Description
“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!
Corrina Allen –
This graphic novel is loosely based on the author’s real-life experiences and her Russian-American background and that makes for a unique twist on a familiar setting for some kids – summer camp! 9-year old Vera is a Russian immigrant and we learn at the beginning of the novel, she doesn’t doesn’t exactly fit in with the popular crowd. Or really any crowd at all. Her family is poor and their traditions and food are just enough “culturally off” to make her feel awkward among the girls she invites to a birthday sleepover that goes bad…. And oh man… how I felt for poor Vera that night! That’s some real-life cringe-worthy stuff though. Vera desperately wants to fit in and finally convinces her mother to send her and her brother to a Russian summer camp sponsored by their Orthodox church where they will learn the Russian language and religion along with the typical summer camp things – like learning why you shouldn’t feed the wildlife and finding a comfortable place to poop! Brosgol’s illustrations are outstanding with a foresty green color palette. And this book about the poor choices one can make in the quest for friendship along with that added layer of feeling like you don’t really belong enough in any culture makes this graphic novel feel like a blend of Shannon Hale’s Real Friends and Kelly Yang’s Front Desk. This would be a great recommendation for kids in about grades 4 or 5 and up.
Corrina Allen –
This graphic novel is loosely based on the author’s real-life experiences and her Russian-American background and that makes for a unique twist on a familiar setting for some kids – summer camp! 9-year old Vera is a Russian immigrant and we learn at the beginning of the novel, she doesn’t doesn’t exactly fit in with the popular crowd. Or really any crowd at all. Her family is poor and their traditions and food are just enough “culturally off” to make her feel awkward among the girls she invites to a birthday sleepover that goes bad…. And oh man… how I felt for poor Vera that night! That’s some real-life cringe-worthy stuff though. Vera desperately wants to fit in and finally convinces her mother to send her and her brother to a Russian summer camp sponsored by their Orthodox church where they will learn the Russian language and religion along with the typical summer camp things – like learning why you shouldn’t feed the wildlife and finding a comfortable place to poop! Brosgol’s illustrations are outstanding with a foresty green color palette. And this book about the poor choices one can make in the quest for friendship along with that added layer of feeling like you don’t really belong enough in any culture makes this graphic novel feel like a blend of Shannon Hale’s Real Friends and Kelly Yang’s Front Desk. This would be a great recommendation for kids in about grades 4 or 5 and up.
Corrina Allen –
This graphic novel is loosely based on the author’s real-life experiences and her Russian-American background and that makes for a unique twist on a familiar setting for some kids – summer camp! 9-year old Vera is a Russian immigrant and we learn at the beginning of the novel, she doesn’t doesn’t exactly fit in with the popular crowd. Or really any crowd at all. Her family is poor and their traditions and food are just enough “culturally off” to make her feel awkward among the girls she invites to a birthday sleepover that goes bad…. And oh man… how I felt for poor Vera that night! That’s some real-life cringe-worthy stuff though. Vera desperately wants to fit in and finally convinces her mother to send her and her brother to a Russian summer camp sponsored by their Orthodox church where they will learn the Russian language and religion along with the typical summer camp things – like learning why you shouldn’t feed the wildlife and finding a comfortable place to poop! Brosgol’s illustrations are outstanding with a foresty green color palette. And this book about the poor choices one can make in the quest for friendship along with that added layer of feeling like you don’t really belong enough in any culture makes this graphic novel feel like a blend of Shannon Hale’s Real Friends and Kelly Yang’s Front Desk. This would be a great recommendation for kids in about grades 4 or 5 and up.
E. Algernon –
Both of my kids love this book. It’s a graphic novel that is a coming-of-age story about a girl who feels out-of-place as she is poor (while her ‘friends’ are rich) and also their family is from Russia and keep up with Russian traditions that her friends seem to feel are strange and she often feels like an outsider and is treated as such. Her mom struggles financially and sends off her kiddos to a camp while she attempts to find a foothold professionally so she can support her family. Her kids are coping at various levels and her daughter in particular seems to be struggling both socially and developmentally. This is a beautiful story about how a kid overcomes such obstacles and finds a way to make friends and even find her own value and self-worth independent of where she came from and also learns a lot about what makes a real friend as opposed to pandering to what is popular or giving in to peer pressure. It’s also very funny and heartwarming with many heart-wrenching examples of anxieties that kids have (like her believe that she was going to die from rabies when she was bitten by a squirrel). The plot-twist at the end is really telling – as it’s obvious that the protagonist struggling with change constantly and certainly some kids struggle with change more than others! An important message for resilience and finding your own voice.
E. Algernon –
Both of my kids love this book. It’s a graphic novel that is a coming-of-age story about a girl who feels out-of-place as she is poor (while her ‘friends’ are rich) and also their family is from Russia and keep up with Russian traditions that her friends seem to feel are strange and she often feels like an outsider and is treated as such. Her mom struggles financially and sends off her kiddos to a camp while she attempts to find a foothold professionally so she can support her family. Her kids are coping at various levels and her daughter in particular seems to be struggling both socially and developmentally. This is a beautiful story about how a kid overcomes such obstacles and finds a way to make friends and even find her own value and self-worth independent of where she came from and also learns a lot about what makes a real friend as opposed to pandering to what is popular or giving in to peer pressure. It’s also very funny and heartwarming with many heart-wrenching examples of anxieties that kids have (like her believe that she was going to die from rabies when she was bitten by a squirrel). The plot-twist at the end is really telling – as it’s obvious that the protagonist struggling with change constantly and certainly some kids struggle with change more than others! An important message for resilience and finding your own voice.
E. Algernon –
Both of my kids love this book. It’s a graphic novel that is a coming-of-age story about a girl who feels out-of-place as she is poor (while her ‘friends’ are rich) and also their family is from Russia and keep up with Russian traditions that her friends seem to feel are strange and she often feels like an outsider and is treated as such. Her mom struggles financially and sends off her kiddos to a camp while she attempts to find a foothold professionally so she can support her family. Her kids are coping at various levels and her daughter in particular seems to be struggling both socially and developmentally. This is a beautiful story about how a kid overcomes such obstacles and finds a way to make friends and even find her own value and self-worth independent of where she came from and also learns a lot about what makes a real friend as opposed to pandering to what is popular or giving in to peer pressure. It’s also very funny and heartwarming with many heart-wrenching examples of anxieties that kids have (like her believe that she was going to die from rabies when she was bitten by a squirrel). The plot-twist at the end is really telling – as it’s obvious that the protagonist struggling with change constantly and certainly some kids struggle with change more than others! An important message for resilience and finding your own voice.
Squid Stan –
I read this after reading Anya’s Ghost. I’ll read anything Vera puts out. Another great read!
Squid Stan –
I read this after reading Anya’s Ghost. I’ll read anything Vera puts out. Another great read!
Squid Stan –
I read this after reading Anya’s Ghost. I’ll read anything Vera puts out. Another great read!
Jenny McPhee –
Love this book.
Jenny McPhee –
Love this book.
Jenny McPhee –
Love this book.
cvo –
I bought this for my eleven year old about three years ago (thirteen now), and now her younger sister (recently eleven) ADORES this book! so perfect and really portrays such great emotion. Amazing artwork with sweet, awkward, and just cute main character. the younger generation really needs to know about how not everybody is the same and not everyone comes from the same place. this book also has some older girls having their periods, and I was actually ok with that. women have been menstruating for as long as humankind existed; I don’t know why it’s such a big deal. young people need to know this, especially boys and girls at this preteen age. great read!
cvo –
I bought this for my eleven year old about three years ago (thirteen now), and now her younger sister (recently eleven) ADORES this book! so perfect and really portrays such great emotion. Amazing artwork with sweet, awkward, and just cute main character. the younger generation really needs to know about how not everybody is the same and not everyone comes from the same place. this book also has some older girls having their periods, and I was actually ok with that. women have been menstruating for as long as humankind existed; I don’t know why it’s such a big deal. young people need to know this, especially boys and girls at this preteen age. great read!
cvo –
I bought this for my eleven year old about three years ago (thirteen now), and now her younger sister (recently eleven) ADORES this book! so perfect and really portrays such great emotion. Amazing artwork with sweet, awkward, and just cute main character. the younger generation really needs to know about how not everybody is the same and not everyone comes from the same place. this book also has some older girls having their periods, and I was actually ok with that. women have been menstruating for as long as humankind existed; I don’t know why it’s such a big deal. young people need to know this, especially boys and girls at this preteen age. great read!