Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol - ADVISABLE

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol, 245 pages.  GRAPHIC NOVEL. First Second, 2018. $23  Language: G; Mature Content: PG; Violence: G.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS – ADVISABLE  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Vera has always dreamed of going away to a camp during the summer, so when she finds out there is a Russian summer camp sponsored through her church she is hopeful that she will have a good time because the people at camp will be like her.  What Vera finds is that girls can be mean even if you have a similar culture and camping in the mountains can be hard.  As struggles often do, Vera learns about herself and finds a little friend that she can start to enjoy camp with.  

I have split feelings about this graphic novel.  First, what I liked about the book.  I loved Vera-she’s adorable and easy to empathize with.  The author’s uncomfortable depiction of camping in the wilderness is hilarious.  And the illustrations are fantastic.  Now for the parts I didn’t like.  There are some icky moments in the book that ruin it for elementary age kids-a boy walks in on Vera in the bathroom, girls comment on Vera’s lack of a bra (and it’s illustrated) and one girl at camp has her underwear drawn up the flag pole and they are dirty from her period (which I found especially gross-especially because again it was illustrated).  I also have a hard time placing the book because Vera is nine years old, but some of the above mentioned content makes it older-I feel like it’s safest to place in a middle school. 

C. Peterson