Be Prepared

Brosgol, Vera. Be Prepared. 2018. 244p. ISBN 978-1-62672-445-7. Available in the graphic novel section of the library.

Vera arrived in the United States from Russia when she was five. She can still speak Russian without an accent, but reading the language is difficult. Vera doesn’t fit at school. Her friends are all solidly middle class, and they throw lavish birthday parties. Vera’s single mother is struggling to make ends meet. Vera never has the right gift to give, and the only time she has a birthday party at her house her friends leave in the middle of the night. With summer getting closer every day, her friends are gushing about the camps they will be attending. Vera would love to go to camp, but there’s no way her mother could ever afford it. Until, that is, they discover that their Orthodox Church sponsors children to attend a Russian language camp in Connecticut. Suddenly, Vera’s prospects are looking good. Plus, she’s sure to finally fit in.

Nothing could have prepared Vera for the reality of summer camp. First, she’s there four weeks instead of two. Being a late registrant, she’s the youngest camper and has to room with the oldest girls at camp. She has nothing in common with them. The activities are terrible, the weather is awful, and the outhouse crawls with spiders. Camp is nothing like she imagined it would be. Forced to adapt, Vera decides to befriend her cool cabinmates. Unfortunately, her plan backfires, and she finds herself on the outs with both of them. Thankfully, her counselor provides her with sound advice, and soon Vera is determined to make the most of what’s left of camp.

Told through a graphic novel format, this camp story is inspired by the author’s first summer camp experiences. The images really contribute to visually tell the story and support the text. Fans of misfits and stories where the little guy (or in this case girl) overcomes obstacles and grows as a person will appreciate Vera’s attempts at fitting in a different group.