Anticipating another happy summer at their (mostly) easygoing, co-ed sports camp, their friends are dismayed that Mack and Andre have chosen rival Camp Killington instead in this third series entry.Selfless reasons prompted the two to switch to the chilly baseball meritocracy with its country-club ambience. While stellar athletes like Andre are awarded private rooms with hotel amenities; less-stellar campers like Mack are housed in dorms. Hypercompetitive Killington coaches know Andre's talents, yet opportunities to play are few. Roused at night to mow a croquet pitch, he and Mack wonder if Killington's resident star, the nephew of an influential Hall of Famer, is responsible. When, without notice, Mack is dispatched to Camp Average, he discovers his cabin's full, now housing boys from Camp Hortonia who nurse grudges against their hosts. Intracabin friction culminates in an ill-advised bet between Average and Hortonia, to be settled by a game of ball hockey. Average's far weaker team needs every player-even ball-hockey nonenthusiast Mack. Coached by team captain Cassie, with tech support and camper/videographers Nelson and Wi-Fi on hand to document everything, Mack swallows his humiliation and works on his game. If the plot occasionally strains credulity, the narrative shines when depicting the sports alchemy that transforms diverse young players of varying athletic interests and abilities into a whole greater than the sum of its parts.An exuberant celebration of playing as a team. (Fiction. 8-12)

Gr 4-7 In the third book in the "Camp Average" series, friends Andre, Mack, and Miles are split up one summer. Andre and Mack end up at the Camp Killington, a prestigious baseball camp, as a result of a bet. Campers from Camp Hortonia, including new kid Garth, took their beds at Camp Avalon, affectionately called Camp Average by its campers, while renovations are being done at the hockey camp. And Miles, missing his buddies Andre and Mack, tries to figure out ways to get them back to their rightful camp. A variety of ideas and pranks lead up to a hockey challenge between Camp Average and Camp Hortonia. On the line is removing Garth from their cabin and getting their friends back. The campers at Camp Average aren't known for their sports skills, but this group of underdogs work together to try to win. The cast of characters is large and tough to keep track of at times, and the plot, which moves back and forth between camps, could be confusing. While the author does give some explanation of what happened in previous summers, newcomers would benefit from starting with the first book. VERDICT An additional purchase in places where summer camp stories are popular. Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga P.L. Syst., OH