Camp Recap
Program Outcomes
Our Summer Reading List
Have your child dive into several of our diverse stories from a variety of authors that explore themes like race, community, and belonging, written at their reading level. Learn more about the books we’ll use below!
1:00pm - 2:00pm, MWF June 7-18. After crossing Mexico into the United States, Jaime Rivera thinks the worst is over. Starting a new school can’t be that bad. Except it is, and not just because he can barely speak English. While his cousin Ángela fits in quickly, with new friends and after-school activities, Jaime struggles with even the idea of calling this strange place “home.” His real home is with his parents, abuela, and the rest of the family, not here where cacti and cattle outnumber people, where he can no longer be himself—a boy from Guatemala. Powerful and moving,this explores overcoming homesickness, finding ways to connect despite a language barrier, and discovering what it means to start over in a new place that alternates between being wonderful and completely unwelcoming.
2:30pm - 3:30pm MWF, June 7-18. Karina Chopra would have never imagined becoming friends with the boy next door—after all, they've avoided each other for years and she assumes Chris is just like the boys he hangs out with, who she labels a pack of hyenas. Then Karina's grandfather starts tutoring Chris, and she discovers he's actually a nice, funny kid. But one afternoon something unimaginable happens—the three of them are assaulted by a stranger who targets Indian-American Karina and her grandfather because of how they look. Her grandfather is gravely injured and Karina and Chris vow not to let hate win. Then, when Papa is finally on the road to recovery, Karina uses her newfound social media reach to help celebrate both his homecoming and a community coming together.
1:00pm - 2:00pm MWF, June 21 - July 2. Cat and her brother Chicken have always had a very special bond. When Chicken has a "meltdown," Cat’s the one who scratches his back and reads his favorite story. She always knows what he needs. Since their mom has had to work double-hard to keep their family afloat after their father passed away, Cat is the glue holding her family together. When a summer trip doesn’t go as planned, Cat and Chicken end up spending three weeks with grandparents they’ve never met. With their help, Cat can be a kid again for the first time in years, and the journey she takes shows that even the most broken relationships can be healed if people take the time to walk in one another’s shoes. This special novel features an unforgettable voice and is brimming with heart.
2:30pm - 3:30pm MWF, June 21 - July 2. Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind her, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her home town start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives. At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the U.S. –and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises—there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.
2:30pm - 3:30pm MWF, July 5-16. Thelonius Mitchell is tired of being labeled. He’s in special ed, separated from the “normal” kids at school who don’t have any “issues.” That’s enough to make all the teachers and students look at him and his friends with a constant side-eye. (Although his disruptive antics and pranks have given him a rep too.) When a dangerous device is found at a neighborhood hangout, Thelonius and his pals become instant suspects. Thelonius may be guilty of pulling crazy stunts at school, but a criminal? T isn’t about to let that label stick.
1:00pm - 2:00pm MWF, July 5-16. In Ban This Book by Alan Gratz, a fourth grader fights back when From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg is challenged by a well-meaning parent and taken off the shelves of her school library. Amy Anne is shy and soft-spoken, but don’t mess with her when it comes to her favorite book in the whole world. Amy Anne and her lieutenants wage a battle for the books that will make you laugh and pump your fists as they start a secret banned books locker library, make up ridiculous reasons to ban every single book in the library to make a point, and take a stand against censorship.
Meet our Camp Facilitators
Reina Gonzales, The Crossroads
Hollister, CA is my hometown and Stockton has become my home away from home since 2007. I received my bachelor's degree in Sports Medicine from the University of the Pacific. I got my teaching credentials and a masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of the Pacific. I had the opportunity to do an internship instead of student teaching, giving me the opportunity to learn from experienced teachers and become a better teacher while finishing my last year of schooling. I first started teaching fourth graders, and looped with them to 5th grade. After the looping experience for several years, I decided to gain more experience and took on the challenge of teaching third grade. I am currently one of the third grade teachers at Primary Years Academy.
Christopher Harrold-Walters, Count Me In
Christopher Harrold-Walters (he,him,his) has taught ELA and Social Studies at Huerta Elementary School. He was born and raised in Oakland, but has come to love, grow and build in Stockton since moving here in 2014. Chris has committed his focus and career on bringing joy, community building and creativity to the classroom. Besides education, ask him about basketball, football, movies, music, food, business... well, Mr. H is known to talk about anything.
Raelin Tamargo, Caterpillar Summer
My name is Raelin Tamargo (she/her) and I am a Stockton native. I am a former Rio Calaveras otter and SECA timberwolf! I graduated in 2020 from UC San Diego with a B.S. in Clinical Psychology and a minor in music. I've spent this past year serving elementary school students in the San Jose/Silicon Valley area with City Year. My goal is to inspire and empower the next generation of young leaders to not only imagine a safer, kinder, more equitable world, but also advocate for one for themselves and future generations. In my free time, I enjoy reading, making music, and spending quality time with my family, friends, and pets.
Raney Shimozono, Other Words for Home
Hello! My name is Raney (ray-knee) Shimozono (shim-oh-zone-oh). I have a multiple subject credential, a mild/moderate education credential, and a Master’s Degree in special education! I adore teaching students how to read, helping student grow and develop, and obtain a love for learning. I enjoy the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco Giants!
Kia Gregory, The Usual Suspects
Kia Gregory is a former librarian turned educator living and working in the Central Valley. When she isn’t teaching figurative language or surface area to middle school students, she can be found hiking with her family or enjoying a quiet moment with a book.
Joyce Jackson, Ban This Book
Hello, my name is Joyce Jackson and I am a Stockton native. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Education. I am currently an educator in Stockton, CA. Teaching is something I am absolutely passionate about. I have a love for nature, rollerskating, and books. When I have time, I love traveling and being immersed in new cultures.
Camp Information
PROGRAM DATES
Session 1: June 7- June 18
Session 2: June 21 - July 2
Session 3: July 5 - July 16
LEARNING FORMAT
Sessions will be done virtually via Zoom, meeting three (3) times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Students will be asked to read independently on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
SAMPLE ACTIVITIES
Relationship Building Activities
Reading Review
Group Read Alouds
Enrichment Activities
Unbound Stockton Summer Literacy and Leadership Camp is a 100% FREE summer program designed to keep our local students both learning and reading, and connecting with their diverse community over the summer. While students have already spent the majority of their year in virtual zoom classrooms, we hope to create a new paradigm for online learning where students can engage with fun activities and reading in fun, safe, and positive cultural spaces for our diverse students.
Families can sign up their rising 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th-grade children for a 2-week camp block where our facilitators will lead team buildings, authentic activities, centered around a diverse themed book leveled for those readers.