Be Prepared

Reviewed by: Sarah Cropley - Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 7, 2018

Review

Be Prepared is a great tale of friendship, growing up, and culture. Vera is the daughter of a Russian immigrant who wants desperately to go away to camp like all of the other kids in her school. She finally finds a Russian summer camp that her mother will agree to and happily heads off with her little brother in tow. Unfortunately, Vera's birthday is just over the line, putting her in the camp with the older girls, who all act as though they are too mature to hang out with Vera. To make matters worse, her brother seems to be having the time of his life. Vera navigates the social scene of this summer camp, eventually finding joy at camp. Brosgol's semi-autobiographical look at summer camp will be a winner for any kid who's 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.

Overall Book Score: very good