“Although I just got my copy of Happy Campers, by Audrey Monke, you would think I had owned it for years already given the multitude of dog-eared pages, the massive amount of notes in the margins, and the number of parents I’ve already lent the book to, urging them to read specific sections. Happy Campers is the brand-new, but already well-worn book I wish I had had twenty years ago when I first started my career working with children and families. It is full of practical, realistic, easy-to-implement, no-cost, research-based, transformational strategies that will help parents and caregivers bring the magic of summer camp into daily home interactions.

Happy Campers shines a light on nine overall positive practices used in quality summer camps and offers readers dozens (and dozens!) of ways to use these strategies to help kids and families thrive year-round. Starting with ideas for building nurturing connections between family members and then exploring critical topics such as the importance of optimism in interactions, how to nurture grit and determination, helping kids experience independence and grow their individual identities, making kindness cool, building healthy friendship skills, and cultivating the kind of self-confidence that makes kids unstoppable, Monke’s book is as realistic and readable as it is invaluable.

As a School Counselor, therapist, and parent, Happy Campers is everything I could hope for in a book and more! I highly recommend it for anyone living or working with young people!”

-Signe Whitson, Author and International Educator on Bullying Prevention

"The amazing benefits of camp can be nurtured beyond the summer months. This wonderful book puts it right in your hands."

Brooke Cheley-Klebe, Owner/Director of Cheley Colorado Camps

"Audrey Monke has spent decades refining the art of growing happy campers.  All her experiences tell her that what kids learn at camp translates into successful lives and futures.  In this book, she backs up her anecdotal information with research. Children are transformed by camp, and parents can learn so much from Audrey’s thoughtful counsel on how to translate camp to home—how to encourage positive transformation all year round.  Happy Campers is a must read for all parents—those who send their children to camp and those who should."


-Harriet Lowe, Editor-in-Chief of Camping Magazine

"Combining personal parenting experience with over thirty years of owning and operating a top-notch sleep away summer camp. Audrey has come up with practical and easy to apply techniques for parents to bring the beauties of the sleep away camp experience into their own families. Presenting 9 secrets to successful parenting with specific examples of what works and what doesn't makes this an invaluable tool for any family that will help in the raising of happy and healthy adults. As a long-time camp owner/director myself, I found Audrey's book an easy to read and use resource for anyone working with young people, either in a job or as a parent. I thought I knew a lot about parenting and raising young people, but Audrey opened my eyes to many new and useful ideas."


-Steve Proulx, Co-Owner/Director, Carmel Valley Tennis Camp

"Audrey has taken her many years of experience as an educator, researcher, camp owner and parent and distilled what she has learned into some very practical and impactful lessons that parents can use to create happier, stronger children and families. I have taken lessons from Happy Campers and applied them to my camp and my parenting."


-Jeff Gamble, Owner/Director of Jefunira Camp