In a world where our families are more scattered than ever, true and lasting family connections are hard to forge and even harder to maintain--and they don't happen by accident. For grandparents who long to create a close-knit bond in their family, popular speaker and parenting expert Susan Alexander Yates has a revolutionary new book. Cousin Camp is an inspiring, practical book that outlines how grandparents can plan and host a camp. Grandmother to 21 grandchildren, Yates has been creating cousin camps and family camps for years. Now she passes on what she's learned so you can help your children and grandchildren develop meaningful, lasting connections with each other--and with you! Full of specific, practical ideas and hilarious stories, this book contains everything you need to know from initial planning (who, when, and where) to a daily schedule to specific ways to build friendships among family members. Yates also includes plenty of ideas for family camps and reunions to draw everyone closer.

Yellowstone National Park is a place of wonderment. From geysers, like Old Faithful to the Artist's Paint Pots of boiling, bubbling mud, there is nowhere else on earth like it. Animals abound such as bison, deer, elk, bears, and wolves in Hayden and La Mar Valleys. Hiking, horseback riding, and exploring are favorite pastimes. Untold adventure awaits the four cousins in Yellowstone! The four cousins Kate, Emma, Harrison, and Parker were so excited about spending their vacation together in Yellowstone at Canyon Camp. They had been planning this trip for over a year, and now it was really happening. They would be camping, horseback riding, and exploring caves and the wonders of Yellowstone. Little did they know the mystery and danger that awaited them. When they arrived at Canyon Camp and settled into their log cabin, they noticed that some of their belongings seemed to disappear from where they had placed them. Parker couldn't find his superhero lunch box! His dad's sweatshirt was not where he had left it. A search of the area proved fruitless. What was going on? Emma has a strange feeling that they are being watched as she gazes into the deep woods surrounding their cabin. It makes her skin crawl, and Harrison sees strange lights in the forest at night. Only Parker, with his ever vigilant dog, Penny, at his side, sleeps undisturbed. At their campsite a few days later, close to the Whispering Caves, Kate, Emma and Harrison see a scary creature sneaking by their tent in the middle of the night. They tell their parents and the rangers, but no one can discover who or what it might have been. The four cousins decide to explore the Whispering Caves on their own the next afternoon without telling their parents. Emma, who senses things about to happen, had felt the presence of someone there, hiding and waiting when they had visited the cave the previous day with their parents and the ranger. Kate, Emma's older sister, is the sleuth of the group of cousins. She leads them to the cave for what she thinks is a short visit. Penny, Harrison and Parker's faithful dog, accompanies them. However, a fierce storm breaks out, and they become trapped in the cave by a grizzly and her cub seeking shelter. They send Penny for help. Here, they come face-to-face with the Ghost of Canyon Camp who saves them and leads them through harrowing adventures in the cavern. They learn the true meaning of trusting in God, helping others, and how important it is to listen and to obey your parents.

Five in the tent! A camping trip with Maisy turns into a slapstick comedy of errors in this hilarious picture-book adventure (ages 2-5). When Maisy sets off to go camping in the country, it’s only natural that all her friends come along, too. But they soon find that pitching a tent is not an easy thing to do. Even if they do manage to keep the tent up, there’s the matter of fitting them all in -- Maisy, Charley, Cyril, Tallulah, and finally, the huge elephant, Eddie. What a squeezy squish-squash! Good night, campers! Uh-oh-what’s that popping sound?

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year! A multicultural family story that celebrates kindness and differences Lila is excited for her cousins Takeo and Rosie to visit. They're going to ride bikes, paint, and camp together! But when the cousins arrive, everything's wrong: Rosie and Takeo are better painters than Lila, have skateboards instead of bikes, and don't want to camp outside. Lila is terribly disappointed until the cousins make her a surprise: a big banner for their "best cousin" Lila! Inspired by the author's own large, diverse family, When the Cousins Came is a sensitive story about insecurity, hosting, and friendship. Katie Yamasaki's tale, paired with bright mixed-media art, reminds children that negative thoughts and anxiety over exclusion don't always translate to reality, and that even when plans go wrong you can still have a good time together.

"For green grandparents everywhere and the young lives they touch." —RICHARD LOUV, AUTHOR OF LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS Make leaf rubbings, blow jumbo bubbles, bake Moon Pizzas, create a firefly lantern. More than an activity book, CAMP GRANNY is an interactivity book, filled with 130 projects that connect grandparents and grandchildren through nature—in the kitchen, the garden, and the art room. Illustrated with evocative photographs and the author’s watercolors, CAMP GRANNY is a book about being adventurous, about being curious, about noticing and really seeing things—about instilling a lifelong sense of wonder. Please note: CAMP GRANNY was previously sold under the title Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars.

Four young cousins, ages 11, 8, 5 and 3 are excited at the prospect of spending Spring Break at their grandparents' ranch in Texas. Jack, Sam, Ava and Matthew love the ranch life as well as the fun they have there together each year at "Cousins Camp". The book tells about all the fun activities children enjoy on a ranch. Arriving at the ranch, bad storms force the cousins to change their plans for recreation. Finding a puppy that has been abandoned causes them to chase after the little dog, and they go farther into the woods and away from familiar territory. They are lost with a big storm approaching. The cousins must stick together and be resourceful to find their way back to the ranch headquarters. They brave the elements and use their heads, but find that the dam is washed out preventing them from getting to safety. A fishing canoe by the creek enables them to try for a safe crossing, but takes them on a wild ride down a creek that is now a raging river. Frightened and lost, they make it to the other side, then help each other as they try to make their way home. The cousins are finally rescued by their grandfather who has employed the assistance of mounted cowboys from neighboring ranches. The cousins are now safe, but in deep trouble, as their grandfather requires them to recall the rules of safety for conduct at the ranch and in the outdoors. The cousins have violated almost every rule, so they are given a punishment. They must "muck out" stables and barns, an odious task, indeed. The cousins all agree that they learned some valuable lessons. However, they also agree that there is one rule they complied with perfectly: stick together! They celebrate Cousins Camp with "high fives" and the pledge to always stick together...cousins forever!

Ernestine has never been camping before, but she’s sure it will be lots of fun . . . won’t it? An endearing story about a girl’s first experience with the great outdoors. My aunt Jackie invited me to go camping with her and my cousin Samantha this weekend. I’ve never been camping before, but I know I will love it. Ernestine is beyond excited to go camping. She follows the packing list carefully (new sleeping bag! new flashlight! special trail mix made with Dad!) so she knows she is ready when the weekend arrives. But she quickly realizes that nothing could have prepared her for how hard it is to set up a tent, never mind fall asleep in it, or that swimming in a lake means that there will be fish — eep! Will Ernestine be able to enjoy the wilderness, or will it prove to be a bit too far out of her comfort zone? In an energetic illustrated story about a first sleepover under the stars, acclaimed author-illustrator Jennifer K. Mann reminds us that opening your mind to new experiences, no matter how challenging, can lead to great memories (and a newfound taste for s’mores).