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Literature / Camp X

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Camp X is a Children's Spy Novel by Eric Walters, based on the real life Camp X located between Whitby and Oshawa in Ontario, Canada.

George and his older brother Jack Braun are a pair of farm boys whose mother recently moved them to Whitby, Ontario, so she could work at the local munitions factory for the war effort. Their dad, meanwhile, is off in Africa in the St. Patrick's Regiment. The boys, meanwhile, are working for a newspaper run by the friendly Mr. Krum to do their part for the war.

One night, while heading home after playing war, the boys find themselves being escorted out of a tunnel by soldiers. Later, while tubing down on the river, they see people putting something on the bridge. They soon learn of a mysterious plot of land from Mr. Krum, and decide to go investigate.

Once inside, the two find themselves being made spies for the Allied Forces, and are tasked with helping the military out with exercises. They also soon start growing suspicious of others around them. After all, who knows who could be a Nazi spy?

The book was published in 2002. The book also has a sequel, Camp 30.


Camp X contains examples of:

  • Bait-and-Switch: At the start of the book, we see the narration of someone who appears to be a soldier tracking a Nazi in the woods. They corner each other, bring out their guns, and then shout "BANG!", then start arguing over whether the shot connected or not. This reveals that it's George and Jack playing war in the woods.
  • Big Brother Instinct: When a trio of bullies start trying to take George's bag, Jack shows up out of nowhere and decks one of them.
  • Character Narrator: The story is narrated by George.
  • Dad's Off Fighting in the War: Goerge and Jack's dad is stationed in Africa as part of the St. Patrick's Regiment.
  • Death Faked for You: Mr. Krum shoots four bullets into the wall to make the Nazis think he went through with his order to kill George and Jack.
  • Handguns: Mr. Krum pulls one on George and Jack when their alone out on the highway in his car.
  • Hospital Epilogue: The final chapter is about Little Bill informing George that the Nazis' plan was foiled, though Mr. Krum was killed in the exchange of bullets. He also informs him that Jack is alright, and how they have to keep what happened at Camp X a secret.
  • My Country, Right or Wrong: This is why Mr. Krum was sending information to Nazis.

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