Be Prepared

Kira is a fellow camper at ORRA and at eight and half years old, she is a member of the belochki, or younger girls’ camp. She has long blonde hair and light colored eyes. Throughout the beginning of the narrative and Vera’s encounter with her, those eyes are often filled to the brim with tears. Kira attempted to bring her guinea pig to camp with her, but it escaped. Kira is despondent because her beloved pet was lost to the woods. When Vera first observes Kira in the belochki camp, before the two have met, Vera sees her sobbing and remarks that she may be the only young camper who is aware of the misery that lies in store for them. Later, when Vera finds Kira’s guinea pig and returns it to her, she learns that Kira is very knowledgeable about animals and also enjoys drawing. Their similar interests, hobbies, and temperaments lead them to become close friends.

Although Kira is not fully introduced as a character until the latter half of the graphic novel, she becomes an important secondary character and one source of Vera’s growth. She also becomes a well-rounded character in her own right. Initially depicted as a cry-baby, Kira is actually quite confident when it comes to the things she likes and the knowledge she has. She explains to Vera that because her chipmunk bite didn’t break the skin, she probably doesn’t have rabies. She also engages in silly, goofy behaviors, such as stuffing an entire fistful of berries into her mouth at the lunch table, and does not appear to care about how others will respond. In addition to her quiet confidence, Kira also has a strong sense of justice. After learning about the disgusting laundry-washing punishment the boys’ camp doled out to Vera and her peers during the flag war, she declares that Vera must steal the flag during the next napadenya. She tells Vera: “You have to get the flag. For… for all of womankind” (194). Although the flag war does not affect Kira, her affection for Vera and her belief in what’s right and what’s wrong leads her to support Vera in her quest for victory. In fact, without Kira’s help and her belief in her, Vera may not have been able to successfully steal the flag. Kira is able to coach Vera, helping her to navigate the wooded path to the boys’ camp without sight. Kira becomes a kind of mentor or support figure for Vera, in spite of the fact that she is younger in age. In this way, Kira is a significant friend of Vera, as well as a necessary contributor to Vera’s growth and character development.

Natasha is Vera’s camp counselor at ORRA. She is 17 years old and has curly dark hair. She is tall and her features are more mature, thus illustrating that she is much closer to adulthood then even her oldest campers. When Natasha is introduced, she appears frazzled and distracted. She barely introduces herself to Vera and does not stay to help her unpack her things. This initial impression does not give Vera much confidence in Natasha’s abilities as a counselor. However, Natasha soon proves that she is very knowledgeable, both about life at camp and life in general. Natasha speaks Russian with ease at camp, reminding and encouraging her campers to do the same. She also knows all the rules and traditions of ORRA, from the campfire songs to the less popular rules like the prohibition of candy. Natasha enforces these rules firmly, calling “lights out” at the exact time every evening and confiscating the contraband candy from the girls’ tents as soon as she discovers it. She chastises the other girls for breaking the rules, explaining that “most of [them] know better” (116). In this way, Natasha is depicted as a stern and no-nonsense leader.

At the same time, Natasha genuinely cares about her campers and shows a special interest in Vera’s development and well-being. When the older girls begin to give Vera extra attention in exchange for her drawings, Natasha provides her with sisterly advice. Since she is “older and wiser” (108) than Vera, she cautions her to be wary of friends that need to be “bought.” Vera often dismisses or outright rejects Natasha’s guidance, but Natasha quietly persists, checking on Vera often and assigning her a role in the flag war. She declares that Vera is going to love the long hike and while Vera is skeptical, Natasha is correct. In the end, Natasha praises Vera for how she has grown as a camper, exclaiming: “Look at you! All tough and scabbed over. Good work” (238). She hopes she will consider coming back next year. Natasha’s counsel is never pushy or overly intrusive. She simply is the “older and wiser” girl who is ready to help the others understand more about themselves and recognize the parts of the camp experience that are most important.