Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell

That subtext is there, however, adding yet another layer to ponder as readers suffer through their own parent-chosen vacation venues. Interestingly, it appears that only the children are called out for selfishness the adults who chose the experience are never interrogated for the imposition of their desires on their families, even when it turns out that they too hate much of what they're doing. Despite some predictable lesson-like messages about family values and the consequences of selfish behavior, the plot takes enough unpredictable turns to provoke engagement on multiple levels as Gen learns about nineteenth-century farm life, the wondrous adaptability of little brothers, the dangers of getting to know your food, and the sheer deliciousness of Diet Coke and Quiznos when you've eaten nothing but beans and corn for weeks. Complications ensue when she gets caught and get even more complicated when a TV crew turns up looking for the mysterious blogger. They, meanwhile, are posting her texts on a blog, which goes viral. The premise: Gen comes from a modern family where each member tends to operate mostly apart from the others. Unbeknownst to anyone, however, she has sneaked her precious cell phone into the camp, and she is texting her friends about her adventures while the battery lasts. Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell wasn’t on my radar at all, but the title caught my eye while I was passing through the YA section in the library. Now Gen's stuck in an electricity-free zone with three other families and the snooty, know-it-all daughter of the camp's owners, who looks down on Gen because she doesn't know how to milk a cow or weed a cornfield. A subplot involving a reality TV show is over the top but ultimately doesn’t detract from the genuine humor, as well as the insightful story about family at the novel’s core.Gen's mother has decided that it's time to take her dream vacation-a summer-long family stay on a farm that replicates the living conditions of the 1890s. Cathleen Davitt Bell starts with a hilarious premise and develops it into a story that offers astute observations about human behavior at the best and worst of times. But one of Gen’s friends has been posting her texts on a blog, and readership is about to skyrocket.

Now Gen can recharge her phone and text even more scathing perspectives on Camp Frontier. The history purists have a computer with Internet access and a fridge stocked with soda. Then Gen discovers the owners’ secret shack. Even Gen’s crush on Caleb, a boy from another family, is complicated: the teenage daughter of the camp’s owners seems to like him too.

I’m dressed up like an American Girl doll minus the fashion sense.”) Camp was supposed to be a bonding experience for Gen’s family, but the struggle of even simple tasks and the competition among camp families is causing more stress than togetherness. But Gen has snuck a cell phone in and is texting her friends back home about the absurdity of the experience. Participants agree to live off the grid and on the land like pioneers. Teenage Gen is spending the summer with her family at Camp Frontier.