Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

Deutsch, Barry. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. Colored by Jake Richmond. New York: Amulet Books, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8109-8422-6

Author / Illustrator website: http://www.amptoons.com/

Media: The author/illustrator created the black-and-white drawings on a computer using Photoshop and a Cintiq tablet (described as a type of interactive pen-on-screen tool). The colorist used Photoshop to digitally add color to the drawings.

Awards/Recognitions: The Sydney Taylor Book Award, 2011.

Use of Allusion: (p.21) “No, but I once read a book about a pig and a spider,” alludes to the book Charlotte’s Web.

Use of Symbolism: (Throughout the book) Mirka’s mother is smiling from a picture watching over Mirka. (p. 78) Mirka is encased in a loaf of khale symbolizing the happiness and safety she feels when smelling the bread bake

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 61) “Gasp”, “Hork!”

Special Notations: Graphic Novel (fiction)

Annotation: Eleven-year-old Mirka Hirschberg lives with her large Orthodox Jewish family in a tight-knit community. She dreams of fighting dragons and longs to escape her hum-drum life and chores.

Personal Reaction: This graphic novel caused a rush of nostalgia for me. Mirka reminded me of Henny in Sydney Taylor's All of a Kind Family, another series about a Jewish family. Henny would have been right there with Mirka arguing with her stepmother! Mirka is a graphic novel character with a lot of depth, heart and imperfections that I was immediately taken with. I enjoy comic style graphic novels, but am delighted to see a graphic novel like Hereville that incorporates humor and lot more into this maturing genre. Mirka is an eleven year old Orthodox Jewish girl from a large family. She is struggling to find out who she is, whether or not she is a hero and what she believes in, all in the wake of her mother’s death. Readers watch Mirka interact with her siblings and stepsibling, schoolmates and her faith. Humor is generously sprinkled throughout the book such as on page 77, “Pre-ripping the toilet paper! (So no one has to rip it on Shabbos, which would be work.)” reads the narrative box over a drawing of Mirka’s stepsister Rachel. The details about Judaism are fascinating, but Mirka’s story has wide appeal for all adolescents.

Cat Burglar Black

Sala, Richard. Cat burglar black. New York: First Second, 2009. ISBN: 978-1-59643-144-7.

Author and Illustrator Website: http://www.richardsala.com/

Awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection

Media: Pen and colored ink

Use of Alliteration: (p. 36) “consummate cat burglar.” (p. 36) “astonishing abilities.”

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 4-5) “Rawk!” (p. 20) “CREAK.” (p. 25) “CRASH!”

Use of Symbolism: The main character, K. Westree has prematurely silver hair (she is a teenager), which symbolizes that she is wise beyond her age. K. has grown up as an orphan and has had to grow up faster than most children.

Use of Allusion: (p. 53) “a trail of breadcrumbs,” is a literary allusion to the story of Hansel and Gretel.

Special Notations: 2010 Copyright, Graphic Novel (Fiction)

Annotation: Orphaned teenager Katherine Westree is pulled into a creepy, criminal plot after she arrives at Bellsong Academy searching for her long lost aunt. Gothic styled illustrations add an air of camp to this mystery.

Personal Reaction: This gothic and campy graphic novel manages to channel Scooby Doo, The Molly Moon series by Georgia Byng, Archie comics, Batgirl and A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket all at once and it works. It really works; I was transported back to watching Saturday morning cartoons as I read about the blatantly silly and creepy criminals plotting to take advantage of K. (Katherine) Westree. Like Molly Moon and many literary orphans before her, K. has grown up quickly and had to fend for herself. This silver-haired teen has lived life, a life filled with forced criminal activity, and she is excited to have been contacted by a long-lost blood relative. Unfortunately, a group of laugh out loud, old-fashioned treasure-hunting criminals has located K.’s aunt first. Sala shows his wit as one of the criminals explains to K. that her aunt is “sick:” “Well, its – um- complicated. She – uh-has a severe case of inflamed-um-thyroidical glandulitis-and-uh-Well, as I said, it’s complicated! Ha ha!” (p. 22). Sala’s pen and ink comic style drawings are filled with details that move the story along and flesh out the characters: three other teenaged girls who live at Bellsong Academy greet K. wearing school uniforms when she arrives. Two girls wear their shirts neatly buttoned and tucked into the uniform skirt, whereas Dory’s shirt hangs freely with the top button undone (p. 14). Dory is also barefoot as further evidence of her free-spirited, nonconformist ways. Cat Burglar Black is a fun read with a retro vibe that might allow today’s teens to escape contemporary pressures in favor of an old-fashioned, scary, mystery.