The Association of Jewish Libraries reviews Hereville: “spirited, witty, and above all else, fun”

A new review, from the Association of Jewish Libraries:

Eleven-year-old Mirka has more on her mind than learning the “womanly arts” that her stepmother, Fruma, insists she acquire; she would like to slay a dragon. To fight a dragon, you need a sword and Mirka’s quest for a sword is the focus of this standout graphic novel. The bizarre adventure begins when Mirka stumbles upon a magical house in the woods in her Orthodox town, Hereville, where she sees a woman float through the air.

Eager to show it to her siblings, she convinces them to return to the house on their way home from school. While there, they discover grapes “as big as baseballs” growing in the yard of the house. Even though her sister, Gittel, or as Mirka calls her, “Little Miss Frum,” urges her not to try a grape because it would be stealing, Mirka can’t resist taking one. This innocent swipe sets off a kooky series of events that include a revenge-seeking pig and a knit-off with a troll.

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword is spirited, witty, and above all else, fun. Mirka is a clever, headstrong, and imaginative heroine who will appeal to a wide audience. Teens who feel like they don’t fit in will have no trouble relating to her attempts to balance what is best for her family with her desire to fight dragons.

Grounded in her religious beliefs, she is willing to put her fantasies aside to celebrate Shabbos. Although she desperately would like to ask Fruma how to kill a troll, she waits until the end of Shabbos because “troll-killing was not a Shabbos thing. Once the candles were lit, she would no more have asked about it than she would have deliberately sneezed on the khale.” The illustrations in the proof used for this review were in black and white (the published version will be in color) and they strike the perfect balance of showing a realistic Orthodox community, while creating the backdrop for a fairytale. Highly recommended for all libraries.

–Aimee Lurie

Awesome! Thank you very much, Ms. Lurie.

The AJL was also nice enough to publish an interview with me on their blog last month.

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