Anderson's offers literary summer camps for students

Anderson's Bookshops offers new summer literary camp opportunities for students entering sixth through 12th grades with the addition of Camp YA All-Access to the popular Camp Divergent.

The five-day camps run 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. Camp Divergent dates include the weeks of June 8, July 6 and Aug. 3. Camp YA All-Access dates include the weeks of June 8 and June 29.

The five-day camps cost $250 per attendee, and each camper will receive a camp T-shirt.

Camp Divergent's impetus is the Divergent young adult series by Veronica Roth. Publisher Harper Collins reports that 10 million copies have been sold. Campers will be immersed in the pages of the blockbuster books: "Divergent" (2011), "Insurgent" (2012), and "Allegiant" (2013).

The Divergent saga takes place in a dystopian Chicago, where society is broken into five virtues: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Each day will focus on one of the trilogy's five factions, and activities will highlight related traits, bringing the books to life.

The No. 1 New York Times best-selling series spawned a blockbuster 2014 movie filmed in Chicago.

Camp YA All-Access will feature a different genre of young adult fiction each day with targeted activities. Genres to be explored include dystopian, historical, sci-fi fantasy, mystery/thriller/horror and contemporary. Guest authors will visit as well, and the themed activities and discussion will add meaning to these young adult favorites.

The literary camps have been a longtime dream of Anderson's co-owner Becky Anderson.

"We cannot allow summer to pull young readers away from books," Anderson said. "We want to enhance the experience and dig in and add fun, creativity, adventure, and friendship to the mix."

The literary camps are in addition to other summer camps that Naper Settlement offers for young students, catering to interests that include art, science and history. Learn about schedule at napersettlement.com.

"Our friends at the settlement have been extremely generous and cooperative about hosting something brand new for our community," Anderson said. "We can't wait to get underway with this exciting programming."

To participate, visit andersonsbookshop.com and find the Literary Camps tab to pull up the camp registration form. Print it out and return it to Anderson's Bookshop, 123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville.