crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
Mirka reminds me a bit of Hale's Rapunzel. She's certainly got guts. I think some of the yiddish and other things may be a bit much for my elementary kids, but the 5th grade and up crowd may fly along with it.
acdhamija's review against another edition
5.0
Deutsch, Barry. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. 2010. $15.95. Amulet. 98-0-8109-8422-6. Ages 10-14. Mirka is an orthodox Jew, along with all the other residents of Hereville. But rather than knitting and planning ahead for the matchmaking process, Mirka is determined to fight dragons. Then Mirka meets a witch in the forest, and after eating some of her grapes Mirka finds herself being terrorized by a pig, which none of her friends or teachers can fathom. After defeating the pig, the witch tells Mirka where she can get a good sword for dragon fighting - if she can outwit the ogre who owns it in a knitting battle. This graphic novel features pen and Ink illustrations in monochromatic shades of orange, sepia, and blue. A mixture of classic panel design with some full spreads and illustrations that break their boundaries, much like their main character defies the boundaries of her society. Full of Deutsch’s tongue-in-cheek humor, this unexpected and clever story is also instructive: Yiddish words are incorporated and explained in footnotes, as are other practices like the Shabbas dinner. Highly recommended. Ages 10-14.
sirlancelot2021's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
yvesdot's review against another edition
5.0
Man, I remember when this book first came out... So glad I was in such a strong Jewish community; I devoured it instantly and got a whole group of people to talk to about it. Nowadays, pretty much every Orthodox Jewish kid (or parent) I've met has some awareness of Mirka; she's a strong, spunky character who came into my life way, way too late... here's hoping we get thousands more books from Deutsch in the coming years!
(Or at least 120.)
(Or at least 120.)
jennifercrowe's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.75
mschlat's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the emphasis on argument and rhetoric --- very Talmudic. But I was unsure about the integration of the everyday elements with the supernatural elements --- I think the work should have either committed more or less to the mixing.
caedocyon's review against another edition
5.0
Man, this was so good. Are there any more of them yet?
f1utterby3's review against another edition
3.0
I really appreciated that this graphic novel combined fantasy and religion (and Orthodox Judaism at that!). The pacing and story was alright, but I wasn't a huge fan of the art.