“Good Comics For Kids” Review

On School Library Journal’s “Good Comics For Kids” blog, Robin Brenner gives Hereville a very nice mention. This is from back in September, but somehow I didn’t see it until this week.

This past week I finally got my copy of the enchanting Hereville, from Barry Deutsch, following the troll-slaying, one-day-dragon-defeating adventures of Mirka, an eleven year old Orthodox Jewish girl. As with the recent Tower of Treasure, I’m a sucker for any story involving a kick-butt girl seeking adventure and defeating enemies with her smarts, and Hereville definitely falls into that category, but it is also gives a charming portrait of Mirka, her family, and her world. This is just the kind of book that allows for a look into Orthodox culture without feeling either instructional or full of infodumps: Mirka is determined to be a hero, but her being an Orthodox Jew informs how she goes about that. The art is inviting and stretches reality just enough to encompass Mirka’s magical adventures without losing its realism.

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