Synopses & Reviews
"Beautifully drawn, brutally funny, brilliantly honest. Vera is such a good cartoonist I almost can't stand it." — Raina Telgemeier, author of Smile
In Be Prepared, 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
Review
"Perfect for fans of Shannon Hale's Real Friends (2017), this will easily lodge a place in readers' hearts, even as it has them rolling in the aisles." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"The story, both culturally specific and universal, is a welcome addition to the growing canon of comics tales by talented women cartoonists (Raina Telgemeier, Tillie Walden, Zeina Abirached, Cece Bell, and many others) based on their own lives." Horn Book (Starred Review)
Review
"The dialogue rings true, the pace is seamless, and the panel artwork, in woodsy browns and greens, conveys feelings with clean, assured lines. By turns sardonic, adorable, and noble, Vera is a beguiling hero who learns how to recognize who's really on her side." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
About the Author
Vera Brosgol was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1984 and moved to the United States when she was five. Her first graphic novel Anya's Ghost was published in 2011 by First Second and won Eisner, Cybils, and Harvey awards. Her picture book Leave Me Alone! was a 2017 Caldecott Honor book. She was a storyboard artist at Laika for ten years, working on animated films including Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings. She lives in Portland, Oregon, and actually really likes camping now.