Be Prepared

The author and illustrator of Be Prepared, Vera Brosgol, is well-known for creating graphic novels and picture books that highlight issues related to identity, growing up, and culture and ethnicity. Her first graphic novel, Anya’s Ghost, tells the story of a Russian American teen named Anya who unwittingly befriends the ghost of a teen girl from the 19th century. Although clearly more fantastical than Be Prepared, this text also showcases the importance of interpersonal relationships and self-actualization, in addition to foregrounding elements of Russian culture. As such, there are clear similarities between the two texts, from their style to their recurring themes.

These connections likely stem from Brosgol’s own identity as a Russian American. Like the fictionalized Vera, she immigrated from Russia with her family at the age of five. She also attended a Russian summer camp several times and makes it clear that these experiences inspired the narrative of Be Prepared. Although she is careful to note that it is a fictionalized account, rather than a true memoir, Brosgol nonetheless includes references and ephemera that capture her own lived experience. For example, the graphic novel is book-ended by scans of two actual letters, the first composed by her brother and the other by Brosgol. The content of these letters conveys the same feelings and attitudes about camps that Vera the character expresses throughout the narrative. In her author’s note at the end of the text, Brosgol explains that she relied on her own memories, as well as an interview with the camp counselor, Natasha, and photographs taken on a visit to camp to create the story of Be Prepared. She emphasizes: “This book is a true story. And also made up” (247). As such, reading it through the lens of the author’s personal experience can be illuminating, but is only one analytical approach to use for this text.