It drove me crazy as a hyperactive, messy, rule-breaking little girl to be presented with story after story in which the girl was the one who was always tidy, who worried about whether the heroes were doing something wrong, or who simply seemed to have no flaws at all. What's more, Mirka is the type of character that six-year-old me would have called 'for real.' Too often, the heroines of children's books are too Good for their own good. It is, however, exactly the kind of story I would have loved as a child: All about a clever and brave little girl, who bests a troll in a battle of wits and wins her dream MacGuffin-a sword that will help her fight dragons. Grown-ups will enjoy it, whether or not they're reading it to kids. Written and drawn by cartoonist and political blogger Barry Deutsch, How Mirka Got Her Sword is not, strictly speaking, a children's book. Even more rare is a story that pulls off that feat as smoothly and magically as Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, a graphic novel about childhood adventure set in an Orthodox Jewish community somewhere in the United States. But it's both rare to see (and difficult to do) a fiction story, set outside of mainstream, middle-class culture. And plenty of earnest, training wheel non-fiction that explicitly tells kids about life in other parts of the world. Sure, there are plenty of stories set in worlds of imagination. Coincidentally, I've also started paying attention to kids' books again, and I've noticed something about them that hadn't really occurred to me before-children's books seldom do a good job of taking readers outside their own culture. In three years, I've acquired a nephew, a niece, an awesome little girl I consider a niece, and a plethora of pregnant or newly-parenting friends. But when she boldly accepts a challenge from a mysterious witch, Mirka might finally get her very own dragon-slaying sword! All she has to do is find-and outwit-the giant troll who's got it! A delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion, Hereville will captivate middle-school readers with its exciting visuals and entertaining new heroine.It is baby season in my life. She battles a very large, very menacing pig. But that doesn't stop the plucky girl from honing her skills by fearlessly stands up to local bullies. There's only one thing she does want: to fight dragons! Granted, no dragons have been breathing fire around Hereville, the Orthodox Jewish community where Mirka lives.

Spunky, strong-willed eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn't interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. A young Orthodox Jewish girl embarks on a fantastical adventure in this acclaimed graphic novel for preteens-'a terrific story, told with skill' ( Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Hereville how mirka got her sword