On the School Library Journal website, blogger Elizabeth Bird posted an incredibly kind review of Hereville:
“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. […]
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.
There’s a lot more to her review, but you’ll have to click through to read it.
(Click here for information about preordering Hereville.)
This review was originally published on the Fuse 8 Productions Blog on School Library Journal’s website. It’s written by Elizabeth Bird, who is currently New York Public Library’s Youth Materials Collections Specialist.
“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.
A very nice recommendation from a very admired writer. Thank you, Ms. Yolen!
“An unusual eleven-year-old orthodox Jewish girl with more chutzpa than Yentl seeks a magic sword, and has an epic battle with a troll, as author/illustrator Barry Deutsch offers up a mitzvah–a graphic novel which has joy, style, lots of Yiddishkeit, adventure, and magic. Not all of it kosher! (There is a goyisch pig after all.)”
—Jane Yolen, author of The Devil’s Arithmetic, Naming Liberty, and O Jerusalem as well as the graphic novel, Foiled.
(Remember, Hereville is now available for preorder!)
Woo-hoo!
Publishers Weekly, August 2, 2010
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword
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.
Previews, for those of you who don’t know, is the monthly catalog of available comics sent to comic book stores all over the USA (and I think Canada as well?). Each month is a huge, glossy brick of more comic books than anyone could ever read — so it’s easy for a new and unknown comic to get lost.
(Unless, of course, people like you call your local comic book store and ask them to carry Hereville. Hint, hint.)
So I’m relieved and thrilled that in the August issue, Hereville will be one of seven “Staff Picks.” Woo!
Here’s what Kate Henning wrote in her review of Hereville:
Witches, trolls, talking pigs, and knitting lessons — yup, Hereville brings the goods. With its heroine growing up in a blended family, an orthodox Jewish community, and a rich fantasy world, there are a few different gimmicks this book could lean on, but Deutsch neatly balances these elements rather than belaboring them, making for a fun and endearing story.
Eleven year-old Mirka Hirschberg is a sympathetic, dynamic protagonist who will appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, Jone Yolen’s Foiled, and even Joe Kelly’s I Kill Giants. As a sister, daughter, and aspiring dragon slayer, she joins the heroines of these other works as an appealingly imperfect character learning to understand her own goals. She’s also very bright, and it’s entertaining to watch her start debates with her stepmother Fruma, who is not so much wicked as wickedly clever.
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword is only the first chapter in a story that promises much more fantastic adventure and social tension. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in Orthodox Jewish culture, sword acquisition, or trolls with an affinity for needlecraft.
See PREVIEWS page #218
Thanks so much, Kate!
I loved both Smile and I Kill Giants, so it made my day to be listed in that company. (I haven’t read Foiled, but now I think I really must.)
By the way, that last line — “PREVIEWS page 218”? That’s what you tell your local comic book store, when you ask them to stock Hereville — they can find it in the current issue of PREVIEWS, on page 218. And, of course, you’re going to call them and ask them to carry Hereville, right? Please? Pretty-please? Do it today? Pretty-please with sugar on top?
(I’m not too dignified to beg. Heck, I love begging.)
Of course, you can also buy Hereville in bookstores (on shelves November first), or you can pre-order it from Amazon and other web outlets. In addition, I’ll be making pre-orders available in the next week or two for people who’d like to buy autographed and/or sketched-in copies — I’ll post once I’ve got the details worked out.
On July 26, 2010 · Comments Off on Hereville’s Goodreads Page
(Warning: Minor spoiler in this post.)
Via Steven Bergson, I discovered that Hereville has a Goodreads Page. Even better, there are four reviews on the page from people who have read the black-and-white advanced reader’s copies of Hereville.
And best of all, the reviews are positive! So far 14 readers have rated Hereville an average of 4.4 (out of five) stars. Cheryl writes:
The author draws an accurate and nonjudgmental picture of Orthodox Jewish life in this graphic novel about an observant and strong girl hero. Tween girl Mirka defiantly rejects her knitting lessons in favor of adventuring. In her quest for the sword, she encounters a pig (trayfe!) monster and witch along the way. Can’t wait to see this unusual story in color.
Beck writes:
Delightful. Well done. Interesting. Educational without being obnoxious. Perfectly tied together, beginning to end. Expressive art. Great book!
Thank you, Goodreads readers!
On July 25, 2010 · Comments Off on Steven Bergson’s “Jews-And-Comics Book Montage”
Over at the Jewish Comics blog, Steven Bergson has posted his very neat Jews-and-Comics Book Montage,” which displays the covers of a whole lot of Jewish comic books. What’s really neat is that you can click on any of the covers to be taken to the goodreads page for that book (and from goodreads there are links to Amazon and other major book sellers). (Hereville is on the top row, fifth from the right.)
Steven also very kindly included in his post a capsule review of Hereville (along with six other comics). Here’s what he writes about Hereville:
Hereville tells the fictional story of an 11-year old Orthodox Jewish girl who wants to hunt trolls. Hereville started life as a pay-per-view webcomic at Girlamatic in 2004. Since then Barry Deutsch self-published a 57-page version of his story which he has sold online and at conventions, while still leaving the webcomic online for anyone to read for free. There are so many scenes I’m particularly fond of – the knitting contest, the shabbos and havdalah pages, the explanation of how skirts worn at the school can differ. My favorite character besides Mirka is her stepmother Fruma, who can pilpul with the best when she wants to.
Those who enjoy reading the story (in whatever form you read it in) will likely also like the longer (139 pages) book-length treatment which will be published by Amulet in November.
Thanks, Steven! I can’t wait for you to read the full 139 page graphic novel — which, frankly, I think is a lot better than the original comic. It’s the same basic story, but it’s much more fleshed out; we see more of Mirka’s family (including Fruma), there’s a lot more adventure, and I think I draw better now than I did in 2004.
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