Barry is interviewed on Graphic Novel Reporter

I was interviewed by John Hogan for Graphic Novel Reporter. Check it out here.

Thanks, John!

Hereville reviewed on Burnt Wieners

A very nice review of Hereville from John on the Burnt Wieners website. I’m told they’ll also talk about Hereville on an upcoming podcast.

From the review (click through to read the whole thing):

The supporting characters of the book are very strong indeed, lending their own special brand of support (and obstacles) in Mirka’s quest to become a monster queller. Fruma, Mirka’s stepmother, is very enigmatic with her knowledge of witches and monsters, and make one wonder if maybe she was at one time very much like Mirka.

The writing is sharp and clever, while also educating the reader in some of the aspects of Jewish culture, often times in a very casual way, so maybe a kid doesn’t even know they are learning. GASP! And the author, Barry Deutsch, has a lively and unforgettable art style that will stick with the reader long after the book is over.

Thanks, John!

Preview: Page 72

Here’s a preview page from “Hereville.” These preview pages can have spoilers, so don’t look if you’d rather not see!

(Info on buying Hereville is here.)

Continue Reading…

Booklist reviews “Hereville”

From the new issue of Booklist:

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword.

Set in a well-realized contemporary Orthodox Jewish community, this sweet and engaging tale of 11-year-old Mirka’s thirst for a dragon-slaying adventure unfolds in well-integrated images and text. Mirka’s family includes a stepmother who is strict but not evil, a marriage-obsessed older sister, and a little brother for whom Mirka alternately takes responsibility and finds unwontedly cumbersome. Deutsch creates authentic characters spiced with just enough fantasy to surprise: the members of the community use Yiddish and Hebrew expressions, which are translated as they appear in the text, and the arrival of a talking pig in the village presents a challenge for Mirka, as pig and girl compete to outmaneuver each other in arguments as well as actions. And then there’s the space alien who challenges Mirka to knit for her life. Details of Orthodox daily life are well blended into the art and given just the right touches of explanation to keep readers on track. Mirka is a spunky, emotionally realistic, and fun heroine for her peers to discover.

— Francisca Goldsmith

I’m very pleased with the review overall — although, I have to admit I never thought of the troll as a space alien! :-p

Barry Will Be At APE This Weekend

I’ll be appearing at APE this weekend, with lots of copies of the Hereville graphic novel to sell! If you’re in San Francisco, please come by and say hi. I’ll be at table #652, along with Jonathan Dalton.

“Hereville is the culmination of several positive kidlit trends….”

Laurel at From The Mixed Up Files, a blog about books for middle schoolers, interviews Heidi Estrin, the Vice-President of the Association of Jewish Libraries, about Jewish books for kids.

Laurel is a Hereville fan and gets a bit silly. 😀

QUESTION: what trends do you see currently? Any good new books we should be watching for?

ANSWER: Watch for Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch, a graphic novel whose tagline is “Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl.” (at this point, the interviewer squeals because she’s so in love with this book!) This book succeeds on so many levels! It’s got drama, Jewish customs, humor, Jewish ways of thinking, magic, and super-expressive art! (interviewer nods insanely) It effortlessly draws any reader into the Orthodox setting without feeling educational or preachy. It creates its own rich Jewish world with no need for victimhood as a source of identity or as a dramatic device. In a way, this book is the culmination of several positive kidlit (and Jewishlit) trends: multiculturalism and normalizing of ethnic characters, respecting children’s intelligence, experimental formats, and strong female leads.

Thanks so much, Heidi and Laurel!

I really loved that Heidi said Hereville “creates its own rich Jewish world with no need for victimhood as a source of identity or as a dramatic device.” That was definitely one of my goals for the book.

(If you’d like a copy of Hereville, you can find information here.)

Preview: Page 23

Here’s a preview page from “Hereville.” These preview pages can have spoilers, so don’t look if you’d rather not see!

(Info on buying Hereville is here.)

Continue Reading…

Barry Interviewed at “The Author’s Tent”

The Author’s Tent, a blog specializing in author interviews, was kind enough to interview me about Hereville. Amazingly, Hereville was the first graphic novel the interviewer had ever read, but that didn’t stop her from asking good questions. Check it out!

Sintel

A fourteen minute computer-animated short that I enjoyed. Interestingly, the filmmakers used open-source 3D software.

I should warn you that if you only like cute things, with no sad side to the story, then do not watch this video.

Kirkus Reviews Loves Hereville! “Undoubtedly one of the cleverest graphic novels of the year”

In a starred review (“A star is assigned to books of unusual merit”), Kirkus Reviews writes:

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.

That’s definitely the sort of review that improves my week. 🙂 Thanks, Kirkus!

Information about buying Hereville can be found here.