I couldn't put this down. It's great fun and quite touching. Most of us are familiar with the desire to fit in, especially at a young age. I think a lot of girls will see themselves in Vera.

This was a wonderful book, dealing with family traditions, parental expectations, and what children want to get out of their summer. It is about making new friends and also how to follow rules when neccessary, It is about opening oneself to new experiences, and how to fit in with new people. It is about being a older sister and being raised by a single parent.

To be posted on GoodReads Apr 10:

Based loosely on real events, follow around a young Vera as she goes to camp for the first time and must try to survive without running water, endure games of capture the flag the girls can’t seem to win, and most challenging of all, making new friends.

Vera explains in the back that this isn’t really a memoir/autobiography because she made up too much of it. She mashed two years of camp experiences into one and borrowed some things from other family members. So it is a fictional graphic novel. But that doesn’t change how great it is. This will appeal immensely to fans of Telgemeier’s graphic novels and Shannon Hale’s <i>Real Friends</i>. Vera’s misadventures at camp revolve on her trying the wrong ways to make friends, feeling left out, being lonely, and then eventually finding a true friend. Many kids, especially in the target age group will be able to identify with her feelings and struggles, even if they’ve never been to camp. And Vera learns some important lessons the hard way that readers can hopefully pick up and not have to learn the hard way themselves. The camp was Russian Orthodox and campers were expected to speak in Russian. For the most part the book is in English, but for those who can read Russian, there are a few panels that will let you brush off your Russian. I don’t read any, but I was able to figure out the gist of what was going on in those panels in Russian just fine. And I liked seeing into some Russian American and Russian Orthodox culture. I can definitely say I’ve never read a book featuring that particular culture before. It was interesting, and I like that this is being added to middle grade books. I know I will have to buy several copies of this for our library to satisfy the demand it is going to have. Hand it to introverts and kids who struggle to get attention in healthy ways, and all those other graphic novel fans I mentioned above (they will love you forever).

<i>I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Cute graphic novel / memoir about a girl who has to make the most out of a bad situation.

A strong pick for fans of Victoria Jamieson and Raina Telgemeier.

I think Raina fans will enjoy this one. Loved the illustrations!

A semi-autobiographical graphic novel about author/illustrator Vera Brosgol's life, Be Prepared tells the story of Vera, a girl who desperately wants to fit in, but she doesn't have the money that her fancier suburban friends have, and her Russian household doesn't quite match her schoolmates' WASP-y upbringing. When the girls start talking about the lavish summer camps they're heading to for the summer, Vera does some research and finds an option even her single mom can afford: a Russian summer camp. How can Mom say no? She'll be able to make friends and learn more about her Russian heritage. Mom gives in, and Vera and her brother are off to camp - but it's nothing like Vera expects. She's got history lessons and tests?! Awful outhouses? And mean girls in Russian camp, too?! This hilarious look back at summer camp is great for tweens and young teens who know just what it feels like not to fit in. I really enjoy Vera Brosgol's cartoon art, especially those giant, expressive eyes that communicate volumes. Vera Brosgol's picture book, Leave Me Alone! is a Caledecott Honor book and her graphic novel Anya's Ghost is a Cybils, Harvey, and Eisner Award winner. See more about her books and artwork at her website.

I adored this book. I devoured it in one sitting and my heart went out to Vera. Even though it takes place in a Russian summer camp, the themes are obviously universal about fitting in and being your best self, even the ending was a perfect happy ending, it worked. I adored the crap out of this graphic novel.

I love camp books. I only went once and I didn't have a great time, but I love reading about them anyway. This was a cute, quick middle grade reads that most kids will enjoy.

I had extremely high expectations for this book based on Brosgol's previous works and I was still completely blown away by her story and storytelling. She did such a wonderful job explaining details of her Russian culture without losing pace of the story or the attention of her audience. Even though I am not Russian nor did I ever attend any sort of sleep-away camp, I could still strongly relate with her struggles in fitting in/feeling like an outsider. This definitely holds its own in the ranks of Roller Girl, El Deafo, Swing It Sunny, and Smile. Great for a wide audience!

This was a fun and humorous exploration of the balance between finding your identity and fitting in. MG readers will relate to the main character’s struggle with friendship and learning about who she really is.

With divorced, immigrant parents who are struggling to make ends meet, preteen Vera feels like an outcast in her well-to-do suburban neighborhood. So when a church scholarship grants her the opportunity to finally attend summer camp like her peers -- and one specifically for Russian kids like her -- she has hopes of finally finding a sense of belonging. But, in a fresh and funny take on the be-careful-what-you-wish-for coming of age story, she discovers that the only way to fit in is to be herself -- a geeky, naive, artistic, lover of indoor plumbing. The dialogue and drama have a real-life sleep away camp feel that is given depth by Brosgol's gift for facial expressions and body language. When summer's end brings a surprising new adventure for young Vera, she is, indeed, prepared, even if she doesn't quite realize it. Sometimes, all it takes to reinvent yourself is to embrace who you truly are.

I really enjoyed the diversity of the characters in this graphic novel! The main character, Vera, is just a Russian girl trying to fit in like everyone else. She finds this harder then most because of the fact that her family is Russian. She thinks that she has finally found a way to feel like she fits in when she discovers a Russian summer camp. She cant wait to spend the summer like the rest of her "friends" by attending summer camp. When she gets there, she quickly finds out that it isn't everything she dreamed it would be and she has to make some tough decisions about what type of person, and friend, she really wants to be.

I loved “Anya’s Ghost” so I had high expectations for “Be Prepared.” It disappoint at all!

Vera wants to go to summer camp like her other friends do every summer. Her mom can only afford Russian camp. Vera heads off with her brother to camp for two weeks. Summer camp turns out to be a lot harder and less perfect than Vera expected. Her tent mates are older and are manipulative, the other girls at camp aren’t nice, and Vera is partially responsible for the girls losing the flag in capture the flag one night. Vera just wants to go home.

The artwork and writing are just as strong as they were in “Anya’s Ghost” with Vera capturing the awkwardness of being a tween trying to fit in with the older kids so well. I can’t wait to recommend this book.

This definitely brought me back to my own days at camp (although mine was 4H camp, not Russian camp). Fun story and I love Vera Brosgol's art, as always.

Be Prepared
Written and Illustrated by: Vera Brosgol
Published by: First Second

Review by Stephanie Cooke

Vera Brosgol is such a wonderful storyteller. Whenever someone asks me for a recommendation to help get them into comics, Anya’s Ghost is always one of my go to suggestions to help people understand just how wonderful comics can be.

Brosgol’s follow-up graphic novel, Be Prepared, is a self-contained story loosely based on her own personal experiences. The story follows a young Vera as she tried to fit into with the other girls her age and find common ground with them. Vera suffers from a whole lot of FOMO as kids leave her town for the summer to attend camps. Desperate to have experiences to share with her friends, she convinces her mother to send her to a camp through their church and finds out what it means to be away from home, to be surrounded by strangers, and to live simply in the woods.

At the end of the book, Brosgol discusses her real-life experiences at camp and expresses that the story of Be Prepared is only partially inspired by her time at summer camp and that she mixed in the experiences of others who found joy there when she ultimately did not. I was a little surprised that given how she seemed to not have a crazy love for it that she chose to use herself as the focus character within the story.

That being said, I never felt as though Brosgol’s real experiences (which again, I read about after) coloured the story to change its intention to put something out there that was relatable for many people, myself included. I grew up being sent to camp after camp so that I would have someplace to be while my parents worked in the summer. There were some camps where I felt so incredibly lost and alone, unable to forge friendships and relationships while there were other camps that I still remember fondly and friendships made there with people I still keep in touch with to this day. There are so many different variables that make it or break it for kids and I experienced many of them.

Within the story, Vera simply attends the one camp and finds out that it’s much different than she anticipated. Vera is desperate to make friends and for the approval of others and her journey from the beginning of the story and how she tries to fit in feels so heartbreakingly real to me. It brought me back to those days of my own when I would say or do anything to try to feel as though I belonged within a group. We use anything at our disposal to try to bond and fit in and it's not until we've gone through the ringer that we realize what we really need are like-minded people that don't try to change us into something else.

Be Prepared was so real for me and brought me back to my younger days. It filled me with bittersweet memories of trying to find my way through childhood and finding friends that appreciated me for me.

Verdict:
Buy it! Whether you have done the whole summer camp thing or not, Be Prepared is a wonderful tale about growing up, finding who you are, and finding out what makes a good friend. It's brimming with heart and soul and everyone can find something of themselves within the masterfully crafted story from the talented Vera Brosgol.

Be Prepared is out on April 28, 2018. Click here to pre-order your copy now.

A good graphic novel for teens and tweens. The colors and the illustrations really caught my eye. Will definitely be adding to my library collection.

Enjoyed this especially since I am not a frequent reader of graphic novels. The colors and the illustrations really caught my eye. Would like to see this title added to our library collection.

I have been a fan of Vera Brosgol for a while now, so I was thrilled to see a graphic novel of hers pop up on NetGalley. I was not disappointed, either -- this time she's written a memoir and graphic novel about her experience attending Russian summer camp as a young teen. Vera's struggles to fit in with American kids as well as Russian campers feels universal, as does her brief inclination to try and fit in by any means necessary (giving the popular older girls her candy; joining in a brief bullying of a fellow camper). That universality continues right up to the discovery that she doesn't need to try so hard -- instead, she can simply be herself, pursue her interests, and make friends that way.

Brosgol's art is wonderful, as usual, and it was neat to learn a bit more about her background.