Hey, Eager Camp Shoppers!

November is here! And that means Black Friday Sales are visible on the horizon! They’re approaching fast so be ready! We’re ready…though no one can be sure what this year of Black Friday sales will bring! Due to the circumstances of the world right now in 2020, online shopping is expected to rise to an unprecedented height for the holiday shopping season. This expectation has compelled businesses to start the season early in order to keep up with the volume of orders they receive.

In other words, it’s Black Friday come early!

Black Friday has already evolved into something different from what it originally was. First it was strictly the Friday after Thanksgiving—the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season. However, the Black Friday store opening hours soon crept into the previous day, giving way to what was called Grey Thursday. Then the world of online shopping wanted in on the action and so Cyber Monday was born.

You can read about the beginnings of Black Friday on a previous post when you click right here. 

It’s changing big-time this year with online shopping expected be higher than the world’s ever seen and a major drop of in-store visits. Our sales for Black Friday will begin on November 15. Start shopping our awesome Black Friday deals two weeks in advance! And thanks to our Price Adjustment Policy, you can get shopping even earlier than that and still be able to get amazing deals. Read about our Price Adjustment from this informative post from last week when you click right here.

So start right now if you like or at your earliest convenience. Hop on over to our online store and start loading up your cart! Happy shopping and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Eager Camp Shoppers!

With November right around the corner, you can bet that we’re just as prepared as you are for Black Friday Sales. In fact, we’ve never been more prepared! Due to the circumstances of the world right now in 2020, online shopping is expected to rise to an unprecedented height for the holiday shopping season. This expectation has compelled businesses to start the season early in order to keep up with the volume of orders they receive.

It’s Black Friday come early!

With big expectations, we’ve got some big sales in mind for the coming weeks! We hope to drop some jaws as you browse our store. But just because the sales aren’t here yet, doesn’t mean you can’t reap the benefits of our best deals to come. 

In preparation for the early sales you’ll find here at Everything Summer Camp, we’re announcing our Price Adjustment Guarantee throughout the holiday season! Don’t be afraid to start shopping now in fear of being too early to catch the best of our deals during Black Friday and our other sales of the season.

If you find yourself perusing our website and you come across a great deal on the same product you purchased earlier for a bigger price, you can still get that great deal! All you need to do is contact us. Just let us know that you found a better deal and we’ll be happy to match our best price.

In other words, there’s no missing out on the best of our deals this season at Everything Summer Camp.

So get to your holiday shopping at your earliest convenience! Our Black Friday sale begins Nov. 15, but you don’t even need to wait until then. Hop on over to our store right now if you can! Happy shopping and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Writing is one among many of the creative arts to be offered as an activity at summer camp. In fact, if you’re like yours truly here, you seek out the summer camps with a big focus on writing to attend—like I did when I was a summer camper. On this Blog, we like to zero in on some of the record setters and pioneers of sports, crafts, and other summer camp activities. And who else to highlight as a record setter in the field of Writing than the author of the ‘Harry Potter’ series, J. K. Rowling?

We’re going to take a look at some of the records she holds along with other achievements she’s conquered through her fantastically popular children’s series about the boy who didn’t know he was a wizard.

Being a published author doesn’t suddenly grant you wealth beyond your wildest dreams. Unless you’re J.K. Rowling, that is. After finishing the fifth book in the series, ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’, Ms. Joanne Kathleen Rowling became the first and remains to be the only billionaire author.

J.K. Rowling’s seventh and final book in her series, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ set a new Guinness World Record in 2007 as the fastest-selling book in history. This novel sold more copies than any other book in the first 24 hours of its release! That’s some serious sales!

Excluding religious texts such as the Bible and Quran, the novel at the top of the list for most copies sold is ‘Don Quixote’ at 500 million copies. The ‘Harry Potter’ series—all seven books together—have sold over 450 million copies. That’s an average of roughly 65 million copies per book. The first book, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ was by far the most commercially successful, selling over 120 million copies worldwide!  

 When a book is translated into different languages, it’s a pretty big deal. It means it can reach the populations of other countries! The ‘Harry Potter’ series has been translated into 67 languages. There are certainly other books that have been translated more, however, it’s impressive that Rowling’s series has been translated more than double other books including classics like ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.

This tale of wizards and witches went well beyond what most people ever expected a children’s book series to do, seeing amazing popularity, film adaptations, and crazy sales! You can bet it feels good to be J.K. Rowling, reaping the benefits of a little story she decided to start writing down one day! Maybe you’ll go on to beat Rowling’s records someday. And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected the entire world and summer camps are no exception. Many camps weren’t in session for this summer season, compelled to take the precautions deemed necessary to keep everyone safe. Just like all of you, everyone here at Everything Summer Camp is deeply saddened that so many campers didn’t get to have their summer camp experience this season.

While some of you may have attended summer camp this season, other campers were not so fortunate. To those of you who didn’t get to go to camp this year, know that you are not alone. Today, we’re featuring one of the many summer camps who were closed for their normal camp season this summer—Camp Abnaki. Here’s the message they put out on their website: 

“We have worked tirelessly to determine if or how the 120-year-old traditions of YMCA Camp Abnaki might continue this summer in a safe and meaningful way. The team has used all available resources to explore how camp facilities and the experience might be adapted. We have deliberated for countless hours, diving deep into guidance provided by the CDC, the Vermont Department of Health, Vermont Camping Association, YMCA of the USA, and the American Camping Association…. With very heavy hearts, Abnaki leadership—with the support of Greater Burlington YMCA senior management—has made the difficult decision to suspend all of Camp Abnaki’s traditional overnight, day camp, trips, and CIT sessions for the 2020 summer season.”

Everything Summer Camp supports Camp Abnaki and we look forward to seeing their normal camp sessions return in 2021. We hope all you campers who had planned on a summer stay at Abnaki were still able to get out into the wilderness for your own personal camping experience and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Halloweeners!

This time of year delivers in such a variety of ways; Halloween means costumes and treats. There’s also decorating and pumpkin-carving. But the main festivity Halloween is notorious for is telling a good spooky story! Finding a scary story to delve into was always my favorite part about Halloween. I learned a lot about witches, and vampires, and ghosts, and alike.

When I was a kid my mother would take me on trips to the public library where she would help me find the coolest Halloween books to check out. I’d hang onto them for a week or two and go back each year to check the same ones out.

I highly recommend you peruse your local library or other bookstores to find what could become your favorite stories! I put together a list of my old favorites. Maybe you’ll enjoy them as much as I have! Have your parents heat up some apple cider, grab a flashlight, and read these to you in the dark! The first group are good for any age while the second group is geared for older kids (like 10 and up).

All Hallows for All Ages
‘Scared Silly; A Halloween Treat’ by James Howe and illustrated by Leslie Morrill is one from the Bunnicula book series about one Halloween night with the Monroe family pets home alone.

‘A Woggle of Witches’ is a picture book written and illustrated by Adrienne Adams—a tale of witches on a nightly flight.

Eve Bunting tells of the spooky costumed visitors on a Trick-or-Treat evening in her book, ‘Scary, Scary Halloween’. Illustrated by Jan Brett.

Readers have a laugh over the funny shapeshifting of a witch’s hat in ‘The Witch’s Hat’ by Tony Johnston. Illustrated by Margot Tomes.

And—my absolute favorite—the story of a boy who’s expectations of Halloween night are underwhelmed despite the lurking monsters behind him in ‘It Hardly Seems Like Halloween’, written and illustrated by David S. Rose.

Better Wait Till You’re Older…
‘Nightmares; Poems to Trouble Your Sleep’ by Jack Prelutsky is a collection of children poetry that covers creepy creatures that go bump in the night. Arnold Lobel depicts these deadly beasts in inky illustration.

Sequel to ‘Nightmares’, Jack Prelutsky also put out ‘The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight; More Poems to Trouble Your Sleep’ to complete his collection of iconic characters of horror—illustrated by Arnold Lobel again. 

And lastly, ‘Halloween Poems’ is a compilation of macabre poetry selected by Myra Cohn Livingston and accompanied by the creepy artwork of Stephen Gammell.

Whether you find my old favorites or discover some new titles for yourself, have a dim, warm, and spooky time looking over the tales of terror in great Halloween books! Don’t get too scared now! And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John