Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

by Barry Deutsch

Overview

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.




Accolades and Praise for Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword •Sydney Taylor Award
•Eisner nomination
•Harvey nomination
•Ignatz nomination
•Nebula nomination

"Utterly ingenious." —Kirkus, starred review

"Withouth a doubt, the best graphic novel of 2010 for kids. Bar None."—School Library Journal, starred review

"A terrific story, told with skill and lots of heart."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Mirka is a spunky, emotionally realistic, and fun heroine."—Booklist, starred review

"Sequel, please!"—Horn Book Magazine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810984226
Publisher:	Abrams Fanfare
Publication date:	11/01/2010
Series:	Hereville , #1
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	GN380L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Barry Deutsch attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City and Portland State University. He won the 2010 Sydney Taylor Award and has been nominated for Eisner, Harvey, Ignatz, and Nebula awards. He won the national Charles M. Schulz award for best college cartoonist and was nominated for Comic-Con’s Russ Manning Award for Promising Newcomer. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

Spunky Mirka wants to be a dragon-slayer, but everyone in the small Orthodox Jewish community of Hereville is against it. When a witch and a talking pig turn up in the woods near home, Mirka can’t help getting involved, much to the dismay of her seven sisters, brother, and argumentative stepmother. The book brings new material to the original Web comic, completed in 2008, allowing Deutsch to make a great comic even better. His expressive, surprising drawings give life to Mirka’s quest and to the unusual and genuine relationships she has with family members and magical creatures. Deutsch weaves in information about Shabbos, phrases in Yiddish (translated at the bottom of the page), illustrations of the different looks (rebel, pious, popular) girls create with the white shirts and long black skirts they wear--and all of it is lively and engaging. Fantastical elements mesh perfectly with the deep emotional heart of Mirka’s story. “I live in the family your mother made, surrounded by her children and under her roof,” Mirka’s intelligent, prickly, loving stepmother tells her, in one poignant scene. This is a terrific story, told with skill and lots of heart, that readers of all ages will enjoy. Ages 8-12. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Eleven-year-old Mirka wants to fight dragons, but she's a girl, living in an Orthodox Jewish community. Regardless, she stands up to local bullies, fights a talking pig, and outwits a troll to win a dragon-slaying sword. The sword's a McGuffin, though; Mirka's prize weapon, hard-won, relates more to chutzpah and cunning than hardware. This expanded web comic is described as "a delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion."

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Library Journal

Gr 4–7—To the delight of his online followers, Deutsch's popular web comic featuring "Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl" is now available in print. Mirka is the heroine that girlhood dreams are made of: questioning and smart and willing to take on the world. She constantly battles wits with her stepmother, Fruma, whose argumentative nature and sharp nose conceal a warm and caring nature. Readers view the image of Mirka's deceased mother, who continues to play an influential role in her life. The child, stuck at home with knitting needles, longs to wield a sword and do battle with dragons. Instead she finds herself caught in a battle of wills with a talking pig. That's right: scenes of an Orthodox Jew with a pig add to the humor. The story is a captivating mixture of fantasy and a realistic look at a culture. The girl encounters both a mind-reading witch and a multilingual troll in her quest for a sword with which to fight dragons. Yiddish language and Jewish customs are an essential part of the story and provide excellent bedrock to the tale without overwhelming it. Mirka outwits the troll and obtains the sword, bringing the story to a satisfying conclusion. However, there is more to tell and it is obvious that further adventures await this young heroine. The illustrations are done in a monochromatic palette, with a color change from a warm earthy orange/cream for daytime scenes to a cool lavender/blue for the night scene. With engaging characters and delightful art, Hereville is pure enchantment.—Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

School Library Journal

Like all 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girls, ebullient Mirka must face a six-armed troll to avoid becoming his dinner and obtain a dragon-slaying sword--wait, what? This utterly ingenious graphic novel spins the darling yarn of Mirka, who finds tasks like knitting dull and tedious. She keeps herself amused while stitching by conversing with her stepmother, Fruma, a top-notch debater who can adeptly argue her way out of any dispute. A magical encounter leads Mirka to discover a witch who sends her on a quest to acquire a sword perfect for a fledgling dragon-slayer, just the role Mirka envisions for herself. When Mirka must battle a fierce troll, the skills she's learned from Fruma prove to be not so entirely useless. Deutsch creates a beautiful, detail-rich world with a muted, ethereal palette that masterfully blends faith and fantasy with astounding harmony. Each page conveys fluid motion through his panel layout and text-bubble placement; readers can easily grasp and empathize with Mirka's feelings. Undoubtedly one of the cleverest graphic novels of the year; let's hope this isn't the last of Mirka. (Graphic fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews