When Gus and Mickey go camping, Gus travels light. He plans to emulate the heroine of his favorite book, a girl who survived in the wilderness with just “three paper clips, a stick of gum, and a plastic spork.” Mickey, who envisions camping with all comforts of home, hauls along an air mattress, a folding chair, a radio-controlled truck, and a TV. For food, Gus plans to catch and eat grasshoppers. When that doesn’t work out, he shares Mickey’s take-out pizza. Narrated by Gus, the story unfolds with humor as each boy experiences a disconnect between expectations and reality. The clash of their opposing viewpoints makes the book a good starting place for discussing the difference between needs and wants. From the Social Studies Connects series, this paperback includes small text boxes commenting on basic human needs such as water, food, shelter, and clothing.
