Hereville

Starred review from December 24, 2012
Eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg is as disheveled, prickly, competitive, and impulsive as ever in this companion to Deutsch's Hereville (2010). She's both a fish out of water (she dreams of being a sword-wielding dragon slayer) and committed to her Orthodox Jewish faith, family, and community. All of this makes her one of the most original and comically endearing heroines to come down the pike in a long time. The meteorite in the title is actually an alien life formâdubbed "Metty"âthat becomes Mirka's reverse doppelganger: a too-good-to-be true twin who's not only neater, defter at dispatching bullies, and better at basketball than Mirka, but also determined to permanently displace her. With unexpectedly effective help from Mirka's family (who are savvier and more accepting than Mirka realizes), her messy personality triumphs over perfection. The drably handsome olive and peach palette provides visual cohesionâan anchor that allows Deutsch's extravagantly chronicled emotions to fly highâwhile simultaneously making the story's extraterrestrial elements and scenes (colored in bold yellows and blues) all the more magical and alien by contrast. Ages 8â12. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary Agency.

Starred review from October 1, 2012
Hooray! The charmingly imperfect Mirka returns to battle a miming meteorite (How Mirka Got Her Sword, 2010). Still grounded after her last adventure, Mirka wriggles her way out of her house arrest after an important game of chess with her stepmother, receiving from her a message of things to come: "[W]hen you have to make a decision, imagine the person you want to become someday. Ask yourself, what would that person do?" After another encounter with the witch and the multilimbed troll of the first book, Mirka finds herself stuck with a sapient meteorite that has assumed her appearance. What seems like a great idea (just think: They can split chores!) quickly sours when she finds herself missing meals and time with her family. When Mirka decides she's had enough, she challenges Meteorite Mirka (known as Metty) to an epic battle that will take brains--not brawn--to win. 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. (Graphic fantasy. 8-13)

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Starred review from November 1, 2012

Gr 4-7- Meteorite picks up right where How Mirka Got Her Sword (Abrams, 2010) leaves off. When Mirka, an 11-year-old Orthodox Jew, goes to retrieve her sword from the troll, he inadvertently summons a meteorite. Fortunately, she is able to prevent the destruction of Hereville with the help of the witch. Unfortunately, the witch turns the meteorite into a clone of Mirka. It isn't long before "Metty" begins to make our heroine's life difficult. When Mirka asks the duplicate to leave, Metty proposes three challenges to decide who will stay in Hereville, and who will be banished. 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.-Travis Jonker, Wayland Union Schools, MI

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2012
Grades 4-7 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. In this follow-up to How Mirka Got Her Sword (2010), she faces a bewitched meteorite-turned-Mirka-doppelgnger, Metty, who makes Mirka's life completely miserable: she co-opts Mirka's place at the dinner table, earns excellent grades, and becomes a basketball star. With the help of Mirka's stepsister Rochel, and a bit of self-reevaluation with the aid of her wise stepmother, Mirka both overcomes Metty's challenges and even provides insight that Metty's motivation for her behavior may stem from longing for her own family. Deutsch is a masterful storyteller with both realistic kid patter and expressive cartoonsnot 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

Starred review from August 2, 2010
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. Ages 8–12.

January 1, 2013
Irrepressible Mirka ([cf2]How Mirka Got Her Sword[cf1]), an eleven-year-old Orthodox Jewish wannabe warrior, races to rescue Hereville from a meteor strike. A witch transforms the meteorite into a Mirka-clone, and the story is off. Melding fantasy, realism, and imagination in this quirky graphic novel, Deutsch incorporates the particularities of traditional Judaism and the universal foibles of a girl who dreams big but forgets planning ahead.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2012
Irrepressible Mirka (Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, rev. 11/10), the eleven-year-old Orthodox Jewish wannabe warrior, is now armed with a magical weapon, but her impulses still overtake her common sense. After tangling once again with the first book's devious troll, Mirka races to rescue Hereville from a meteor strike. A witch transforms the meteorite into a Mirka-clone named Metty, and the story is off. At first everything's swell: who wouldn't want someone to take on half her chores and schoolwork? But Metty turns out to be a bit too good at imitating Mirka, and once she sees the joyful side of being human (e.g., eating yummy food and celebrating Shabbos with a loving family), she's determined to take Mirka's place. 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 (rev. 9/12) and Vera Brosgol's Anya's Ghost (rev. 7/11). robin brenner

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)