Jackie Oshry of Florida shares inspiration behind new children's book on joys of summer camp
Podcaster, business owner and now author Jackie Oshry sat down with Fox News Digital to share the meaning behind her children's book, "The Camper and The Counselor." The mom of two discussed how her younger sister sparked inspiration for the book.
A podcaster, business owner and mom of two has a new children's book out that captures a special summer camp experience — and it's based on a true story.
Jackie Oshry runs a daily pop culture podcast, "The Toast," and also has a popular canned cocktail business, Spritz Society.
Now, she's moved into publishing turf.
The native New Yorker-turned-Florida resident told Fox News Digital in an interview that she's had the inspiration for her first children’s book, "The Camper and The Counselor," ever since hosting a camp weekend for podcast listeners years ago.
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"My sister [Claudia] and I put on a camp weekend for our listeners because we love camp and were always talking about camp and our experiences," she said.
Oshry has over 323,000 Instagram followers, while "The Toast" podcast has over 290,000 and her sister, Claudia Oshry, also known as @girlwithnojob, has over 3.2 million.
Jackie Oshry (left) and her sister Claudia Oshry (right) host a popular podcast called "The Toast" — they deliver five "fast" stories each morning on pop culture news. They invited listeners to Camp Toast (pictured here) for a traditional camp weekend, where the idea for Oshry's book took root. (Jackie Oshry)
Oshry is the second oldest of four sisters and said the siblings regularly went to sleepaway camp for the summer when growing up — something they look back on with fond memories.
"Once I became a mom, I was really motivated to write the story and get books in hands because I just felt so strongly that the story was so sweet."
While on the weekend getaway, Oshry said she noticed her youngest sister, Margo Oshry, was dressing very much like a camp counselor.
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"This inside joke sort of started … so I just started calling her ‘Counselor,’" she recalled.
Jackie Oshry (left) and Margo Oshry (right) at Camp Toast, where the idea for "The Camper and The Counselor" began. (Jackie Oshry)
Over the years, Oshry said she continued to joke around with her youngest sister by calling her "Counselor Snitch" — since "Snitch" was her nickname prior to the camp weekend.
Oshry said she would role-play as the camper in return.
The recurring joke sparked some inspiration to create a story in which a camper goes off to camp for the first time, nervous about how it will go, and creates a bond with the counselor — which ultimately helps the camper through the experience.
Although the idea has been with her for years, Oshry said she didn’t feel ready to write it down until she became a mom in early 2022.
Jackie Oshry (pictured here) said writing a book was rewarding, especially when she saw how much her own son enjoyed it. (Jackie Oshry)
"Once I became a mom, I was really motivated to write the story and get books in hands because I just felt so strongly that the story was so sweet," she said.
One of the important themes she wanted to include was the typical lack of technology at camp.
"Testing it and seeing it be a success with [my son] was more … than I ever could have dreamed of."
In the children’s book, the camper says she's enjoying her time — noting she can’t remember the last time she felt this way without a technological device at the ready.
"The Camper and The Counselor" tells of a camper's first sleepaway camp experience — and finding a special bond with a counselor. (Jackie Oshry)
"I think in this day and age, even moreso than when I was at camp, it’s so important to have pockets of your life that are free of technology," she said.
"It’s always been like that for camp."
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Oshry said she read her now 20-month-old son the drafts during the writing process — and he was a big fan from the beginning.
Oshry spoke with Fox News Digital about the book and how her family inspired the children's story. (Jackie Oshry)
"Testing it and seeing it be a success with [my son] was more of a success than I ever could have dreamed of," she said.
Oshry said her copy of the book has ripped and crinkled pages because her son kept asking her to read it to him again… and again.
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"The Camper and The Counselor" by Jackie Oshry, published by Genius Cat Books, is available on Amazon and at other major retailers.
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