Emerson is not excited about spending his summer at Camp Outlier, a camp especially for RISK kids (Reoccurring Incidents of the Strange Kind, e.g. floating away, bursting into flame, going invisible, turning into a dog, getting stuck to things, time traveling, etc.). And yet, Emerson's summer with the other boys in the Red Maple cabin starts to look like it might not be that bad...until Murphy, the time traveler, reveals to Emerson that he knows that he (Murphy) doesn't live through the summer. Emerson tells Hank, and they scheme to keep Murphy in the here and now - but will they be able to save their friend?

This is a fantastic summer camp novel with a sci-fi twist. Emerson in particular grows and changes (mentally/emotionally/physically) so much over the course of the summer, but the Red Maple cabin is the youngest, after all...I would love to see a sequel.

On the list of books for rising 6th graders in Winchester in 2019.

Quotes

Life was too precious not to fight for. (178)

Maybe good things only happened if you were willing to make yourself look like an idiot. (213)

"Isn't the whole point of a list to finish it?"
"Nope. The point is to never finish. To live a big life." (Emerson and Hank, 241)

"There is never going to be a moment where we realize that these things we can do are actually really great. We will never be anything but a burden and a danger." (Gary, 314) ( )