Harsh and depressing. Some readers may enjoy thinking "wow, my childhood wasn't that bad", but I've never liked the kind of entertainment that makes you cringe. Very well drawn, with a primitive approach that suits the youth of the main character, but I felt miserable reading it.

Wow, this graphic novel hit me like a train. First of all, the art is quirky, sweet, and gorgeous. I adore the heroine, she is a kind and anxious child who struggles a lot with her peers (who aren't the nicest ones either). It was a very enjoyable read that made remember how it's like to feel like a (pre-)teen and awkward, how funny and fascinating life could be then - and how glad I am that I'm grown up.

I love both Vera Brosgol and First Second books. So good!

Also, I wasn't a fan of camp, either. I never went to sleep away camp, but I went to day camps.

They weren't fun.

Also, there is always "cool girl" drama in everything, even when you're an adult.

That being said, I enjoyed Be Prepared. The art was fantastic, as always, and I enjoyed the storyline. Watching the main character grow was interesting, and I was rooting for her the whole time. The ending was good, and I look forward to the next Vera Brosgol book!

I swear Vera Brosgol took my 5th and 6th grade outdoor school experiences and condensed them into graphic novel form. Minus the actual making of a friend part, or the getting bit by a chipmunk part. Also I never learned Russian, I wish they'd taught it in my school since we have a huge Russian Orthodox population in my hometown...Seriously, this graphic novel captured my 'being an awkward kid that nobody liked' experience perfectly. Poor Vera's desperation to be liked by the other girls, her willingness to 'buy' their friendship by doing drawings for them (I couldn't/still can't draw. If I could have maybe I could've bought some friends).

Also, camp/outdoor school is the absolute worst. Everything's dirty and everyone's miserable and it's not 1880 anymore we don't have to live like that! Maybe I don't want to spend a week getting soaking wet on the coast (5th grade) or dying in the heat out in the high desert (6th - we get it, Oregon is big and has all sorts of different ecosystems, I could've learned that at my desk! I would've believed it!!! Fun fact: after high desert outdoor school I was sick for a whole week. Outdoor school = the worst).

Thank you for this book, Vera. I loved it and related to it so hard

This was a fun read. Much like Anya's Ghost the artwork was amazing and the story great for middle schoolers. I have no doubt this would be popular amongst kids.

This was such a great coming of age story that so accurately depicts cultural differences and teen drama. The fact that it was done as a graphic novel made it even better. The drawn facial expressions were so accurate. Great fro a reluctant middle school reader.

This book was an incredibly nostalgic mish-mash of all the author's (and close friend's) experiences at summer camp. An entertaining and beautifully drawn snapshot of a sometime's difficult childhood and the moments that make it all worth it in the end..

Fun coming of age story that deals with friendships, fitting it, and cultural differences. Reminded me of Real Friends and I think 5th and up would enjoy this graphic novel. The author includes a note that while it was based on her experiences at summer camp, some of it was made up to make the story more interesting.

There was a point where stories of camp were bucolic, where everything is possible and always ends well and you leave camp dreaming of next summer when you can return. And even now, where we have all sorts of darker camp stories with monsters and aliens and such, we're generally left with a positive camp experience. Brosgol's story is less so. This is a story of wanting to belong when you're clearly an outsider. When you can't afford what others have, when your culture is different, when you're youngest in the group. I appreciate that we see Vera learning something about herself and the emptiness of popularity without having to love the camp experience.

I really liked this book and think that older kids will as well. Grades 5th and up. I was a lot like Vera growing up so I felt connected to her and all of the things that come with spending the summer at a camp, not knowing anyone.

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol is a semi-autobiographical story of Vera’s trip to Russian summer camp in Connecticut. Full of situations that anyone can connect to and other situations that will make you laugh out loud, the story is a coming of age graphic novel for all.

An fun and important graphic novel. Perfect for any kid or adult who has felt left out, alone, and longing friendships.

A sweet, poignant, funny middle-grade summer camp graphic memoir. A definite book to recommend to those just about to go to sleep-away camp for the first time.

This was such a fun book. The author did a fantastic job creating such a relatable tale based on her own childhood about growing up and fitting in, even when you feel you never will. I love the growth of the characters through struggles relayed in humorous ways and the illustrations really added to the story.

Be Prepared is a graphic novel by Vera Brosgol perfect for middle grade, young adult, and adult audiences. It is currently scheduled for release on May 29 2018.

All Vera wants to do is fit in, but that’s not easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live in fancy houses and their parents can afford to send them to the best summer camps. Vera’s single mother can’t afford that sort of luxury, but there's one summer camp in her price range, Russian summer camp. Vera is sure she's found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the "cool girl" drama, endless Russian history lessons, and outhouses straight out of nightmares!

Be Prepared is a story that I think many readers can find something of themselves in. Vera just wants to fit in, to be included. However, being Russian and with little money she is a bot out of step with the people she wants to be friends with. She thinks that summer camp will be the answer, but her troubles continue there. She has to find her own path, her own way. I felt for Vera through her whole journey, cringed at her less than stellar choices, and celebrated with her when she found her way. The art work and story captured me, heart and soul, and left me wanting more. For me the story was not just about the author's struggles as a child; it is all of us that have felt different, left out, or not good enough. It is only once we find our own way, trust in ourselves a little, and care a little less about what others think of us that we find real friends and get a bit more comfortable in our skin. It was wonderful to see the start of that journey for Vera and I was left rooting for her in her next challenges, because there is always a next obstacle or challenge to face.

Be Prepared is a story that will touch most, if not all readers in some way. Even as a 40 something mom, I remembered feeling the same way as Vera, and I think that readers in the middle of that same part of life, or just past it, will relate even more closely than I. There are already several readers in my school I want this book for, and a daughter who is just about ready for it. I cannot wait to share it with them.

This was an absolutely delightful graphic novel about Brosgol's experiences at Russian summer camp. I loved both the story and the art and watching Little Vera come into her own over the summer was a delight.

Be Prepared is the perfect camp story for a lazy summer afternoon. A graphic memoir, the story follows Vera, a young girl who’s always felt out of place because her family is Russian-American and they aren’t super wealthy. Vera is sure that if she goes to Russian sleepaway camp, she’ll finally find a place where she belongs, but she soon finds that fitting in at camp isn’t as easy as she thought.

Graphic memoirs are always fun—nostalgia and humor are usually present, and Be Prepared is no different. If you’re a fan of Raina Telgemeier, I’d definitely recommend checking this one out. What’s fun about Be Prepared is that it’s set at a summer camp. Unlike most common summer camp stories, this book actually doesn’t paint a great picture of camp. Obviously, there are plenty of people who have a great time at camp, but I’ve always been afraid of sleepaway camp, so I was glad to find that my fears were not for naught!

Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the green color scheme—it went perfectly with the outdoorsy vibe of the book. In fact, Vera Brosgol’s art in general was just fabulous. I also loved the photos of the letters that the author sent to her parents from camp as a child. They were super funny, and I thought it was a very clever touch.

All in all, Be Prepared is a beautifully drawn and humorous graphic novel that’s just waiting to be picked up on hot summer day and consumed with a cold glass of lemonade.

A great tale of friendship, growing up, and culture. Vera's semi-autobiographical look at summer camp will be a winner for any kid whose ever had a rough time with a social situation. This book also serves as a wonderful introduction to "big kid" social situations for middle grade readers just starting to make that transition.

Vera is trying very hard to fit in, but her single, Russian immigrant mother is in school and struggling to provide the lifestyle that Vera sees her classmates enjoying. After attending a slumber party, for example, Vera asks her friends to one at her house. She doesn't have enough space, her mother doesn't order the "right"kind of pizza, and the girls all call their parents in the middle of the night to take them home. One of the activities that many of her classmates do over the summer is to go to camp, which leaves Vera and her young brother with few children there age to engage with over vacation. When a girl at her church mentions a camp specifically for Russian children, Vera is SO excited. She begs to be able to go, and her mother saves up in order to send them. However, once there, Vera is alarmed at the bathroom facilities and by the mean older girls who are assigned to her cabin. It's a rough camping experience all together until the very end when Vera makes a few friends and has some fun... but not enough to go back for a second year.

Strengths: There are not that many camp stories, and this view of how hard it is to keep up with the "popular" lifestyle was intriguing. The illustrations are very engaging and funny. It's nice that Vera's little brother is included so that his experiences can be compared to hers. I would really like to read a follow up about Vera's move to London, and even a prequel with more about her trying to fit into school.
Weaknesses: I'm not fond of gross details (soiled underpants being run up a flagpole), but this will not bother the target demographic as much. There was a lot of unpleasantness for poor Vera; knowing this is autobiographical made it hard for me to read this, because I wished that more children had been nicer and more understanding.
What I really think: This will be just as popular as Holm's Sunny Side Up or Jamison's Roller Girl, and exposes children to some facets of immigrant life as well as summer camp.

Having adored Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol, I was keen on checking out her spin with this gripping and hilarious middle-grade summer camp memoir.