The impending visit by the High Council, the elder mothers of scouting, has the camp in a nervous tiz, and that's not being helped any by the plague of magical kittens who've snuck over from the boy's camp.
When the elders are kidnapped by a giant, mythological roc — along with their touring bus — the scouts have to save them, but then they also have to save the roc from the violence-prone old ladies of the High Council, and their friendship from the weird hostility emanating from the a camper from another cabin who's come along with them.
The plot turns on compassion, friendship, and hard-to-find understanding, as well as silly gags, over-the-top magical creatures, and some of the snappiest dialog you'll find in kids' comics. What's more, the mixed-gender group of campers creates the opportunity for some genuinely clever stuff about acceptance, gender norms, and diversity.
I laughed out loud at this book, cried at the ending, and read it in one sitting without putting it down. It's so great to see a long-running series showing no signs of flagging, but instead going from strength to strength.
Lumberjanes Vol. 7: A Bird's-Eye View [Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh/Simon and Schuster]
