Books
The Camp America Memoirs
Two Summers. Two Books. One Honest Account.
Andrew Waterhouse went to Camp America twice and wrote about both summers in full. The only first-hand memoir series that covers the whole experience — first summer and second.
2
Memoirs
2
Summers
1
Very honest author
Read them in order
The story doesn’t end after the first summer
Most Camp America memoirs — the handful that exist — cover arrival, culture shock, friendships, and going home. Andrew’s first book does that too, and does it well. But then he went back. And wrote about that too. The second book is the one nobody else has written: what happens when you return to a place that already changed you once.
Book One
First summer
Book Two
Second summer
⭐ Start with this one
A computer science graduate from the UK with zero outdoor experience applies for Camp America, gets placed at a camp in Georgia, and spends three months responsible for children in the American wilderness. This is what actually happened — the friendships, the chaos, the sleep deprivation, the campfires, the moments that don’t fit neatly into a highlight reel, and the ones that do.
What the application and interview process is really like
The first week — orientation chaos and how it passes
The friendships that form impossibly fast
The hard weeks nobody posts about on Instagram
Post-camp travel and what comes after
Why almost everyone considers going back
🔄 Read this if you’re going back
Andrew went back. This book is about that decision and what followed. The second summer is not the first summer with more confidence — it’s a different experience entirely. The novelty is gone, replaced by something more complicated and, in many ways, more valuable. This is the honest account of what it looks like to return somewhere that already changed you once.
Why the second summer feels different from day one
The dynamics that shift when you’re no longer the new one
More responsibility, better pay, harder questions
The friendships that survived — and the ones that didn’t
What going back reveals about the first summer
Whether the second summer was worth it. Honestly.
Best value
Get both books together
The complete Camp America memoir series. Both summers, back to back. The only way to get the full story.
What readers say
From people who’ve been there
★★★★★
“I thought your perspective on camp was such an entertaining read. I loved hearing about the gossip and you made it seem very lively. I had to refer to the names list at the beginning a bunch but that was OK because I was really trying to understand their personalities.”
— JLA
There’s No Place Like Summer Camp
★★★★★
“I really enjoyed this book, it makes you feel that your with the author through this experience. This experience holds no secrets to volunteering at a Summer Camp and the shenanigans that go with it. “
— Luke Mellor
There’s No Place Like Summer Camp
★★★★★
“… After spending 6 years working at a summer camp each summer this book brings back so many of my memory’s whilst enjoying the authors. Great read from start to finish and high recommend.”
— Ashley Harman
There’s No Place Like Summer Camp
★★★★★
“So after reading the first book [ which was amazing ] I was lucky enough to find that I only had to wait a week for the second book. And again another great book that shows summer camp in nut shell. Having done camp from the age of 19 to 25 ( same camp ) I completely understand Andrews point that the second year is never like the first. The book itself is another 5 star read. Well written with many funny story’s and experiences. 100% recommend and do yourself a favour. Buy the first and second book and read them back to back.”
— Reader name or initials
Camp America: Second Summer Shenanigans
Common questions
Before you buy
Do I need to have done Camp America to enjoy the books? ⌄
No. The books work as travel memoirs for anyone, but they’re especially useful if you’re considering Camp America, currently applying, or preparing to go. Many readers say they wished they’d had them before their first summer.
Do I need to read Book One before Book Two? ⌄
Yes, and strongly recommended. Book Two references events, people and places from Book One throughout. You could read it standalone but you’d be missing a lot of context — and the emotional payoff of Book Two depends on having read Book One first.
Are the books available as ebooks as well as print? ⌄
Yes — both formats are available. Ebook versions are great for reading during the flight over, or for packing light. Print versions make for a better keepsake and are easier to lend to friends who are also considering going.
Is the Camp America in the books the same programme that runs today? ⌄
The programme structure, the visa process, the role types and the core experience are all essentially the same. Some operational details change year to year but everything that makes Camp America what it is — the camps, the culture, the friendships, the arc of a summer — is unchanged.
I’m going back for a second summer — which book is more useful? ⌄
Book Two is written exactly for you. It’s the only memoir that covers the returning counsellor experience honestly — what changes, what doesn’t, and what going back actually feels like when you already know what you’re getting into.
Ready to read?
Start with Book One if you’re new. Go straight to Book Two if you’re heading back. Get both if you want the full story.