but also have had fun hanging out and spinning stories with friends at the Wordplay Cafe. Dr. Fu really keeps secret everything that is going to happen, which adds to the excitement! Book camp is super, duper, flooper, kapooper, shluper, wooper, zooper, qweuooper fantastic! – Blakely Browne, 14 *
Dr Fu remembers how to have fun! She is wise-cracking, wise, irreverent, and as silly as a kid while still maintaining the group’s focus, so that after “just” having fun all afternoon they suddenly realize they have created something new. She facilitates fun and growth and exploration. Because of my son’s dyslexia he had some real doubts that stories, words, and poetry could be fun or anything he’d want to do in front of other people. One afternoon with Dr. Fu completely changed his outlook. She takes kids from wherever they are and leads them up, out, and off at crazy angles – she shows them how language can set minds free. –Jackie Haskins
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I’ve watched Amy Carlson teach poetry with teenagers. She has both the gift of organization and wild creativity; practicality and spontaneous inventiveness. She will be a treasure in any environment where she is free to teach writing. I can’t recommend her highly enough. Children both love and respect her. – Susan Wooldridge, workshop leader & author of Poem Crazy
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Dear Pat and Amy – I just wanted to take a moment to tell you both that over the last several months I’ve been hearing young kids and their parents all talking about the summer camp at the bookstore. They love it. Your combination of work is reaching the hearts and minds of our young ones, inspiring them to read and write and observe and have fun. I hear this, and I’m not even asking remotely about it, it just has come up in conversations so many times. I thought you would like to hear about it. So, GREAT JOB for our youth! – Heather Murphy, Community Member & Artist