Childhood, Chaos, and Politics Collide at Camp Nantoka in David Benjamin's Summer of ’68

Title: Summer of '68

Author: David Benjamin

Publisher: Last Kid Books

ISBN & Price: 9781732523517, $18.64

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Summer of ‘68 by David Benjamin is a politically geared take on the average coming-of-age tale, set in 1968 at Camp Nantoka, an art and music camp in the Wisconsin woods. The story follows Franklin Roosevelt Cribbs, a fresh high school graduate hired as a counselor at a camp for talented kids from Chicago’s tougher neighborhoods. Told through Cribb’s voice and excerpts from his journals, the story carries readers through a tumultuous summer where camp politics collide with the rising unrest in Chicago ahead of the Democratic convention. Summer of ‘68 is funny, heartfelt, and socially conscious, magnifying the lives and experiences of marginalized kids while offering commentary on the intersections of race, politics, and culture in late‑1960s America.

The book opens with a hard-hitting line, “I’m not really sure that the worst thing that happened at camp last summer was when Douglas Blum formed a lynch mob to murder Bobby Mori.” (9) This sets the stage for the camp’s dynamics, shaped by the racially charged antics of creative pre-teen boys under the guidance of inexperienced adolescent counselors. Cribbs navigates the wild mayhem of Camp Nantoka, from dead snakes hung over beds and shoes filled with feces to disappearances into the woods, pillow fights, overdoses, cabin arson, and forbidden love affairs. At first, Cribbs struggles as a counselor, with the boys under his care testing his authority and the other camp workers showing little respect because of his more “well-to-do” background. Over time, however, the boys learn to respect him, and he finds his place among his peers in the social bubble of Camp Nantoka. 

Benjamin intertwines real-world events with the happenings of camp life, prefacing each chapter with quotes on war and political issues. The characters are sharply aware of the social unrest unfolding, discussing it among themselves and sharing their opinions. In one scene, camp counselors gather in front of the TV to watch the Democratic Convention and the disorder it erupts into, commenting on the irony of seeing white people treated by the police in the same way that Black Americans have for years. Cribbs reflects on the unrest throughout, stating, “For weeks, there’s been this feeling, spreading outward from Chicago, hundreds of miles in all directions, a great choking, physical fear—especially in ‘the law and order community’—that anarchy is about to descend on the Midwest and sweep away all civilized institutions.” (241) The looming Democratic Convention serves as a tense and unsettling backdrop for the events at Camp Nantoka. 

The camp functions as a “rich and absurd” microcosm of America, exposing the social hierarchies and cultural tensions of the late 1960s. Cribbs deems it the “summer camp from Hell, where all of America’s contradictions seem to have been jammed into a capsule that broke open and spilled all over the place when it rolled off the giant’s table and crashed into the woods.” (161) Within this structure, social issues play out: Cribbs clashes with Cook County Jail work crews, gang-affiliated counselors intimidate their campers, and professors abuse their power. Racial disparities are made glaringly obvious in instances like the lynching attempt, when campers decided to mob a young boy simply for being Japanese. Conversations among the campers further highlight these disparities, with Black campers emphasizing their vulnerability to arrest simply for “being small and black in a city full of large, white, angry, heavily armed police.” (92) 

Despite the conflicts and challenges, Camp Nantoka is also alive with moments of connection and camaraderie, offering glimpses of hope amid the havoc. Cribbs’ bonds with the campers deepen as he empathizes with them, especially while teaching Blum, one of the most destructive boys, to swim. He also grapples with his growing desire for Suzan, a young camper who teases him with her developing body. Benjamin contrasts the older camp workers with the children, highlighting the campers’ potential futures while revealing that even the adults are, in many ways, still finding their way. 

Benjamin works humor into the deeply thought-provoking social commentary, with comic relief written into almost every scene. He uses dramatic hyperbole to portray situations as larger than life—for example, when young camper Otha confronts Cribbs with a knife, he calls it “the Grim Reaper’s hand on my throat.” (21) Readers are left with hilarious images of camp life, like “Otha’s bed looked like the site of a life-or-death battle between a warthog and a silverback gorilla.” (27) Benjamin frequently uses allusion, referencing historical events, notable figures, and literature—such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.—to enrich the story’s historical context. 

Summer of ‘68 is more than a coming-of-age story—it’s a diary of political and social upheaval through the lens of a young man. The novel is an ode to the inevitable coexistence of fear and love in humanity. Benjamin expertly pens the era in colorful and often outrageous language, keeping readers engaged, touched, and even laughing through the complexities of the 1960s.

Review by Britain Powers