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Hereville #1
How Mirka Got Her Sword
Spunky, strong-willed eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn’t interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There’s only one thing she does want: to fight dragons!
Granted, no dragons have been breathing fire around Hereville, the Orthodox Jewish community where Mirka lives, but that doesn’t stop the plucky girl from honing her skills. She fearlessly stands up to local bullies. She battles a very large, very menacing pig. And she boldly accepts a challenge from a mysterious witch, a challenge that could bring Mirka her heart’s desire: a dragon-slaying sword! All she has to do is find—and outwit—the giant troll who’s got it!
A delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion, Hereville will captivate middle-school readers with its exciting visuals and entertaining new heroine.
Granted, no dragons have been breathing fire around Hereville, the Orthodox Jewish community where Mirka lives, but that doesn’t stop the plucky girl from honing her skills. She fearlessly stands up to local bullies. She battles a very large, very menacing pig. And she boldly accepts a challenge from a mysterious witch, a challenge that could bring Mirka her heart’s desire: a dragon-slaying sword! All she has to do is find—and outwit—the giant troll who’s got it!
A delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion, Hereville will captivate middle-school readers with its exciting visuals and entertaining new heroine.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2010
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August 14, 2010
“Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl,” says the byline. Well seriously. How was I supposed to pass that up? I’d grabbed a copy of Hereville at an American Library Association conference along with a whole host of other books. I don’t think I even gave it half a glance at the time. Just nabbed, stuffed, and scooted. It was only back in the comfort of my hotel room as I repacked my bags that the byline got my attention. I sat down for a quick look. Twenty minutes later I was still reading, with no intention at all of repacking anything until I was done. In my experience, fantasy novels for children do not like to involve religion in any way, shape, or form. And children’s graphic novels? Puh-leeze. You’re as likely to find a copy of Babymouse wax rhapsodic on the topic of organized religion as you are a copy of Harry Potter. So to read Barry Deutsch’s book is to experience a mild marvel. There is religion, fantasy, knitting, some of the best art I’ve seen since The Secret Science Alliance, and a story that actually makes you sit up and feel something. This is like nothing I’ve ever encountered before, and I think it’s truly remarkable. Without a doubt, this is the best graphic novel of 2010 for kids. Bar none.
Mirka has a dream, but it’s not the kind of thing that gets a lot of support. More than anything else in the entire world she wants to fight dragons. The problem? She’s eleven, a girl, and she lives in the Jewish Orthodox town of Hereville. Still, Mirka gets a bit closer to her dream when she incurs the wrath of a witch’s pig, then does it a good deed, thereby indebting its witch to her. As it turns out, the witch tells Mirka that there is a good sword in the neighborhood, but the only way to get it is to defeat a troll. And when push comes to shove, Mirka’s going to have to use all her smarts and cunning to defeat an enemy that prizes one of the arts she loathes the most.
Think about children’s fantasy novels and religion for a moment. Religion in fantasies for kids tends to skew one of three ways. You can incorporate it and make it the entire point of the novel (Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, the Narnia books of C.S. Lewis or Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time series which is technically science fiction anyway). You can make up an entirely new religion of your own (as in the novels of Frances Hardinge, Tamora Pierce, Megan Whalen Turner, etc.). Or you just sorta forget about it. Remember, in the Harry Potter novels there may be churches and Christmas, but when wizards marry there’s only a vague representative of some unnamed religion presiding. And children’s graphic novels are in such an infant phase at this point that religion never even comes up half the time. The Bone books by Jeff Smith aren’t about to launch into a treatise of religious doctrines (though Phoney Bone does strike me as a Calvinist at his core).
So Hereville is remarkable right off the bat because it isn’t afraid. It says, “Yeah, I’m gonna incorporate religion into this book. Heck, I’m even gonna TEACH about the religion of Orthodox Jews while I’m at it.” And darned if Deutsch doesn’t! Though Hereville itself might be a made up town inhabited entirely by practitioners of this religion, what we learn all is true and accurate. From the different ways girls can be rebellious, pious, or popular in their near identical school clothes to Shabbos to what the three braids of the khale represent (truth, peace, and justice), it's all in there without ever sounding like you're being taught something. The religion is integral to the story and you wouldn’t want it any other way.
Deutsch’s storytelling, which is also above par, makes this book very much a hero’s quest. However, to defeat her enemy, the troll, Mirka must use a set of skills she acquired at the beginning of this book. What I love is that the skill that comes to her aid isn’t her lamentable knitting (the troll insists on a knitting challenge, which Mirka is slightly less than able to do) but rather the art of debate as acquired from her stepmother. It’s the power of prevarication at work. At the same time, you’ve grown to really care for Mirka and her family. Even when she does bad things, you still understand where she’s coming from. There’s a sequence where she’s hurting her little brother, and the storyline flashes between her actions and images of her mother telling her years ago that she is responsible for keeping him safe. You realize then that Mirka is a real person with dimensions and faults, which is something I always like to find in my middle grade comic fare.
And then there’s the art itself. The longer I study it the more remarkable I find it. Sometimes it’s just very basic things. The moments when Deutsch chooses to switch between eyes that are merely black dots with eyebrows and when those eyes acquire whites and pupils is key to understanding the book. Then there are the little things you might not even notice. If two characters are talking and one is reluctant to say something, Deutsch might take a beat to have that character flip a braid away that was creeping down her shoulder in the previous panels. There are even times when it seems as though there’s a slight manga influence on the book. Not in terms of the look, of course, but more the reaction shots. Mirka staring daggers at Rochel takes on a literal meaning in one panel. In another, Mirka yelling at Zindel to wake up takes the form of a huge panel that literally pushes him to one side.
Can I take a moment to wax rhapsodic about the layouts on these pages too? I mean, this is an art. A true art. Deutsch is so good at breaking up the panels and playing with them. In my favorite sequence, Mirka visualizes a math problem. She’s in a situation where she has two friends over and has already cut a cake into thirds. Then a third friend comes over and she has to find a way to divide the thirds equally amongst four people. That situation takes up two pages but in each one there are multiple Mirkas to keep track of. You manage to do it, though, because of the ways in which Deutsch knows to command your eyeballs. You look exactly where you are supposed to, thanks to his cunning art. These are the sorts of things kids take for granted, but they’re often difficult to achieve. And it’s certainly some of the most sophisticated art I’ve seen in a children’s graphic novel, that's for sure.
Plus I’m a sucker for little details. Since everyone in town has to essentially wear the same clothes, Deutsch finds ways to reclothe Mirka in appropriate ways. From word problems to her final sweater, Mirka’s clothing is important. And I loved other details as well. The ways in which Gittel looks like her dead mother while Rochel definitely has the beginnings of Fruma’s nose.
Oh. And he also draws really good hands. Knitting hands, hands lighting candles, you name it. I like hands and they are hard to draw. So. There’s that.
Confession: Truth be told, there is very little in this book I do not like. What’s more, it offers me, a children’s librarian, a sneaky way to introduce kids to religions and creeds they might not otherwise have any exposure to in a format they already love. Bereft of any kind of stereotyping you might name, Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword could only make me angry if it failed to produce a sequel in the future. Until then, we’ll just have to be content with this. A remarkable little book and, I guarantee, like nothing else you have on your bookstore, library, or personal shelves.
For ages 9-14.
Mirka has a dream, but it’s not the kind of thing that gets a lot of support. More than anything else in the entire world she wants to fight dragons. The problem? She’s eleven, a girl, and she lives in the Jewish Orthodox town of Hereville. Still, Mirka gets a bit closer to her dream when she incurs the wrath of a witch’s pig, then does it a good deed, thereby indebting its witch to her. As it turns out, the witch tells Mirka that there is a good sword in the neighborhood, but the only way to get it is to defeat a troll. And when push comes to shove, Mirka’s going to have to use all her smarts and cunning to defeat an enemy that prizes one of the arts she loathes the most.
Think about children’s fantasy novels and religion for a moment. Religion in fantasies for kids tends to skew one of three ways. You can incorporate it and make it the entire point of the novel (Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, the Narnia books of C.S. Lewis or Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time series which is technically science fiction anyway). You can make up an entirely new religion of your own (as in the novels of Frances Hardinge, Tamora Pierce, Megan Whalen Turner, etc.). Or you just sorta forget about it. Remember, in the Harry Potter novels there may be churches and Christmas, but when wizards marry there’s only a vague representative of some unnamed religion presiding. And children’s graphic novels are in such an infant phase at this point that religion never even comes up half the time. The Bone books by Jeff Smith aren’t about to launch into a treatise of religious doctrines (though Phoney Bone does strike me as a Calvinist at his core).
So Hereville is remarkable right off the bat because it isn’t afraid. It says, “Yeah, I’m gonna incorporate religion into this book. Heck, I’m even gonna TEACH about the religion of Orthodox Jews while I’m at it.” And darned if Deutsch doesn’t! Though Hereville itself might be a made up town inhabited entirely by practitioners of this religion, what we learn all is true and accurate. From the different ways girls can be rebellious, pious, or popular in their near identical school clothes to Shabbos to what the three braids of the khale represent (truth, peace, and justice), it's all in there without ever sounding like you're being taught something. The religion is integral to the story and you wouldn’t want it any other way.
Deutsch’s storytelling, which is also above par, makes this book very much a hero’s quest. However, to defeat her enemy, the troll, Mirka must use a set of skills she acquired at the beginning of this book. What I love is that the skill that comes to her aid isn’t her lamentable knitting (the troll insists on a knitting challenge, which Mirka is slightly less than able to do) but rather the art of debate as acquired from her stepmother. It’s the power of prevarication at work. At the same time, you’ve grown to really care for Mirka and her family. Even when she does bad things, you still understand where she’s coming from. There’s a sequence where she’s hurting her little brother, and the storyline flashes between her actions and images of her mother telling her years ago that she is responsible for keeping him safe. You realize then that Mirka is a real person with dimensions and faults, which is something I always like to find in my middle grade comic fare.
And then there’s the art itself. The longer I study it the more remarkable I find it. Sometimes it’s just very basic things. The moments when Deutsch chooses to switch between eyes that are merely black dots with eyebrows and when those eyes acquire whites and pupils is key to understanding the book. Then there are the little things you might not even notice. If two characters are talking and one is reluctant to say something, Deutsch might take a beat to have that character flip a braid away that was creeping down her shoulder in the previous panels. There are even times when it seems as though there’s a slight manga influence on the book. Not in terms of the look, of course, but more the reaction shots. Mirka staring daggers at Rochel takes on a literal meaning in one panel. In another, Mirka yelling at Zindel to wake up takes the form of a huge panel that literally pushes him to one side.
Can I take a moment to wax rhapsodic about the layouts on these pages too? I mean, this is an art. A true art. Deutsch is so good at breaking up the panels and playing with them. In my favorite sequence, Mirka visualizes a math problem. She’s in a situation where she has two friends over and has already cut a cake into thirds. Then a third friend comes over and she has to find a way to divide the thirds equally amongst four people. That situation takes up two pages but in each one there are multiple Mirkas to keep track of. You manage to do it, though, because of the ways in which Deutsch knows to command your eyeballs. You look exactly where you are supposed to, thanks to his cunning art. These are the sorts of things kids take for granted, but they’re often difficult to achieve. And it’s certainly some of the most sophisticated art I’ve seen in a children’s graphic novel, that's for sure.
Plus I’m a sucker for little details. Since everyone in town has to essentially wear the same clothes, Deutsch finds ways to reclothe Mirka in appropriate ways. From word problems to her final sweater, Mirka’s clothing is important. And I loved other details as well. The ways in which Gittel looks like her dead mother while Rochel definitely has the beginnings of Fruma’s nose.
Oh. And he also draws really good hands. Knitting hands, hands lighting candles, you name it. I like hands and they are hard to draw. So. There’s that.
Confession: Truth be told, there is very little in this book I do not like. What’s more, it offers me, a children’s librarian, a sneaky way to introduce kids to religions and creeds they might not otherwise have any exposure to in a format they already love. Bereft of any kind of stereotyping you might name, Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword could only make me angry if it failed to produce a sequel in the future. Until then, we’ll just have to be content with this. A remarkable little book and, I guarantee, like nothing else you have on your bookstore, library, or personal shelves.
For ages 9-14.
December 10, 2019
I found it a great idea to put a Jewish family into a fantasy story. Mirka is a headstrong girl and she wants to fight dragons. One day she eats fruit from a witches garden and makes an enemy of the witch. The witch becomes a pig and chases here mercilessly and eats her homework. Finally, she save the witch and the witch does her a turn. The end is quite cute and I can almost guarantee no one has written an ending this this one.
I like the idea of the story, but I didn't love the story sadly. I was never captured by it. I think it's a fine story with some good ideas and it didn't completely land for me personally.
A nice quick read.
I like the idea of the story, but I didn't love the story sadly. I was never captured by it. I think it's a fine story with some good ideas and it didn't completely land for me personally.
A nice quick read.
January 12, 2016
The tag-line for this book says, “Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl.” Because you can never have enough of those, right?
Mirka lives with her large family (father, stepmother, six sisters, one brother, one stepsister) in Hereville, an isolated Orthodox Jewish community which seems to exist suspended in space and time (J.K. Rowling is name-checked, so it’s somewhere in the present, but everyone speaks Yiddish). She’s happy and busy, but her life is just a teeny bit boring, considering that her greatest desire is to slay dragons. But how is she to do that when (a) no dragons obligingly come to Hereville, and (b) the most dangerous implement she’s allowed to wield is a knitting needle?
Well, sometimes it turns out that while you may want to fight one thing, you’ve got to fight something else instead -- or at least first. No dragons were harmed in the making of this book, but Mirka nevertheless does end up meeting a strange entity that leads her to a witch, and thereby to a troll who promises her a proper dragon-slaying sword if she can beat him in a contest. I don't want to say much more, because the surprises are so wonderful.
This story was great! It manages to be funny and insightful and exciting all at the same time. Mirka is portrayed as very solidly eleven years old, pragmatic and determined, but also both stubborn and easily exasperated. I loved the scenes with Mirka’s family, which perfectly capture the dynamics of the household and are sweet and charming.
I enjoyed the immersion in the Hereville setting, which took me completely by surprise despite the cover blurb. I have Jewish friends and even relatives, but they’re Reform and Conservative. The strict Orthodox community in this book was a whole different culture. Linguistic bonus: You’ll learn many Yiddish words while reading this, and there are handy definitions right at the bottom of each page. The spellings were sometimes a little weird, though -- “khole” for what I’d spell “challah,” for instance.
Highly recommended! And big thanks to Aj the Ravenous Reader, whose enthusiastic review of the second story in this series made me rush these books right onto my library hold list.
July 25, 2014
There's such a delightful fairy tale feel to this book. Though much of the story is rooted in humdrum reality, it hints that magic may be lurking just around the corner.
Eleven-year-old Mirka has a stepmother, and while she may not be an EVIL stepmother, she wants Mirka to learn how to knit. Horrors!
Young Mirka would rather be using those knitting needles for stabbing dragons than for making socks!
While her everyday life is filled with argumentative siblings, bullies, and the drudgery of schoolwork, Mirka yearns for adventure. A chance encounter with a witch's pig leads to the one lesson she really wants to learn, and consequently, to a deeper appreciation for all that she already possesses.
This is the perfect book for brave little girls who secretly long to be heroes, AND for their mothers, who are sick to death of reading books where heroines sit back and watch as the boys get to save the day.
Eleven-year-old Mirka has a stepmother, and while she may not be an EVIL stepmother, she wants Mirka to learn how to knit. Horrors!
Young Mirka would rather be using those knitting needles for stabbing dragons than for making socks!
While her everyday life is filled with argumentative siblings, bullies, and the drudgery of schoolwork, Mirka yearns for adventure. A chance encounter with a witch's pig leads to the one lesson she really wants to learn, and consequently, to a deeper appreciation for all that she already possesses.
This is the perfect book for brave little girls who secretly long to be heroes, AND for their mothers, who are sick to death of reading books where heroines sit back and watch as the boys get to save the day.
July 2, 2014
This is a fun graphic novel about a spunky girl named Mirka who is determined to be a heroine, preferably by fighting dragons. However, Mirka lives in an orthodox Jewish community named Hereville, with a demanding stepmother, lots of siblings and a bunch of naysayers in town who pester her about her marriage prospects.
Mirka's adventure begins when she finds a mysterious house in the woods and eats some delicious grapes from the garden. But a witch lives in the house, and the witch is so upset about the stolen fruit that she torments Mirka for several days, until Mirka finally figures out how to outwit her. As a reward, the witch tells Mirka that she can get herself a sword to slay dragons if she defeats a troll.
After arguing with her stepmother, Mirka sneaks out of the house to find the troll. There is an unusual battle with the troll, the details of which I won't spoil. (But since the subtitle of this book is "How Mirka Got Her Sword," you can guess that she will outsmart the troll and earn her precious sword.)
Besides the clever arguments with Mirka's stepmom and the troll, I also liked reading about Jewish customs and fun Yiddish phrases. This was a fast, enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes stories of girl power.
Mirka's adventure begins when she finds a mysterious house in the woods and eats some delicious grapes from the garden. But a witch lives in the house, and the witch is so upset about the stolen fruit that she torments Mirka for several days, until Mirka finally figures out how to outwit her. As a reward, the witch tells Mirka that she can get herself a sword to slay dragons if she defeats a troll.
After arguing with her stepmother, Mirka sneaks out of the house to find the troll. There is an unusual battle with the troll, the details of which I won't spoil. (But since the subtitle of this book is "How Mirka Got Her Sword," you can guess that she will outsmart the troll and earn her precious sword.)
Besides the clever arguments with Mirka's stepmom and the troll, I also liked reading about Jewish customs and fun Yiddish phrases. This was a fast, enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes stories of girl power.
May 3, 2013
Unique story angle: an Orthodox Jewish girl living in a Jewish community who wants to fight trolls. The Yiddish and other Jewish Orthodox cultural/religious details feel real and authentic to me, and the talk always seems real.. This isn't great art, but it's lively and interesting and I was surprised to like it so much. Children's graphic novel!
February 22, 2023
Barry Deutch se atrevió a hacer algo singular: imaginar una heroína judía ortodoxa de 11 años que sueña con matar dragones en vez de (oh.cielos) ser una esposa.
Mirka vive en el poblado de Hereville con su papá, su madrastra Fruma, su hermana mayor Gittel (14), hermano menor Zitel (8), hermanastra Rochel (10), y 5 hermanas más.
Por las referencias culturales , es un periodo contemporáneo (JK Rowling), pero no lo pareciera porque viven inmersos en su cultura donde todo lo gentil es algo lejano (incluso no puede reconocer un cerdo al verlo!). Sin embargo esta chica demuestra ser un gryffindor en toda su gloria, empecinada por vivir aventuras peligrosas , sin pensar demasiado al hacerlo.
Mientras tanto va mostrando esta cultura religiosa de chicas de faldas largas, de muchachos que no son muy diferentes al resto (hay bullies), y de como la familia es importante como soporte .
Interesante esta mezcla de fantasía, de brujas y monstruos, de ganarle a esos monstruos ; y del dolor que aun existe por una madre ausente, de deberes de hermana hacia los más jóvenes. Una heroina que no es perfecta, a fin de cuentas.
Encontré esta historia en el blog de Betsy.
Mirka vive en el poblado de Hereville con su papá, su madrastra Fruma, su hermana mayor Gittel (14), hermano menor Zitel (8), hermanastra Rochel (10), y 5 hermanas más.
Por las referencias culturales , es un periodo contemporáneo (JK Rowling), pero no lo pareciera porque viven inmersos en su cultura donde todo lo gentil es algo lejano (incluso no puede reconocer un cerdo al verlo!). Sin embargo esta chica demuestra ser un gryffindor en toda su gloria, empecinada por vivir aventuras peligrosas , sin pensar demasiado al hacerlo.
Mientras tanto va mostrando esta cultura religiosa de chicas de faldas largas, de muchachos que no son muy diferentes al resto (hay bullies), y de como la familia es importante como soporte .
Interesante esta mezcla de fantasía, de brujas y monstruos, de ganarle a esos monstruos ; y del dolor que aun existe por una madre ausente, de deberes de hermana hacia los más jóvenes. Una heroina que no es perfecta, a fin de cuentas.
Encontré esta historia en el blog de Betsy.
January 30, 2015
This is a book that I picked up because I really liked the plot summary: a young girl who's determined to be a dragonslayer. Sounds right up my alley! The cover wasn't doing much for me, though, and middle grade comics don't always thrill me, so I wasn't expecting much. I was very pleasantly surprised.
Hereville is a small, Orthodox community, and this is a book that feels very Jewish indeed. I can see where this could an exciting book for a young reader who can see herself and her family in Mirka and hers. And it doesn't read like a primer on Orthodox culture, it's simply the background of Mirka's world. For me, it was exactly the sort of effortless diversity that I love to see in middle grade (and children's, and young adult, and adult...) books.
Mirka herself is kind of a standard eleven year old heroine. She's bright, spunky, clashes with authority, and is essentially a decent girl. A very relatable character, in other words. The other most vivid character is her stepmother, who is, thankfully, not even remotely a wicked stepmother. She is, however, a very clever woman who loves to argue, something that frustrates Mirka deeply at the start of the book and which eventually becomes a helpful skill to know.
Of course, Mirka does get her sword after all, but the entire book isn't just about that sword. It's about Mirka maturing, just a bit, and about her learning to understand and appreciate her family. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her.
Hereville is a small, Orthodox community, and this is a book that feels very Jewish indeed. I can see where this could an exciting book for a young reader who can see herself and her family in Mirka and hers. And it doesn't read like a primer on Orthodox culture, it's simply the background of Mirka's world. For me, it was exactly the sort of effortless diversity that I love to see in middle grade (and children's, and young adult, and adult...) books.
Mirka herself is kind of a standard eleven year old heroine. She's bright, spunky, clashes with authority, and is essentially a decent girl. A very relatable character, in other words. The other most vivid character is her stepmother, who is, thankfully, not even remotely a wicked stepmother. She is, however, a very clever woman who loves to argue, something that frustrates Mirka deeply at the start of the book and which eventually becomes a helpful skill to know.
Of course, Mirka does get her sword after all, but the entire book isn't just about that sword. It's about Mirka maturing, just a bit, and about her learning to understand and appreciate her family. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her.
April 14, 2022
Strong 6 out of 10
This book is about a little girl named Mirka who is bored by her family and craves to go on adventures and to fight dragons. Throughout the book, she makes plans to accomplish her dreams and starts standing up to bullies, and acting brave around others. She ends up getting into trouble and going on crazy adventures throughout the duration of this graphic novel.
At first, while reading this book, I was at the utmost of confusion. The crazy composition and the somewhat inconsistent character designs made me question what was going on. And then Mirka started going on these crazy, unrealistic, (although creative) adventures, that made me question everything I knew from the previous pages of the book. Eventually, though, I was able to get a grip of things (around the midpoint) and started to understand the direction of the book.
I loved how intensely crazy and magical the adventures that Mirka goes in this book are. I learned a lot about Jewish traditions and culture in this book. You get to learn a lot about Mirka's school life, and how she deals with her family. I loved the magical and (what I keep and can only describe as crazy) direction that this book went in, and I loved how menacing some of the creature designs were.
I do definitely have some criticism for it though. Still, I found the inconsistency through some of the artwork to be a bit jarring and took away from the experience. I also found the eyes on the character designs to often be cartoon-like and humorous, even when it was not the intention. There were some times when I felt that the book skipped between sections too quickly or abruptly stopped telling a story. I also was confused by the random directions this book went at times, (I would often go back and reread the sections over and over to try and better understand what was going on).
Overall though, I thought it was a fun book, and it definitely had me near the end of the duration. Although I'm not sure if I want to continue on with the series, I still appreciate this book, (but still, I acknowledge its problems). Decent little book.
This book is about a little girl named Mirka who is bored by her family and craves to go on adventures and to fight dragons. Throughout the book, she makes plans to accomplish her dreams and starts standing up to bullies, and acting brave around others. She ends up getting into trouble and going on crazy adventures throughout the duration of this graphic novel.
At first, while reading this book, I was at the utmost of confusion. The crazy composition and the somewhat inconsistent character designs made me question what was going on. And then Mirka started going on these crazy, unrealistic, (although creative) adventures, that made me question everything I knew from the previous pages of the book. Eventually, though, I was able to get a grip of things (around the midpoint) and started to understand the direction of the book.
I loved how intensely crazy and magical the adventures that Mirka goes in this book are. I learned a lot about Jewish traditions and culture in this book. You get to learn a lot about Mirka's school life, and how she deals with her family. I loved the magical and (what I keep and can only describe as crazy) direction that this book went in, and I loved how menacing some of the creature designs were.
I do definitely have some criticism for it though. Still, I found the inconsistency through some of the artwork to be a bit jarring and took away from the experience. I also found the eyes on the character designs to often be cartoon-like and humorous, even when it was not the intention. There were some times when I felt that the book skipped between sections too quickly or abruptly stopped telling a story. I also was confused by the random directions this book went at times, (I would often go back and reread the sections over and over to try and better understand what was going on).
Overall though, I thought it was a fun book, and it definitely had me near the end of the duration. Although I'm not sure if I want to continue on with the series, I still appreciate this book, (but still, I acknowledge its problems). Decent little book.
January 23, 2011
I loved this odd and beguiling graphic novel, which seems to be Barry Deutsch's first book. Anyone who likes graphic novels with a dollop of fantasy should read it. Anybody with an interest in Orthodox Jewish life should read it. Anyone who loves family stories with lots of siblings (plus a not at all wicked step-mother) should read it. Anyone who falls into all three categories has hit the jackpot. If the author goes on to write lots of sequels I will be happy, and I will read them. And yet...the ending, specifically the last panel, left me a bit disgruntled. Basically, I wanted Mirka (“Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl," as the cover says) to rebel more than she does against the strictures of her life. As a reader of authors like Charlotte Yonge, and Jane Austen, and a whole slew of lesser-knowns who wrote about mostly female characters in a time when separate spheres for the sexes were generally taken for granted, I'm used to willingly setting aside my own world-view and submitting to the author's while I'm submerged in a story, but I'm not used to doing this when reading a book published in 2010. Still, I loved the story and the characters, the humor, and the beautiful and loving depictions of Jewish rituals. And certainly the tension between subversion and submission adds a certain tautness to this book (which is also the case in many of the older books I like to read). I wonder what Orthodox Jewish readers have made of this book. I wonder what Barry Deutsch will do next. I fervently hope it's a sequel.
November 23, 2014
Okay this book is like 6 shades of awesome. It’s just freaking wonderful. See Mirka wants to slay dragons, but her stepmother (who is not evil) just wants her to learn how to knit. Mirka is also an Orthodox Jew so there is a certain issue about her future.
Then one day she sees a witch. Then the following day, she runs into a monster.
Okay, it’s really a pig, but she hasn’t seen one before.
This is absolutely funny, touching, wonderful, feminist, and perfect! Have a daughter? Get her this? Honestly, it’s great because the sisters act like sisters who love each other but who also can’t stand each other at times, the step-mother’s power is wonderful, the whole battle for the sword at the end is the best battle I have seen in a long time (and the troll, OMG the troll is so . . . trollish).
Go, go, go buy!
Then one day she sees a witch. Then the following day, she runs into a monster.
Okay, it’s really a pig, but she hasn’t seen one before.
This is absolutely funny, touching, wonderful, feminist, and perfect! Have a daughter? Get her this? Honestly, it’s great because the sisters act like sisters who love each other but who also can’t stand each other at times, the step-mother’s power is wonderful, the whole battle for the sword at the end is the best battle I have seen in a long time (and the troll, OMG the troll is so . . . trollish).
Go, go, go buy!
September 26, 2018
The subtitle for this all-ages graphic novel is "yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl" which gives you an idea of how unique this book is. One of the guys at my local comic shop won't read it because it has a talking pig in it, but he's missing out. I have told him this repeatedly. (Hi Eric!) It's this wonderful mix of fantasy, magic, an 11 year old girl who craves adventure, her loving family's dynamics, and a window into life in her community and culture. The followup book, How Mirka Met a Meteorite, is another winner.
November 23, 2021
OH MY GOSH THIS UNLOCKED A MEMORY
i remembered this book but never remembered the name :D
i remembered this book but never remembered the name :D
July 2, 2015
And now – another thrilling episode of Deborah Forgot When Her Library Books Were Due Back So Now She Has To Write 17 Reviews In One Day!
So: here's a graphic novel whose main character is an 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl who lives in a tiny, rural village. I am a 47-year-old non-theist, formerly Roman Catholic, who lives in a big screaming city.
I might love this story because of the magic of contrast; but why can I also relate so hard to the main character?
Because adventures.
Mirka wants nothing to do with so-called normal life (whatever it looks like in her neck of the woods). She wants to fight monsters! With a sword!
I so wanted to fight monsters when I was 11. I even managed to get my hands on a cane sword, but my parents wouldn't let me keep it. (I wish I could remember who among the various neighborhood morons I grew up with was dumb enough to give me that; and I really wish I'd been smart enough to hide it under my bed until I grew up and moved out. But that's another story.)
Mirka has slightly better luck in monsters-and-pointy-objects department. I won't go into detail, because the story's terrific and rather convoluted and I don't want to give anything away or write a review long enough to make me late on returning this book. I will share my favorite passage, which gives away nothing but a bit of Mirka's personality. She's puzzling over a story problem that shows up in her math homework:
I'm having a party! Two of my friends are here! So I cut the cake into three equal pieces. But then a third friend unexpectedly arrives!
"If you can't serve equal portions of cake, then your party is ruined!" this guest insists rather rudely.
Mirka frowns down at her math book.
What if I cut the three slices in half? No, that'll just give me six slices...
She taps her pencil and sighs.
Decapitation probably isn't the answer they're looking for.
This book is highly recommended for readers of any age who enjoy thinking outside the box.
So: here's a graphic novel whose main character is an 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl who lives in a tiny, rural village. I am a 47-year-old non-theist, formerly Roman Catholic, who lives in a big screaming city.
I might love this story because of the magic of contrast; but why can I also relate so hard to the main character?
Because adventures.
Mirka wants nothing to do with so-called normal life (whatever it looks like in her neck of the woods). She wants to fight monsters! With a sword!
I so wanted to fight monsters when I was 11. I even managed to get my hands on a cane sword, but my parents wouldn't let me keep it. (I wish I could remember who among the various neighborhood morons I grew up with was dumb enough to give me that; and I really wish I'd been smart enough to hide it under my bed until I grew up and moved out. But that's another story.)
Mirka has slightly better luck in monsters-and-pointy-objects department. I won't go into detail, because the story's terrific and rather convoluted and I don't want to give anything away or write a review long enough to make me late on returning this book. I will share my favorite passage, which gives away nothing but a bit of Mirka's personality. She's puzzling over a story problem that shows up in her math homework:
I'm having a party! Two of my friends are here! So I cut the cake into three equal pieces. But then a third friend unexpectedly arrives!
"If you can't serve equal portions of cake, then your party is ruined!" this guest insists rather rudely.
Mirka frowns down at her math book.
What if I cut the three slices in half? No, that'll just give me six slices...
She taps her pencil and sighs.
Decapitation probably isn't the answer they're looking for.
This book is highly recommended for readers of any age who enjoy thinking outside the box.
July 20, 2016
A Jewish Flavia de Luce :) (yep, a smiley face in my review )
This right here, folks, is what graphic novels are all about.
Well,
The good one, at least.
Purely imaginative and highly recommended.
I loved how when Mirka was hiding from the bullies at the beginning, a White Rabbit was right there sitting next to her and the exchange with her stepmom about the dragons was hilarious. Also, I didn't realize pigs could have such personalities and can be funny , too. Though I wish the religious elements weren't part of a fictional work but I understand here it was part of the theme and pivotal to the characters' identity, who they were. And learning about Yiddish words was fun.
This book surprised me ; I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Love the magic realism here. Pure flight of imagination, come fly with it .
February 16, 2022
A graphic novel about an Orthodox Jewish girl? Sign me up. Hereville is an enchanted little town, where weirdness lurks at the edges. I love what Deutsch did with the troll and how Mirka's blended family interacted. The descriptions of Shabbos celebrations were quite wonderful: "Naps on Shabbos afternoon are twelve times as refreshing as naps taken any other day! It's a scientific fact!" (82) I didn't love the colors or the art style, but I didn't hate it, either. For once, traditional women's handicrafts come to the rescue at the end, and the climax had me chortling. I might read the rest of the series, I might not. I liked it but didn't love it.
January 9, 2022
A fun little graphic novel. Very inventive. I appreciated how the everyday details of Orthodox Jewish life were woven seamlessly into the more fantastical elements of the story--the troll, the witch, etc. Mirka is a great heroine, spunky, resourceful, and outspoken. Her relationship with her stepmother is really sweet, too.
November 20, 2019
11-year-old Mirka Herschberg from Hereville resents her stepmother's attempts to teach her knitting and how to be a proper Jewish wife. Mirka would much rather have a sword than knitting needles. She starts her career as a heroine by facing the big boys who bully her little brother. While hiding from the bullies, Mirka is surprised to see a house away from the village with a beautiful garden. She is even more astonished to see a woman floating above the garden! When no one believes her tale, and worse, her sisters are upset they won't find good husbands because Mirka is crazy, Mirka sets out to prove what she saw was real. Unfortunately her quest turns into a nightmare but puts her on a path to finally get that sword.
This book is not for me. I have very mixed feelings about it. I really don't like the heroine, Mirka. She's bratty, rude and reckless. Her actions put her in danger and nearly get her killed. She doesn't ever succeed at anything she does except by sheer strong will. She is a determined young lady and that I do appreciate. I like the girls can message but it doesn't really work within the Hasidic Jewish community in which Mirka lives. At first I didn't like Fruma, her stepmother, but Fruma is a well-developed character. She ends up being kind and sympathetic to Mirka when Mirka needs some love, yet if Mirka had bothered to get to know and understand her stepmother, her story may have had a better outcomes. Mirka's siblings are annoying and serve as the voice of the community to show the reader what expectations for children, especially girls, are like.
The fantasy sequences are just plain weird and don't really gel with the modern setting. I'm not a fan of fairy tales or high fantasy and hoped for a more rational explanation for what happens. Why is the witch so evil? Why is the pig so nasty and cruel? Is it the witch in disguise? No, apparently he's a witch's familiar? I don't know. The troll comes out of nowhere and is so completely benign and silly that I expected a different sort of ending to the story.
The illustrations are not particularly enchanting. The color palette is pale: black, white, coral and beige with blue for night scenes. The drawings don't make any of the characters attractive. Why not show that stepmothers don't have to be ugly? The witch is beautiful and terrifying at the same time. She looks a lot like Mirka, especially angry Mirka.
I did like how the story teaches kids about a religion and community that may be unfamiliar to them. The downside to that is, kids who are raised without ANY knowledge of religion may be confused by the setting and details and rituals of observing the Sabbath. Yiddish words are sprinkled into the dialogue with a translation in small print at the bottom of the page. The transliteration from Hebrew characters is different from what I'm used to seeing and it took me a minute to figure out each word.
This book is getting rave reviews but it wasn't for me. If my niece wants to read it she can get it from the library. It's a quick read and certainly a page-turner but perhaps not for an audience unused to fantasy.
This book is not for me. I have very mixed feelings about it. I really don't like the heroine, Mirka. She's bratty, rude and reckless. Her actions put her in danger and nearly get her killed. She doesn't ever succeed at anything she does except by sheer strong will. She is a determined young lady and that I do appreciate. I like the girls can message but it doesn't really work within the Hasidic Jewish community in which Mirka lives. At first I didn't like Fruma, her stepmother, but Fruma is a well-developed character. She ends up being kind and sympathetic to Mirka when Mirka needs some love, yet if Mirka had bothered to get to know and understand her stepmother, her story may have had a better outcomes. Mirka's siblings are annoying and serve as the voice of the community to show the reader what expectations for children, especially girls, are like.
The fantasy sequences are just plain weird and don't really gel with the modern setting. I'm not a fan of fairy tales or high fantasy and hoped for a more rational explanation for what happens. Why is the witch so evil? Why is the pig so nasty and cruel? Is it the witch in disguise? No, apparently he's a witch's familiar? I don't know. The troll comes out of nowhere and is so completely benign and silly that I expected a different sort of ending to the story.
The illustrations are not particularly enchanting. The color palette is pale: black, white, coral and beige with blue for night scenes. The drawings don't make any of the characters attractive. Why not show that stepmothers don't have to be ugly? The witch is beautiful and terrifying at the same time. She looks a lot like Mirka, especially angry Mirka.
I did like how the story teaches kids about a religion and community that may be unfamiliar to them. The downside to that is, kids who are raised without ANY knowledge of religion may be confused by the setting and details and rituals of observing the Sabbath. Yiddish words are sprinkled into the dialogue with a translation in small print at the bottom of the page. The transliteration from Hebrew characters is different from what I'm used to seeing and it took me a minute to figure out each word.
This book is getting rave reviews but it wasn't for me. If my niece wants to read it she can get it from the library. It's a quick read and certainly a page-turner but perhaps not for an audience unused to fantasy.
July 20, 2016
Huh. I've never read a book before with this particular mix of cultural information and magic realism.
I liked that we were being introduced to many aspects of Orthodox Jewish culture, but it did feel a bit instructional at times. I'm not sure kids will connect with it.
I enjoyed the part where the kids didn't recognize a pig, and how that blended into acceptance of the magical elements of the story. I liked how the stepmother's plotline tied into the primary storyline.
The illustrations serve the story, and Deutsch makes good use of graphic novel conventions. I'm not sure if the brown color-scheme was a great idea, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it.
Also, my buddy Kevin Moore was called out in the acknowledgements. So there's that. :)
I enjoyed it. I'm just trying to decide if it's a booktalker.
I liked that we were being introduced to many aspects of Orthodox Jewish culture, but it did feel a bit instructional at times. I'm not sure kids will connect with it.
I enjoyed the part where the kids didn't recognize a pig, and how that blended into acceptance of the magical elements of the story. I liked how the stepmother's plotline tied into the primary storyline.
The illustrations serve the story, and Deutsch makes good use of graphic novel conventions. I'm not sure if the brown color-scheme was a great idea, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it.
Also, my buddy Kevin Moore was called out in the acknowledgements. So there's that. :)
I enjoyed it. I'm just trying to decide if it's a booktalker.
December 17, 2016
Story: 5 stars
Art: 4 stars
Children's graphic novel with Orthodox Jewish characters and some fantasy elements thrown into the mix. Characterization is superb. Story line is interesting. Very original series. Art is above average.
I've never encountered a children's book that incorporates religion so well into the story. The Jewish-ness isn't just an incidental part of the characters to add some flavor; it defines who the characters are. The Jewish customs and culture are woven tightly into the plot as well, but don't overtake it or reduce any of the entertainment value. In fact, the enjoyment of the book is actually increased by the Jewish aspects.
In this series opener, the scenes don't all fit tightly together, other than showcasing Mirka's heroics. But the end circles back to the beginning, to create an arc.
Art: 4 stars
Children's graphic novel with Orthodox Jewish characters and some fantasy elements thrown into the mix. Characterization is superb. Story line is interesting. Very original series. Art is above average.
I've never encountered a children's book that incorporates religion so well into the story. The Jewish-ness isn't just an incidental part of the characters to add some flavor; it defines who the characters are. The Jewish customs and culture are woven tightly into the plot as well, but don't overtake it or reduce any of the entertainment value. In fact, the enjoyment of the book is actually increased by the Jewish aspects.
In this series opener, the scenes don't all fit tightly together, other than showcasing Mirka's heroics. But the end circles back to the beginning, to create an arc.
September 27, 2013
I'll admit it; I don't usually read graphic novels. I have trouble following the flow of the speech bubbles and they make me feel like an old person. (Wah.) This one, however -- Aaah! All smiles. I picked it up because of the subtitle: Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl. If that doesn't make you curious . . . And, even better, by 13-year-old (not Orthodox) Jewish girl loved it! And, even better, there are surprises! And, rare for a YA-ish book, the heroine does not have to denigrate her mother or be an orphan to be a hero. Plus, it's FUN!
Thank you to my awesome neighborhood children's librarian, Candace Cross, for stocking this one. (P.S. I am utterly joyous to see that Deutsch has another Mirka book coming!)
Thank you to my awesome neighborhood children's librarian, Candace Cross, for stocking this one. (P.S. I am utterly joyous to see that Deutsch has another Mirka book coming!)
June 24, 2014
"Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl" is a peculiar modifier-sardined tagline which is effective enough to make me buy the graphic novel. The first in the Hereville series, How Mirka Got Her Sword swarms with Jewish customs imbued with fairy tale elements, resulting to a bewitching story. Think about Mirka as a female, Jewish and often fiery version of Peter Parker who always wanted to be a heroine while, like Spidey, has to go with a normal life in her friendly neighborhood.
August 27, 2010
I'm not even sure how this works, but it WORKS! Orthodox Judaism laced with secular-humor, yer-average-kid-angst, family silliness/togetherness, and a dazzle of magic. I learned some Yiddish, laughed out loud, and ached for Mirka. I finished reading it, wishing for Shabbat.
And my FOUR YEAR OLD SON loved it too somehow. INSANE.
I can't believe this got published but I also can't believe it won't be a blockbuster.
And my FOUR YEAR OLD SON loved it too somehow. INSANE.
I can't believe this got published but I also can't believe it won't be a blockbuster.
August 3, 2013
I really liked the art, the story was just ok. Not super exciting though billed as an adventure story. But, graphic novel heroes continue to be largely male, so the strong female hero is appealing; the Yiddish words with inobtrusive definitions are fun too. And the panel with the giant challah bread made me hungry.
May 14, 2011
I'm really starting to think that graphic novels just aren't my thing. Premise was wonderful and a lot to love (especially for me, I say cryptically!) But I can't sink into the reading experience the way I can with a book book.
November 15, 2010
What a delightful read. Looking forward to introducing it to my kids. [Yes, I read YA books even though I'm nearly forty!]
March 11, 2020
Delightful!! Mirka is headstrong and funny (as is her stepmom). I loved the interactions between the siblings. My heart kvells over the incorporation of the Yiddish and Jewish ritual. Can’t wait to read the other books in the series.
June 21, 2019
One of my favorite graphic novels so far! And a favorite with my students as well. Looking at the checkout history, can I just mention that the last student to check it out was a boy whose home language is Arabic? I think that says something about what a good job it does at being a universally kickass story. The art is GREAT, I love that the kids are all kind of frumpy looking and have mean sibling expressions on half the time, it makes you instantly feel at home in Hereville. And then the familiar is layered with the fantastic - ghosts and trolls and magical knitting battles!
All the Yiddish! I've read a TON of awkward bilingual(ish) books - you know, "It's Time for a Very Special Language Lesson, kids!" books. But here the language is used perfectly in context, and isn't even named as Yiddish until halfway through the book. (By a troll, at that!) My favorite translation? (English translations aren't really necessary but are subtly inserted into relevant frames.) "A broch = $%^&!" Ha ha ha. Yes. Put this in the hands of children you know, immediately.
All the Yiddish! I've read a TON of awkward bilingual(ish) books - you know, "It's Time for a Very Special Language Lesson, kids!" books. But here the language is used perfectly in context, and isn't even named as Yiddish until halfway through the book. (By a troll, at that!) My favorite translation? (English translations aren't really necessary but are subtly inserted into relevant frames.) "A broch = $%^&!" Ha ha ha. Yes. Put this in the hands of children you know, immediately.
July 29, 2016
This is an absolutely delightful mixture of fairy tale elements: top-notch debater stepmothers, homework-stealing pigs, modern witches, and, of course, a wonderfully feisty heroine. Deutsch crafts a hero's journey with so many inventive twists it feels fresh, almost unfamiliar. But under all the crazy fantasy details, the story has true heart, and plenty of insight into being a preteen girl.
This story works perfectly as a comic book - you just can't achieve the same with any other media. However, the actual visual style's mediocrity jars when compared to the quality of the storytelling. The panel placement is fine, but the actual art is not - some characters have weird pac-man mouths, while others have realistic faces, and sometimes characters look off-model, with smaller chins and noses as usual. The non-human aspects (art of the animals and backgrounds), on the other hand, are solid and perfectly serviceable.
An all-around great story. Wholeheatredly recommended, even if you don't like graphic novels.
This story works perfectly as a comic book - you just can't achieve the same with any other media. However, the actual visual style's mediocrity jars when compared to the quality of the storytelling. The panel placement is fine, but the actual art is not - some characters have weird pac-man mouths, while others have realistic faces, and sometimes characters look off-model, with smaller chins and noses as usual. The non-human aspects (art of the animals and backgrounds), on the other hand, are solid and perfectly serviceable.
An all-around great story. Wholeheatredly recommended, even if you don't like graphic novels.
June 10, 2015
I always pick up a comic that has a female main character and Hereville is everything I was hoping for. Jewish girl Mirka really wants to fight monsters but her step mother and siblings want her to calm down, do her chores and behave well so she will be paired with a nice husband.
Mirka, however, seeks out adventure and she certainly finds it! Through the story, Mirka finds a witch's house, gets stalked and harassed by a pig and eventually earns her own sword.
I really liked how the author used Jewish words (with the English meaning at the bottom of the page) and included (and explained) the family celebrating Shabbos. It was nice to learn about the culture of the character, rather than the author just saying she's Jewish (and not showing it). If you like kids-having-adventures comics you should read this!
Mirka, however, seeks out adventure and she certainly finds it! Through the story, Mirka finds a witch's house, gets stalked and harassed by a pig and eventually earns her own sword.
I really liked how the author used Jewish words (with the English meaning at the bottom of the page) and included (and explained) the family celebrating Shabbos. It was nice to learn about the culture of the character, rather than the author just saying she's Jewish (and not showing it). If you like kids-having-adventures comics you should read this!
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