Camp Mah Tovu

Lila is a young girl attending Jewish summer camp. She doesn’t initially connect with the other campers and finds herself alone in the forest, where she encounters Lonny, a beautiful brown horse with white spots on his face. In Lonny, Lila finds a friend who will listen to her problems as she develops the confidence she needs to befriend the other campers.  

Like many tweens, Lila worries about making friends while at summer camp. This worry is amplified because Lila has stopped taking her ADHD medication because it “makes me feel like a zombie propped on a hanger.” However, Lila’s friendship problems are not caused by her ADHD. Lila is an unlikable protagonist because she lies to everyone and doesn’t consider the feelings of the other campers. For example, the girls in her cabin want to win the camp’s color war, but they keep losing points because Lila is always disappearing and refuses to clean up her bunk. Then, when one of her cabinmates tries to help her, Lila throws the blame on someone else. When Lila has a conflict with others, her solution is to retreat into the woods, where she meets Lonny. 

While spending time with Lonny, Lila finds Lonny’s herd of wild horses being chased by men in a helicopter. The men plan to relocate the herd so the land can be used to graze cattle. Lila worries that the herd will be broken up, “separating mothers from their babies, and carted them off to other destinations, where they were sold and often slaughtered.” To help Lonny, Lila reaches out to the other campers and finds a way to bring attention to the horse’s plight. With the help of others, Lila saves the horses, who are given a permanent home where they can remain free. The act of saving the horses allows the other campers to view Lila in a different light, which opens the door to becoming friends. 

Although the story takes place at Camp Mah Tovu, it misses the opportunity to help readers understand Jewish traditions and beliefs. Lila often prays to God, but her prayers usually revolve around her trying to make a deal with God. For example, after alienating her cabin, Lila prays, “Uh, God, if you could just rewind time three days and let me start over, I’ll give all my canteen money to charity.” When nothing happens, Lila says, “Thanks a lot, God.” At times, Lila asks God to help her solve a problem, but she doesn’t take personal responsibility for her bad behavior.  

Camp Mah Tovu is part of a series of books written by several authors highlighting the unique relationships between young girls and their horses. Unfortunately, Lila’s flaws detract from her relationship with Lonny. However, the American Horse Tales Series has other books that will engage readers, including The Dust Bowl, Hollywood, and Nowheresville. 

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• One of the counselors is helping Lila tame a horse. After being away from the camp, the counselor tells Lila, “We need to get back to camp, or Shimona will send me to the guillotine. That refers to an ancient beheading device, in case you didn’t know.” 
• Lila finds out that the wild horses are going to be relocated. She thinks about the past when “The government ‘took care’ of the problem, rounding up the horses by intimidating them with helicopters. They corralled them into trailers, separating mothers from their babies, and carted them off to other destinations, where they were sold and often slaughtered—if they survived the journey.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• Lila usually takes medication for her ADHD, but she isn’t taking them while at camp. She says, “I take one tiny pill that keeps my brain from somersaulting all day. But it also makes me feel like a zombie propped on a hanger.” 
• Lila is worried about not taking her medications. She thinks the medication “makes [her] feel like [she’s] being invaded by an alien version of Lila.” 

Language  

• Lila is afraid that others will think she is a loser.  
• One of the campers thinks she’s dumb because she struggles to read. 
• One of the campers calls Lila’s talking “verbal diarrhea.” 
• When Lila and Sarah become friends, Sarah doesn’t tell anyone. Lila acknowledges, “Admitting she was my friend would be like choosing to step in dog poop and walking around with it stuck to the bottom of her sneaker.” 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• The camp observes Shabbat. A counselor tells the kids, “Prayers are at the lake. Bring your siddurim.” 
• Lila makes deals with God and often prays. For example, after alienating her cabin, Lila prays, “Uh, God, if you could just rewind time three days and let me start over, I’ll give all my canteen money to charity.” When nothing happens, Lila says, “Thanks a lot, God.” 
• Lila’s roommates sneak out of the cabin to toilet paper the boys’ cabins. When Lila tries to follow them, she gets lost. She prays, “God. Help me fix all this.” 
• Lila has a bad habit of lying to others. She lies to one of the counselors. Afterward, Lila and the counselor attempt to tame a wild horse, but it runs away. Lila prays, “Bring me back my horse, God. Please give me one more chance. I’ll stop lying. Really.” 
• Lila decides to ride the horse while she’s alone. She’s having difficulties putting a saddle on the horse and prays, “Uh, hey, God, you brought me this far, could I have a stool, please?” She finds a tree stump to stand on.  
• While at camp, Tisha B’av is observed. Tisha B’av is “the Jewish fast day commemorating the destruction of our two holy temples.” The campers are taken to hear a Holocaust survivor speak, but Lila doesn’t attend. The book discusses some of the traditions of Tisha B’av, such as fasting. 
• Lila asks God to help her figure out how to fix things with her cabin mates.