My Bunkmate Hates Puppies (Camp Lil Vills)

by Sam Hay (Author)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Series: Camp Lil Vills

Disney Villains are known for causing trouble. But what about before they were all grown up? When young Cruella gets to this most magical summer camp, things get hairy!

Bloom loves welcoming new campers to the enchanting Camp Lil' Vills. But there's something off about her fancy new bunkmate, Cruella, who seems to hate nature but is very interested in the rare fuzzy nerbit in their creature-care class. Almost too interested. Could this leopard (or Dalmatian) have changed its spots? Or does Cruella have something sinister up her perfect sleeve?

Catch all the Camp Lil' Vills chapter books!

My Bunkmate Hates Puppies

My Teammate is a Hot Head

There's a Sea Witch in my Swim Class

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School Library Journal

Gr 1-3--A charming opener to the "Camp Lil' Vills" series centering Disney villains attending summer camp. The narrator and protagonist Bloom, daughter of a reformed sorcerer, likes to welcome all new campers and make them feel at home. That task has proven to be quite challenging when her new bunkmate arrives---a pint-size Cruella de Vil. The fashionable and snobby girl with white and black hair hates all creatures, expects everyone to serve her, and never cares enough to remember people's names. Blooms starts to suspect that her bunkmate has ulterior motives for being there when Cruella becomes weirdly interested in the camp's magical creatures, such as unicorns and the rare, furry Norbert. She is also fascinated by the camp's special laundry machine, which creates clothing made from any material. Sporadic, black-and-white images reinforce the copy and make even little Cruella look super sweet. Silly details like color-changing pancakes and Glo-carts powered by fairy dust offer just the right amount of worldbuilding for those looking for Disney magic. Plus, there are spells and transformations aplenty. An appreciation of nature and the outdoors, and a time-honored celebration of friendship and ingenuity are the through line of this sweet tale. Beware: there is no redemption for the puppy-hating villainess, but a sweet friendship develops between the narrator and another camper that seems to be the series anchor in future volumes. VERDICT Accessible language, short chapters with cliff-hangers, a fun twist, and lots of white space make this a great choice for children ready to venture into chapter books.--Shelley M. Diaz

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Sam Hay

Sam Hay is the author of more than forty books for children including Spy Penguins, the Undead Pets series, and the Stella and the Night Sprites series. Raised in Scotland and trained as a journalist in Edinburgh, Sam became a full-time writer when her first baby was born and now lives in Wales with her husband and two children.

Genevieve Kote is a French Canadian illustrator and comic book artist based in Montreal. She loves drawing characters and animals and bringing their adventures to life. In her free time she can be found reading novels, baking or exploring the city and other parts of the world. She shares her studio with her cat Clara and many plants.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781368057400
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Disney Hyperion
Publication date
April 25, 2023
Series
Camp Lil Vills
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002070 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dogs
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
Library of Congress categories
Magic
Theft
Stealing
Camps
Animals, Mythical
Mythical animals

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