Press Kit for Hereville book 2: How Mirka Met a Meteorite

“Boldly Going Where No 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl Has Gone Before”

Abrams Books announces the release of Barry Deutsch’s second Hereville graphic novel, Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite, on November 1, 2012 everywhere books are sold (and just in time for Chanukah or Christmas shopping!).

Description of Book

Welcome to Hereville, home of “yet another monster-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl.” A delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion, this fun, quirky graphic novel series will captivate middle-school readers with its exciting visuals and entertaining new heroine. (Read reviews of Hereville book 1.)

Mirka thinks she’s ready to be a sword-fighting hero – but she’s totally unprepared for having to save the town from a meteorite strike! But things get even more complex when the meteorite is turned into an exact duplicate of Mirka – except “stronger, faster and prettier,” as the Meteorite would be the first to say.

Action and adventure gets mixed with an identity crisis turned to flesh, and Mirka must not only be brave but also make a leap into empathy to make things come out right.

Reading level: Ages 8 and up
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Amulet Books (November 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1419703986
ISBN-13: 978-1419703980

Reviews

Kirkus (starred review):

Watching Mirka fight the seemingly perfect version of herself is riveting. Deutsch has created a wonderful world in Mirka’s insulated Orthodox village and continues to capture it adroitly—though he has left himself enough room to blast Mirka out to space without readers batting an eye. Mirka is unflinchingly likable because she is so tempestuous and inexact, and really, who can’t relate to that?

This truly clever series is lots of fun.

School Library Journal (starred review):

Deutsch seamlessly weaves elements of Orthodox Judaism in with themes of individuality and self-worth. The color illustrations are as crisp and clear as they come. The endlessly creative panel and perspective work adds visual interest and gives experienced graphic-novel readers plenty to savor. A well-crafted addition to a truly distinctive series.

Horn Book:

Deutsch again melds fantasy, realism, and a whopping dose of imagination, incorporating both the particularities of traditional Judaism and the universal foibles of a girl who dreams big but forgets to plan ahead. The graphic novel format serves the quirky story well, with strong inks and a subdued palette that emphasize characters’ personalities and facial expressions as well as the tale’s action. As with Mirka’s first adventure, this volume brings diversity and wit to comics for young teens and tweens, sharing well-deserved shelf space with Raina Telgemeier’s Smile and Drama and Vera Brosgol’s Anya’s Ghost.

Comics Worth Reading:

Deutsch has become even more accomplished in his story construction, clearly and cleverly setting up later plot points through small, funny scenes early on. His facility with expression continues to be a high point, with Mirka’s reactions, and those around her, entertaining and involving. I feel for and with Mirka as she struggles so hard, as though I was right there with her.

Booklist:

Deutsch continues his delightful and unique series featuring a modern Orthodox Jewish girl who is often bolder and braver than most 11-year-olds (boy or girl) might be…. Deutsch is a masterful storyteller with both realistic kid patter and expressive cartoons—not only of Orthodox life but also of assorted trolls and other mostly benign fantasy creatures. A spunky adventure in kid-accessible truths revealed through the employment of fantasy.

Starburst Magazine:

…Magical, scary, funny and deeply emotional. Here is a book that is asking your children ‘what sort of person do you want to be?’ In a culture so caught up with cheap reality television and tabloid sensation, this is a little reassuring voice in the crowd. Its central message is all about being the better version of yourself, and perhaps not in the way we expect.

If you have a young daughter into which you’d like to instil a deep and profound love of graphic novels you could do worse than slipping How Mirka Met a Meteorite into their stocking this Christmas.

About the Author

Cartoonist Barry Deutsch lives in Portland, Oregon, in a bright blue house with bubble-gum pink trim. His 2010 graphic novel Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword was the first graphic novel to win the prestigious Sydney Taylor Award, and was also nominated for Eisner, Harvey, Ignatz, and Nebula awards. His second Hereville graphic novel, Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite, won the Oregon Book Award. The third Hereville book, Hereville: How Mirka Caught A Fish, was released in late 2015.

Photos and Images

Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite
Reading level: Ages 8 and up
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Amulet Books (November 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1419703986
ISBN-13: 978-1419703980

Links to Hereville on sale online: Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble

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