About this Episode
If you’ve ever been to summer camp, or wish you had gotten the chance to go, you’ll love hearing author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka talk with host Suzanne McCabe about his latest graphic memoir. It’s called Sunshine: How One Camp Taught Me About Life, Death, and Hope.
Camp Sunshine is not just any camp. It’s a place in Maine where seriously ill kids and their families get the opportunity to just be themselves and enjoy campfire stories, wilderness activities, and the company of others who also are facing extraordinary challenges.
During his senior year of high school in Worcester, Massachusetts, Jarrett signed up to be a counselor at Camp Sunshine. While he looked forward to the experience, he didn’t quite know what to expect. He didn’t know that it would change his life forever.
Sunshine, which is published by Scholastic Graphix, is the recipient of the 2023 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction, among other honors. Jarrett is also the author of the award-winning graphic memoir, Hey Kiddo!, and the wildly-popular Lunch Lady graphic novel series. To find out when he will be visiting your area, follow him on Twitter and Instagram @StudioJKK.
→ Resources
Studio JJK: Learn more about Jarrett’s books and Ted Talks, and get writing and illustrating tutorials from a master.
Express Yourself: Jarrett is featured in this Washington Post article about how everyone can benefit from creating art.
Hey, Kiddo: A Conversation About Family, Addiction and Art: Hear Jarrett talk with Scholastic Reads podcast host Suzanne McCabe about the challenges he overcame as a child to become an award-winning author and illustrator.
→ Highlights
Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author, Sunshine
Volunteering at Camp Sunshine “was something as a part of the experience of high school as the prom.”
“I kept photo albums, and in those photo albums, I placed [my] sketches. In fact, we basically recreated what my photo albums look like with those chapter headers.”
“I hope that young readers can understand that they have the power to make a big difference in someone’s life.”
“The story is told through the perspective of me . . . a young kid who had his health and was unsure he could make a difference in the life of anyone.”
→ Special Thanks
Producer: Maxine Osa
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan
Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl
→ Coming Soon
Meet Our Scholastic Kid Reporters
Goosebumps Heads Back to Television