Open Books Challenge 2026: About Cabins, Camping, or the WildernessUnpublished

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Rin enjoys camping by the lakeshore, Mt. Fuji in view. Nadeshiko rides her bike to see Mt. Fuji, too. As the two eat cup noodles together, what scenery will they behold? This series will make readers fall in love with camping!

The Critter Club is going camping--but are they really ready for a weekend in the wilderness? When Liz invites the Critter Club girls to her house at Marigold Lake for the weekend, they are really excited for their camping adventure--especially because Marigold Lake is known for...

FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE INHERITANCE GAMES   In this unputdownable standalone mystery from Jennifer Lynn Barnes, a teenage girl, her friends, and their search-and-rescue dogs must uncover long-buried secrets to save a life.<...

Summer camp turns sinister in Camp Murderface, a spooky middle grade read perfect for fans of scare masters like R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike. The year: 1983. The place: Ohio. The camp: Scary as heck. Camp Sweetwater is finally reopening, three decades after it...

Edgar® Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author C.J. Box delivers a thriller about a troubled cop trying to save his son from a killer in Yellowstone. Cody Hoyt, while a brilliant cop, is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety when his mentor and AA sponsor Hank...

A girl accidentally finds herself at a summer camp for kitties in this hilarious companion to Puppy Bus from Drew Brockington, the creator of the CatStronauts series Heading to day camp for the first time, one girl can't wait to hike, swim, and sing around the campfire....

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A WASHINGTON POST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * A teenage girl breaks free from her father's world of isolation to discover that her whole life is a lie in this "absorbing and well-crafted" (The Washington Post) novel from the New York Times bestselling author...

"Karma Brown keeps delivering knockout after knockout. She is an auto-buy author for me!" --Taylor Jenkins Reid The fates of two women. An abandoned camp. Secrets of the past that can no longer stay hidden. To get a break from a stalled career as a Hollywood...

Take a three-thousand mile journey with Amanda Pearson as she leaves the disgrace of a broken engagement and enters the work of a Quaker mission in the western wilds. The trip is fraught with danger, and Amanda is near death before reaching her destination. Among those she meets are an Indian...

2024 NetGalley Must Read Debut Author "A nail-biting story of sisterhood, suspicion, and suspense. When She Was Me weaves together past and present seamlessly to create a twist you won't see coming." - Tracy Sierra, author of Nightwatching There...

From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire Helen Carpenter can't quite seem to bounce back. Newly divorced at thirty-two, her life has fallen apart beyond her ability to put it together again. So...

A boy and his father go on a camping trip where everything goes wrong! Or does it? From Joe Cepeda, a Theodor Seuss Geisel and Pura Belpré Honor Winner, this early reader comic is perfect for first graders to read on their own! A boy and his father go on a camping trip!...

No help. No cell coverage. No one to hear them scream. Burned-out by both her marriage and work, Liz is desperate for an escape. More than that, she craves an adventure, a total reset. So, when she plans a vacation with her three best friends, she persuades them to...

USA TODAY BESTSELLER * JULY 2023 LIBRARYREADS SELECTION It's not the snow you should fear--it's the person next to you. Christa hoped a retreat to the Rocky Mountains would help her escape her haunted past, but a brutal snowstorm strands her in an abandoned cabin with...

Her mother lied about her identity and her husband wasn't who she thought he was. Can Bailey even trust herself anymore   Running for her life in the wake of her mother's murder, Bailey Fleming escapes to the only place she can think of--a remote, dilapidated cabin...

"Compulsively readable, Drop Dead Sisters is perfect for readers who love shows like Bad Sisters and Dead to Me. A mystery about three estranged sisters who accidentally kill someone? Yes, please." --Mindy Kaling Three sisters reunite on a family vacation and...

In this sixteenth Henry Heckelbeck adventure, Henry goes camping with his friends! Henry Heckelbeck is going camping for the very first time! Henry and his friends decide to play a wildlife-spotting game and compete for an extra s'more. But while his friends spot lizards and...

She thought she'd buried her past. But what if it's been hunting her this whole time? From the bestselling and award-winning author of The Marsh King's Daughter comes a startling novel of psychological suspense as two generations of sisters try to unravel their tangled...

Wild meets Gilmore Girls on the Trail, Just Keep Walking is a story of resilience and the healing and restorative power of wilderness and nature from acclaimed middle-grade and chapter-book author Erin Soderberg Downing. Two years after her parents' surprising and painful...

What Detective Brady St. John really needs is a relaxing vacation. Unfortunately, just as the sun is setting on his second day at a friend's cabin on Lake Henley, he hears a scream and races to rescue a woman from her would-be killer. When the killer escapes only to return to finish the job, Brady...

Yasmin is excited about her nature scout trip, but she is nervous about sleeping in a tent. To make matters worse, Yasmin's tent threatens to collapse! Can some quick thinking and creativity convince Yasmin that she can do anything, just like Baba told her? Best-selling author Saadia Faruqi shares...

* Winner of the 2024 National Outdoor Book Award in Outdoor Literature * Winner of the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction * Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Air Mail, Smithsonian Magazine, and Financial Times ...

Many people dream of escaping modern life, but most will never act on it. This is the remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality--not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his...

A picture book celebrating the beauty of nature, new experiences, and gaining perspective. Sometimes you have to go far, far away to appreciate the world around you. Excellent for fans of The Camping Trip and 3-7-year-olds with an interest in the outdoors will love the...

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2023 NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR, TIME, ESQUIRE, VOGUE, LA TIMES, SLATE, HARPER'S BAZAAR and others "Part historical, part...

For fans of Jodi Picoult and Anita Shreve comes an exhilarating debut novel of one woman's courage in the face of catastrophe. She'll do anything to save them. But what will she do to save herself? When Kat Jamison retreats to the Blue Ridge...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Snow Child returns to the mythical landscapes of Alaska with an unforgettable dark fairy tale that asks the question: Can love save us from ourselves? "No one writes like Eowyn Ivey."--Geraldine Brooks ...

For fans of Hair Love and Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, here is an empowering picture book about recognizing the beauty around you and within you by award-winning author Supriya Kelkar and rising star illustrator Noor Sofi. Brown is beautiful.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY AND INDIE BESTSELLER! A spine-tingling standalone novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune--a supernatural road-trip thriller featuring an extraordinary young girl and her two unlikely protectors on the...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. This is the unforgettable story of how Christopher Johnson...

New York Times bestselling author Iris Krasnow reflects with humor and heart on her summer camp experiences and the lessons she and her fellow campers learned there that have stayed with them throughout their lives. Iris Krasnow was...

The extraordinary -- and extraordinarily powerful -- follow-up to Hey, Kiddo. When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was in high school, he was part of a program that sent students to be counselors at a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Going into it, Jarrett was worried:...

The ninth book in the New York Times bestselling Emmie & Friends series--told from the alternating POVs of shy Emmie and class-clown Joe as they embark on a school camping trip.  Crushes. Camping. MIDDLE SCHOOL These days, Emmie doesn't feel so invisible. At least not...

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...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR A WASHINGTON POST TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR * FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD AND THE MARK TWAIN AMERICAN VOICE IN LITERATURE AWARD A sweeping novel...

In this gorgeously illustrated whimsical tale, a young boy who fears the outdoors becomes lost in the forest . . . and discovers not only his courage but a new friend, too. The Vasylenko family are all adventurers who love wild places and wild things. All, that is, except young...

A #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Casey's cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she's a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking...

From New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Kayla Miller comes a graphic novel about venturing off to summer camp for the first time and stepping out of one's comfort zone, navigating new experiences, and the satisfaction of blazing your own trails. ...

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER and ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES'S NOTABLE BOOKS OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK TIMES "BEST THRILLER" and "BEST CRIME NOVEL" OF THE YEAR PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR "Extraordinary . . ....

The internationally acclaimed author of Blood on Snow and the Harry Hole novels now gives us the tightly wound tale of a man running from retribution, a renegade hitman who goes to ground far above the Arctic circle, where the never-setting sun might slowly drive a man insane.          ...

A new book in the bestselling Life in the Wild series follows the bear, the moose and the beaver as they give camping a try - what could possibly go wrong? A bear, a moose and a beaver decide they're finally going to go camping, and they find the perfect spot right next to a lake....

Perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson and Raina Telgemeier, this heartwarming middle grade graphic novel follows two nonbinary kids who navigate anxiety and identity while having fun and forming friendships at their summer orchestra camp. After attending an incredible concert,...

"Like Siberia itself, this story is wild, mysterious, full of danger--and then, quite unexpectedly, captivates you with its beauty. I was so glad I went on the adventure." --Goldy Moldavsky, New York Times bestselling author of Kill the Boy Band Notes from My Captivity is a sharp...

This award-winning contemporary classic is the survival story with which all others are compared--and a page-turning, heart-stopping adventure, recipient of the Newbery Honor. Hatchet has also been nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read....

To live in a pristine land unchanged by man...to roam a wilderness through which few other humans have passed...to choose an idyllic site, cut trees and build a log cabin...to be a self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available...to be not at odds with the world but...

A startling novel, all the more compelling because its tale of unimaginable human endurance is true, The Revenant unfolds the toll of envy and betrayal as well as the powers of obsession and vengeance in the battle of fur trapper Hugh Glass, first for his life and then for justice. It is 1823,...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A "marvelous romantic comedy" (The New York Times Book Review) from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anna Quindlen "[A] wise tale about second chances, starting over, and going after what is most important in life."--Minneapolis...

From New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a new laugh-out-loud summer rom-com. "I got what I wanted. I became buddy-buddy with my boss in an instant. But the cost will be hefty...finding a husband by tomorrow."  Scottie Price just...

From Natalie D. Richards, the New York Times bestselling author of teen suspense books, comes a pulse-pounding thriller about a group of teenagers being hunted through the woods, perfect for fans of Natasha Preston and Karen McManus. While on a mandatory hike in the woods, a flash flood...

Knock...Knock... When Emma finds a dead body on her porch with her name written on the dead man's hand she uncovers a sinister clue to the mystery that has haunted her since childhood. FBI agent Emma Griffin is sent undercover to the small sleepy town of Feathered...

A Lambda Award Finalist, A Today Show Best Book, A Forbes Best Book, and an ALA Rainbow List Top Ten selection Set in a summer camp, this sweet and sharp screwball comedy set in a summer camp for queer teens examines the nature of toxic masculinity and self...

There are stories about the woods around Salvation Creek and the people who have gone missing. Now their friend is one of them. A riveting, fast-paced YA mystery told entirely through first person police interviews of four teens over the course of a few hours. It was all her idea. They...

For fans of The War That Saved My Life and Wolf Hollow, this fast-paced and unforgettable story follows one girl's journey to overcome her trauma, discover what friendship really means, and learn that being brave is not always about being fearless.  

Most Anticipated by The Nerd Daily * The Everymom * Medium, and more! A charming opposites-attract romance, Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan is for anyone who ever stepped outside their comfort zone and found that all the best things can happen when you take a chance....

"A fast-paced, exciting, missing persons thriller with a heart pounding twisty final third that I very much enjoyed. Katie Tallo is a big new talent."--New York Times bestselling author Adrian McKinty In this edge-of-your-seat thriller--the follow-up to the international bestselling Dark...

From New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne comes a brand-new story about two women, a family secret and a lost manuscript that changes everything... Raised by her literary icon father Carson Wells, Alison Wells always felt loved, even though her mother died when...

Paul Tremblay's terrifying twist to the home invasion novel--inspiration for the upcoming major motion picture from Universal Pictures "Tremblay's personal best. It's that good." -- Stephen King Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote...

"A deliciously tense ride." --Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of One By One INSTANT BESTSELLER Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller. ...

A Kirkus Best Book of the YearA Booklist Best Book of the Year An Amazon Best Book of the Year Nominate for an Eisner Award (Best Publication for Teens) Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other...