Camp Lenape is a mystery novel for preteens and young adults written by Timothy R. Baldwin. Best friends Marcus, Alissa, Nate, and Janice were learning the ropes in their new roles as junior camp counselors. Having been campers themselves until they had finished their freshman year of high school, they were quite familiar with the baseball camp and the role that junior counselors played, but it was still a new and exciting experience. Marcus and Alissa had been assigned to coach the same team with Marcus acting as third-base coach and Alissa first-base coach. Marcus’ little sister, Bri, as a sixth-grader, was among the youngest campers, but Marcus’ concerns for her were lightened by the fact that Alissa and Bri were best friends. Then something strange happened in the woods near the baseball diamond; something that upset Bri, and later that night, Bri saw someone by the campground bathrooms. When Alissa went to look for her the next morning, Bri had disappeared. The four friends knew something was very wrong, and even if, mysteriously, all the phones in or near the camp were out of order, they were determined to get to the answer.

Camp Lenape is a fast-paced and exciting story about four young teens whose first year as camp counselors is anything but a fun and easy-going experience. Baldwin’s plot is well-crafted and nicely filled with red herrings for the armchair sleuth to consider. His characters are authentic and powerful as they use their common sense, ingenuity, and sense of responsibility to help them determine the right course of action as they try to find Marcus’ little sister. This is a solid, well-written and imaginative take on the summer camp coming-of-age genre that works on a number of levels. Camp Lenape is most highly recommended.

Camp Lenape by Timothy R. Baldwin is a young adult novel where a girl goes missing and a team of teenagers takes it upon themselves to find her and bring her back safely. When Marcus, Nate, Alissa, and Janice return to Camp Lenape as Junior Councilors, they know that this summer is going to be fun. Marcus hopes to ask Alissa to the end-of-year dance while the other three are just looking for a good time. However, all of their plans go awry when a young girl goes missing and no one is giving a straight answer. Soon this gang of teenagers realizes that there is more to the story than is being told and they need to do something about it before it is too late. However, the deeper they dig the more they realize that the mystery might be too much for them to solve. What will these four do now?

You don’t have to be a teenager to read and love this novel; all you need is an undying affection for mystery and thrillers. I personally loved this novel and adored these four intelligent teenagers. They gave life to the story and made it interesting from the get-go. From the element of innocent romance to finding out where the missing young girl went, the author handled everything like a maestro. Alissa and Marcus were the acting leaders of this crew and they did the book justice. They were patient, intelligent, ready to take action and unafraid to speak their minds. They set a good example of standing up for what is right, never giving up and ensuring that your friends are taken care of. And of course, there is the mystery behind the missing girl and the chase to find her before time runs out. I loved every aspect of this novel!