History ComicBook / BePrepared

** The outdoor bathrooms--Hollywoods--have BathroomStallGraffiti written in Russian.

** The outdoor bathrooms--Holywoods--have BathroomStallGraffiti written in Russian.

* BathroomStallGraffiti: The "Hollywood" is covered in carvings from previous campers. Many of them are in Russian.

** Fittingly, the services at the Russian Orthodox church are in Russian. Vera recites the Lord's Prayer and gets grabbed and scolded by a elderly woman for fidgeting during it.

* ShoutOut: The start of the book has Vera go to the birthday party of her friend Sarah Hoffman, who is well off enough to have an ''Literature/AmericanGirl'' doll (which are called "[[BlandNameProduct American Doll]]"). Most of her birthday presents are various items from the collection for her doll, "Complicity". Later her and the other girls are playing with their dolls together--minus Vera, who doesn't have a doll and [[LonelyAmongPeople feels left out]]. She tries to claim she has one, but makes up having one that doesn't exist. Sarah hands her an [[TakeThat old Barbie]] to play with, which Vera is not pleased to have. Later at her own party, one of the girls gifts Vera something for her alleged American Doll as a subtle insult.

Soon after she arrives, Vera discovers that [[SummerCampy the camp isn't quite as much fun as she had expected]]. The outdoor bathrooms are disgusting, she's expected to speak in Russian as much as possible, the other kids in her group are older than her and quite nasty to boot, and church--[[OrthodoxChristianity Russian Orthodox]]--is held outside, rain or shine. Now all Vera wants is to get through the two weeks so she can go back home.

Soon after she arrives, Vera discovers that [[SummerCampy the camp isn't quite as much fun as she had expected]]. The outdoor bathrooms are disgusting, she's expected to speak in Russian as much as possible, the other kids in her group are older than her and quite nasty to boot, and church--Russian Orthodox--is held outside, rain or shine. Now all Vera wants is to get through the two weeks so she can go back home.

* BirthdayPartyGoesWrong: Vera plans for her ninth birthday party in August (after everyone gets back from camp), and wants it to be like her friend Sarah's slumber party, complete with the things she thinks make a successful party: stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut, good gift bags, and a Carvel ice cream cake. But her [[StrugglingSingleMother single divorced mother]] can't afford those kinds of things. She substitutes with regular pizza and a medovik torte (a layered honey cake)--all very Russian, and both items discounted gifts from members of their church. (Vera does try to put together nice gift bags). Vera is unhappy at things being so Russian and tries to make the best of it--including offering to serve kvass (a Russian rye bread carbonated beverage)--but her very American friends [[CultureClash are visibly uncomfortable with the cultural differences]] and staying overnight in her small apartment, where they all have to stay in the room she shares with her younger brother (who is sleeping in the bedroom with their mother and younger sister Masha). The other girls call their parents in the middle of the night to go home and while Sarah is [[OrderedApology made to apologize by her mother]], Vera is very hurt and blames herself, deciding she can't fit in with the American kids because she's too Russian.
* BoringReligiousService: Vera doesn't quite get the Russian Orthodox church liturgies or what she's saying when she recites in church (and once gets caught fidgeting and reprimanded by an elderly woman next to her). She's especially annoyed at outdoor church service at camp. That said, she ''does'' love the icons of the church, and has an image of the saint she's named for above her bed at home.

** BigJerkOnCampus Alexei is a snot to the point the counselors make him cover up the latrine from the overnight camping trip.

** Vera does the pooping variety after going to the "Hollywood" (outdoor non-flush toilet) the first time--and while doing her business looks up to see the ceiling ''covered'' in [[SpidersAreScary spiders, with one coming down towards her]]. She takes off running and finishes outside behind a tree, doing that for the rest of camp as much as possible for a long time (when she can't attend the toilet at the nearby lake where they do full hair washing).

* DontTryThisAtHome: Vera gets bit by a chipmunk and doesn't tell anyone, terrified that she has rabies. Later, hre new friend Kira tells her that it's actually ''very'' unlikely since rodents don't usually carry rabies, and the bite didn't break the skin--but Vera should still tell the nurse, just in case. Vera says she will, but doesn't. This has a footnote from adult Vera who stresses this was a ''very'' dumb thing to do and that if you get bit by a wild animal, seek medical attention you should see a doctor and not another kid.

* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: Four of these happen over the course of the comic as a result of ''napadenya'' (CaptureTheFlag).

** The third time the boys win, the girls are made to wash the boys' dirty, smelly laundry at the creek.
** The girls win the final game--and Vera makes all of the boys check the depth of every "Hollywood" (the [[GoToTheEuphemism euphemism for the outdoor non-flush toilets]]) with a stick and record the measurement.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Vera throws away a book she doesn't know the use of before she gets to camp, and is caught out not having the songbook to sing along with the first night of camp. The cover of the book says "Songs" in Russian, and she speaks it ''much'' better than she reads or writes it. This is later seen when she's asked to read Russian aloud and stumbles so bad someone else is asked to read instead. She's accused of faking her skills.

* SpidersAreScary: After her first night in camp, Vera goes to the "Hollywood" (outdoor non-flushing toilet) to poop, and while doing her business looks up to see the ceiling ''covered'' in spiders, with one coming down towards her. She takes off running and [[NatureTinkling finishes outside]].
* StrugglingSingleMother: Vera's mother is a single parent raising three children after her husband divorced her. Given the age of the youngest child Masha who is still a toddler, it doesn't appear to have been very long ago. The family is poor and lives in a two-bedroom apartment above someone else's place, and Vera can't afford the many nice things her American classmates can. She graduates from her accounting class and gets a good job by the end of the book. [[spoiler:It's in London, so they're moving.]]
* SummerCampy: Vera's hopes for a summer camp experience like her American friends are dashed when she arrives. The camp is a ''lot'' more rustic than she hoped, complete with outdoor toilets, camping in actual tents (which means no sweets, since wild animals could get to them), no running water (bathing, including hair washing, is done in a lake fully dressed every other day while morning wash-up is done in the river) and lots of wilderness. She immediately wants to go home.

Soon after she arrives, Vera discovers that [[SummerCampy the camp isn't quite as much fun as she had expected]]. The bathroom is disgusting, the other kids are older than her and quite nasty to boot, and church--Russian Orthodox--is held outside, rain or shine. Now all Vera wants is to be back home.

* LostPetGrievance: One of the girls at camp slightly younger than Vera, Kira, lost her pet guinea pig Malchik after bringing him there (and running off when she was told she'd [[NoAnimalsAllowed have to send him home with her parents]] and losing him in the woods). She spends her time at camp crying. [[spoiler:Vera finds the lost pet with a week or so left and returns it to Kira, and they become friends.]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/be_prepared.jpg]]

The graphic novel was released on April 24th, 2018. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Has nothing to do]] with a [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 lion or a king]].

** The girls win the final game--and Vera makes all of the boys check the depth of every "Hollywood" (the euphemism for the outdoor toilets) with a stick and record the measurement.

** Vera does the pooping variety after going to the "Hollywood" (outdoor toilet) the first time--and while doing her business looks up to see the ceiling ''covered'' in [[SpidersAreScary spiders, with one coming down towards her]]. She takes off running and finishes outside behind a tree, doing that for the rest of camp as much as possible for a long time (when she can't attend the toilet at the nearby lake where they do full hair washing).

* SpidersAreScary: After her first night in camp, Vera goes to the "Hollywood" (outdoor toilet) to poop, and while doing her business looks up to see the ceiling ''covered'' in spiders, with one coming down towards her. She takes off running and [[NatureTinkling finishes outside]].

** Vera, when she goes to speak to her brother, finds him peeing outside off the top of a rock with the other boys.

* BirthdayPartyGoesWrong: Vera plans to have her ninth birthday party in August (after everyone gets back from camp), and wants it to be like her friend Sarah’s slumber party complete with the things she thinks make a successful party: stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut, brand name soda, good gift bags, and a Carvel ice cream cake. But her single divorced mother can’t afford those things. She substitutes with regular pizza, kvass (a Russian rye bread carbonated beverage) and a medovik torte (a layered honey cake)--all very Russian, and several of it discounted gifts from members of their church. Vera is unhappy at things being so Russian and tries to make the best of it, but her very American friends [[CultureClash are visibly uncomfortable with the cultural differences]] and staying overnight in her small apartment, where they all have to stay in the room she shares with her younger brother (who is sleeping in the bedroom with their mother and younger sister Masha). The girls call their parents in the middle of the night to go home; Vera is very hurt and blames herself, deciding she can't fit in with the American kids.