Story Pirates Creator Camp to Begin This June

The Story Pirates are have announced their second-annual Story Pirates Creator Camp, presented in partnership with Random House Children's Books following the wildly successful launch in 2020.

Beginning June 14, the virtual camp will comprise seven themed weeks during which participating children will join Story Pirates performers on adventures involving magic, comedy, mystery, comics, superheroes, and anything they can dream up. Each day of camp will feature a different author and illustrator guest, including Mary Pope Osborne (Magic Tree House), Chris Grabenstein (Dog Squad), Aisha Saeed (Diana and the Underworld Odyssey), Theanne Griffith (The Magnificent Makers), Judd Winick (Hilo), and more! Families can register for their desired weeks now at storypirates.com/camp.

This year, camp activities will be scheduled in the mornings, allowing families to start their summer days with literacy-building fun and freeing up the afternoons for suggested outdoor activities. Creator Camp will occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with two timeslots to choose from each day to accommodate families throughout the U.S.: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Eastern and 10 to 11:30 a.m. Pacific. The author lineups for each week of camp will be revealed throughout May on the Story Pirates' social media accounts.

Weekly themes for 2021 Story Pirates Creator Camp

Week 1: June 14, 16 & 18

Adventure Camp: Where in the World Is Rolo Vincent?
Rolo is missing, and we have to track him down! Join us for a globetrotting adventure as we follow clues from Rolo, travel to new places, meet weird characters from around the world, and talk with the authors of some awesome adventure books.

Week 2: June 21, 23 & 25

Comedy Camp: Pies in the Face!
It's comedy week! We'll be creating some of the weirdest, most hilarious stories of all time, telling jokes, and meeting the authors of seriously funny books. Spoiler alert: Story Pirates podcast hosts WILL be pied in the face!

Week 3: June 28, 30 & July 2

Fantasy Creature Camp: All 9 Unicorns?!
In the classic Story Pirates song "All 9 Unicorns," the unicorn friends . . . Wait a minute. Did that say "All 9 Unicorns"? Didn't it used to be "All 8 Unicorns"? Who is this mysterious ninth unicorn?! Join the Story Pirates for a week of designing imaginary fantasy creatures, meeting the authors of fantasy novels, and solving the mystery of this mysterious extra unicorn. Will the unicorn be friend . . . or foe? It's up to the kids' imaginations to decide!

Week 4: July 5, 7 & 9

Comics Camp: Draw Your Own Graphic Novels and Comics!
Meet real authors of graphic novels, and follow along with the Story Pirates as you learn some of the art and storytelling techniques it takes to create your own comics.

Week 5: July 12, 14 & 16

Mystery Camp: The Case of the Musical Cinnamon Buns
It's mystery week at Creator Camp. There will be strange events, suspicious suspects, brilliant detectives, and the authors of mystery novels to give you tips on how to create your own mystery stories. And most mysterious of all, there will be weird clues in the music from the Story Pirates' latest album, The Strawberry Band. Who put these clues in the music, and what do they mean?!

Week 6: July 19, 21 & 23

Spy Camp: The Great Spy Caper
Spy Training is back, and this summer we're going on a . . . caper. Create new spy characters! Learn new spy skills! Infiltrate secret labs! Go on a caper to attempt to finally unmask the true identity of Dr. Mustache! Meet the authors of some puzzling books! Maybe even learn a little bit about . . . Minecraft?!

Week 7: July 26, 28 & 30

Superhero Camp: Superhero Olympics
What would happen if the weirdest superheroes in the world got together for a Superhero Olympics? What kind of super sports would they play? And what if a supervillain infiltrated the festivities and caused CHAOS EVERYWHERE? Join us to find out-and meet the authors of some awesome graphic novels, who can help you draw a superhero adventure of your own!
Campers will interact with and learn from more than 21 different authors and illustrators from the world's largest trade publisher, Random House Children's Books. Each week, the featured literary guests will delve into their creative processes and take questions from campers. Campers will then be able to download Story Sparks (story ideas and inspirations) and related activities to try at home. For even more summer reading fun, book bundles with a curated selection of books by each week's featured creators will be included as part of camp registration. Parents may sign their kids up for one week or all seven weeks. The weekly fee is $195 and includes a book by each of that week's visiting authors and illustrators. Creator Club members will receive a 10% discount on fees.

Story Pirates CEO Benjamin Salka is excited to offer another summer of Creator Camp experiences, adding to the Story Pirates' many edutainment offerings, including the weekly podcast, SPTV, music albums, and books. To learn more about these multiple award-winners, visit the Story Pirates at storypirates.com and Story Pirates Changemakers at storypirates.org.
Check out what people are saying about Story Pirates Creator Camp:

"This camp is AMAZING. My daughter is challenging to engage and often negative/ hesitant about new activities. This camp has saved our summer."
-Margaret (parent)

"They don't say it, but the kids are in charge. They are really flexible and fun and let kids do what they want to do. I really like that."
-Arjun (camper) "Our daughter's storytelling, drawing, improv skills, and overall creativity have blossomed since she started the Creator Camps." -Amanda (parent)

"There was a lot of laughing, shrieking in joy."
-parent survey response

"I think you people are awesome. What you do for our children is unimaginable. My kindergartener has such a grasp of tropes, vocabulary ("perspective?"), literary genres, musical styles, and life experiences that it is hard to believe you could pull off a camp as well. I can safely say your work may save a life."
-Kerry (parent)

"This was everything I'd hoped it would be and more."
-Francesca (camper)